Young CEO Challenge India 2027 · by HiveSchool

India's biggest business challenge for Class 12 students.

₹1 crore in scholarships. A pitch in front of Shark Tank founders and investors. Free to enter.

What every student submits

Your idea, in a 90-second pitch.

Pitch your business idea the way you would to an investor. On your phone, no slides, 60 to 90 seconds. Cover four things, in order.

You are in a lift with an investor. You have ninety seconds. Tell them the problem, your solution, who pays for it, and why it will work.

The problem

What is broken, for whom, and how you know. One sentence, not a speech.

The solution

What you would build or sell, and why it works better than what people do today.

The market

Who pays, how many of them there are, and what they pay. Name the first customer who pays you.

The pitch

Say it like you mean it. Judges watch for a clear head and a clear ask, not a script.

Record it in one take on a phone. No slides, no edits needed. Students who prefer not to record can submit the same four things in 200 words. Judges check the specifics: a named customer and a number beat a big claim.

60 to 90 secondsor 200 wordsNo slides

How pitches are judged

Five things. Nothing else.

Every pitch is scored on the five criteria below, and every entrant gets the feedback. The examples show what the judges mean by strong and weak.

A clearly defined problem

A specific person with a specific problem, ideally one you have seen yourself.

Strong“Class 12 students in Meerut have nowhere to practise speaking English before college interviews.”

Weak“Education in India is broken.”

A solution that fits it

Something you could start next month that solves exactly that problem, and why it beats what people do today.

Strong“Thirty-minute mock interviews on video call with college seniors, ₹199 each.”

Weak“An AI-powered platform that does everything.”

A market that pays

Who pays, how many of them there are, what they pay, and the first customer by name.

Strong“Two coaching centres near my school, about 400 students between them. My cousin Ayush is customer one.”

Weak“Everyone needs this.”

The money math

Numbers that add up: price times customers, and what it costs you to deliver.

Strong“₹199 times 50 students a month is ₹9,950. Seniors take ₹100 a session, so I keep about half.”

Weak“We will figure out pricing later.”

Clarity and conviction

One take, said plainly, by someone who believes it. Judges should be able to repeat the idea in one line.

StrongLooks at the camera, says the problem in the first ten seconds, ends with the ask.

WeakReads a script off the screen and runs out of time before the market.

How it works

From a phone pitch to Teen Tank.

Five steps between 5 November and 17 January. Everything before the finale happens online.

015 Nov to 20 Dec
Register and pitch online
Free. Record a 60 to 90 second elevator pitch of your business idea on a phone, or write 200 words. The problem, the solution, the market. No slides.
02After entries close
Pitches are judged
Five things: a clearly defined problem, a solution that fits it, a market that pays, the money math, and clarity and conviction. Every entrant gets the judging feedback.
0322 December
The Young CEO 100 is published
By name and school. The top 150 are invited to the HiveSchool campus with a parent.
04Sunday 3 January 2027
Finale day in Gurugram
Teams of five, a 90-minute case, and every student pitches to a founder before lunch. Twelve teams go through to Teen Tank at 5 PM, judged by the full panel and streamed live.
05By 17 January
Scholarships are claimed
Every finalist leaves with a scholarship to HiveSchool's UG programme in hand. Claims close on 17 January.

What students win

Not just a scholarship. A head start.

₹1 crore in scholarships to HiveSchool's UG in Business, AI and Entrepreneurship. A ₹1 lakh equity-free grant for the winner. A printed magazine for all 150 finalists. And a pitch in front of Shark Tank founders and investors.

Teen Tank · Sunday 3 January 2027

Pitch in front of Shark Tank founders and investors.

Every finalist pitches to a founder on campus. Twelve teams go on to Teen Tank, judged by the full panel and streamed live.

All 150 finalists · Teen Tank for 12 teams

₹1 crorein scholarships

To the UG in Business, AI and Entrepreneurship, starting August 2027. ₹10 lakh for the winner, ₹2.5 lakh for ranks 2 to 10, ₹1 lakh for ranks 11 to 100.

Ranks 1 to 100 · Fee waived for 101 to 150

₹1 lakhequity-free grant

₹50,000 in cash and ₹50,000 in space access credits across the HiveSchool ecosystem. HiveSchool takes no equity.

Young CEO of India 2027

150profiles in the magazine

Every one of the 150 finalists is profiled in a magazine printed by HiveSchool, with press coverage on sites like Hindustan Times, The Print and The Hindu.

All 150 finalists

₹1 Cr*startup incubation fund

An opportunity to pitch for funding from HiveSchool's in-house startup incubation fund of up to ₹1 crore. *For students who enrol at HiveSchool.

Finalists who enrol*

*Access to the incubation fund is for students enrolled at HiveSchool.

Scholarships by rank

What each rank takes home.

Scholarships are to the UG in Business, AI and Entrepreneurship, starting August 2027.

Rank 1Young CEO of India 2027

₹10 lakhscholarship

+ ₹1 lakh equity-free grant+ ₹50,000 cash + ₹50,000 space credits+ A day as CEO at a funded startup+ The title+ Young CEO 100

Ranks 2 to 10Nine students

₹2.5 lakhscholarship each

+ Paid internship with a mentor's company+ Young CEO 100, by name and school

Ranks 11 to 100Ninety students

₹1 lakhscholarship each

+ Young CEO 100, by name and school

Ranks 101 to 150Fifty students

Fee waivedUG admission fee

+ A finalist place on campus, 3 January

All 150 finalistsEveryone on campus

Magazine+ founder pitch

+ Profile in the Young CEO magazine+ National press coverage+ Pitch to a founder on campus+ Teen Tank for 12 teams+ Incubation fund access*

Every entrantAll who pitch

Certificateof participation

+ Written feedback on all five criteria

SchoolsMost finalists

TrophyYoung CEO School Trophy

+ For the school with the most finalists on campus+ Young CEO 100 published by school

100Scholarships

150Finalists on campus

17 JanClaim deadline

Finale day · Sunday 3 January 2027

One day on campus. Then Teen Tank.

