IIM Bangalore: GIFT City has partnered with the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore) to launch the ‘GIFT Finance Olympiad – National Student Case Challenge 2026‘. The objective of this national competition is to encourage students to develop practical, evidence-based solutions to address real-world challenges faced by the GIFT International Financial Services Centre (GIFT IFSC).
This initiative will also act as a key milestone leading up to the ‘Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027’. The ‘Centre for Capital Markets and Risk Management’ at IIM Bangalore is organising this Olympiad. Postgraduate students from any academic discipline, enrolled in recognised Indian institutions, are eligible to participate.
Participants must form a four-member, multidisciplinary team, meaning the team must include members from different academic fields. The goal is to bring together students from diverse backgrounds to generate fresh ideas for the financial sector.
The competition will unfold in three stages. The first stage is an online ‘case challenge’, with a submission deadline of October 31, 2026. Selected teams will advance to regional finals, to be held in Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Mumbai throughout November and early December. The event will culminate in a ‘Grand Finale’, where shortlisted teams will present their detailed recommendations.
National Student Case Challenge 2026: Eligibility Criteria
This competition is open to all postgraduate students enrolled at any recognised college, university, or management college across India, regardless of their academic discipline. Every team must have four members, and interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged. Students studying finance, economics, tech, data analytics, and related fields are welcome to join. Individual students can only join a single team.
Participants may focus on two primary areas. The first area centers on financial markets and product development, covering topics such as ‘single-stock futures’ for global investors. The second area focuses on institutional strategy, governance, and partnerships among global exchanges. Entries will be evaluated based on their analytical depth, practical feasibility, and market-related trade-offs.
Participants may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools, but they must explicitly disclose their use. Through this Olympiad, students will gain an understanding of financial markets, regulations, and business operations. It also aims to generate practical ideas for product innovation and governance, which will help strengthen GIFT IFSC as a global financial hub.
GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City)
GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) is India’s first operational greenfield smart city and the country’s only International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). Spanning 886 acres between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar along the banks of the Sabarmati River, this high-tech business district was designed to compete with global financial hubs such as Dubai, Singapore, and London.
Its objective is to combine world-class offshore infrastructure with top-tier local talent. As a rapidly evolving financial hub, the gift city has seen significant expansion; its total banking assets have surpassed $100 billion, and more than 1,000 entities are currently operating there.
GIFT City has rapidly expanded its ecosystem, evolving from a conceptual blueprint into a thriving transaction hub.