The 150 finalists spend the day at the HiveSchool campus in Gurugram, building and pitching. By evening, twelve teams pitch live in front of Shark Tank founders and investors.

Finalists are invited with a parent. The finale is in Gurugram; travel is the family's own.

Morning
Teams of five
Finalists are grouped into teams of five on arrival.
The case
A 90-minute case
One live business problem, solved as a team against the clock.
Before lunch
Every student pitches to a founder
Each finalist pitches one-to-one and gets feedback on the spot.
5 PM
Teen Tank
Twelve teams pitch live in front of Shark Tank founders and investors, judged by the full panel and streamed live. The Young CEO of India 2027 is named.

Who it is for

Any stream. Any board. Anywhere in India.

01
Students finishing Class 12 in 2027Science, commerce, arts or vocational. Any board.
02
2026 pass-outsStudents who finished school in 2026 and are taking a drop year.
03
Free to enter, from anywhere in IndiaEverything before the finale happens online. The finale is in Gurugram; travel is the family's own.

HiveSchool students on campus in Gurugram

HiveSchool campus · Gurugram

A HiveSchool student working through a problem with a founder

Pitch to founders, not case judges

Why HiveSchool is doing it

HiveSchool's UG in Business, AI and Entrepreneurship starts in August 2027. We would rather find students by watching them think about a customer and a rupee than by reading a mark sheet. The challenge is our admissions front door: every finalist arrives with a scholarship in hand, and the 100 list is a public record of the sharpest business minds leaving school this year.

HiveSchool · Gurugram

The programme behind the scholarshipsUG in Business, AI & Entrepreneurship

A 3-year undergraduate programme at the HiveSchool campus in Gurugram, built around live projects and founders in the room. Starts August 2027.

3 yearsOn campus · GurugramStarts August 2027

Learn more →

Dates

Seven dates to keep.

Registrations open5 NovRegistrations and pitch submissions open online. Free.

Entries5 Nov to 20 DecSubmit your 90-second pitch or 200 words any time in this window.

Young CEO 10022 DecPublished by name and school. Top 150 invited to campus.

Finale3 JanSunday, at the HiveSchool campus, Gurugram.

Claim deadline17 JanDeadline to claim a scholarship won at the finale.

Round 1 closes31 JanRound 1 of UG admissions closes.

Second sitting7 MarA second sitting for students writing board exams.

Questions

Before you enter.

Short answers to what students, parents and counsellors ask first.

01Is it free to enter?+

Yes. Registration and the pitch are free. There is no fee at any stage of the challenge.

02Who can enter?+

Students finishing Class 12 in 2027, and 2026 pass-outs. Any stream, any board, anywhere in India.

03What do I have to submit?+

A 60 to 90 second elevator pitch of your business idea, recorded on your phone as if you were in front of an investor. Cover the problem, your solution, the market (who pays, how many, how much, and your first customer) and make the case for why it will work. No slides. If you would rather not record, submit the same four things in 200 words.

04How are pitches judged?+

On five things: a clearly defined problem, a solution that fits it, a market that pays (who, how many, how much), the money math, and clarity and conviction. Judges check the specifics, so a named first customer and a number beat a big claim. Every entrant receives a certificate and the judging feedback.

05What happens at the finale?+

On Sunday 3 January 2027, the top 150 come to the HiveSchool campus in Gurugram with a parent. Teams of five work a 90-minute case, every student pitches to a founder before lunch, and twelve teams go through to Teen Tank at 5 PM, pitching in front of Shark Tank founders and investors, judged by the full panel and streamed live. The finale is in Gurugram; travel is the family's own.

06What are the scholarships for?+

HiveSchool's UG in Business, AI and Entrepreneurship, starting August 2027 at the Gurugram campus. Ranks 1 to 100 win scholarships of ₹10 lakh, ₹2.5 lakh and ₹1 lakh. Ranks 101 to 150 have the admission fee waived. Scholarships are claimed by 17 January 2027.

07What does the winner get?+

A ₹10 lakh scholarship, a ₹1 lakh equity-free grant (₹50,000 in cash and ₹50,000 in space access credits across the HiveSchool ecosystem), a day as CEO at a funded startup, and the title Young CEO of India 2027.

08What is the incubation fund?+

HiveSchool runs an in-house startup incubation fund of up to ₹1 crore. Access to it is for students enrolled at HiveSchool, so finalists who join the UG programme get the opportunity to pitch for funding.

09Who is in the Young CEO magazine?+

All 150 students selected for the finale. Each finalist is profiled in the magazine, printed by HiveSchool after the finale, with press coverage on sites like Hindustan Times, The Print and The Hindu. It is not limited to the winners or the ranked 100.

10What does my school get?+

The Young CEO 100 is published by name and school. The school with the most finalists on campus receives the Young CEO School Trophy.

Registrations open 5 November 2026

Register free. Pitch in ninety seconds.

One idea, one phone, no slides. ₹1 crore in scholarships, a pitch in front of Shark Tank founders and investors, and a profile in the Young CEO magazine for every one of the 150 finalists. Entries close on 20 December.

FreeNo entry fee

20 DecEntries close

3 JanFinale, Gurugram

Read the question first