3 min readNew DelhiOct 23, 2026 02:19 PM ISTGIFT Finance Olympiad – National Student Case Challenge 2026: Where and how to apply? (Image via special arrangement)AI Narration Listen 00:000.5x0.75x1x1.25x1.5x2xThank you for your feedback.Your feedback has been reported succesfully.The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore) along with GIFT City and has launched the ‘GIFT Finance Olympiad – National Student Case Challenge 2026’; and is inviting postgraduate students to develop solutions to real-world problems in international financial markets. The competition will focus on product innovation, market infrastructure and institutional partnerships at GIFT International Financial Services Centre (GIFT IFSC).Organised in collaboration with IIM Bangalore’s Centre for Capital Markets and Risk Management (CCMRM), the competition is open to postgraduate students enrolled in any recognised college, university or business school in India, regardless of their academic discipline. Each team is required to have four members, with interdisciplinary teams encouraged.What is the challenge?The challenge will require participants to analyse financial market problems, assess available options and develop evidence-based recommendations. Students can choose between two tracks: Markets and Product Design, and Institutional Strategy and Governance.The Markets and Product Design track will focus on a proposed launch of single-stock futures linked to large Indian companies for global investors through GIFT IFSC. Single-stock futures are contracts whose value is linked to the share price of an individual company. They allow investors to take positions on a stock’s future price without necessarily buying the shares directly. Participants will examine the proposed product from the perspective of market demand, product design and the practical considerations involved in offering it to international investors.Competition format and important datesThe challenge will have three stages: a national online case challenge, regional finals in four cities and a Grand Finale. The deadline for Stage I submissions is October 31, 2026.Stage I: Online case challengeSubmission deadline: October 31, 2026Delhi regional finalNovember 21, 2026Bengaluru regional finalNovember 28, 2026Kolkata regional finalNovember 30, 2026Mumbai regional finalDecember 5, 2026The Institutional Strategy and Governance track will examine how exchanges and clearing corporations operating in GIFT IFSC should assess partnerships with global exchanges, custodians and other market infrastructure institutions. Clearing corporations help complete and settle financial transactions, while custodians hold and administer financial assets on behalf of investors. Participants will need to consider the strategic and operational implications of such partnerships, including how they could support market access and the functioning of financial markets.At the regional finals, shortlisted teams will participate in an in-person case round, present their analysis and answer questions from a jury. The winning team from each city will advance to the Grand Finale, where finalists will work on an extended case and present their recommendations.Story continues below this adEntries will be assessed on analytical quality, strategic depth, feasibility, understanding of market trade-offs and presentation. Participants may use artificial intelligence tools for research and drafting but must disclose their use.Evaluation will focus on the originality of their analysis, the practicality of their recommendations and their understanding of the risks involved.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogUdta Teer Review and Release Live Updates: Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer is ‘Dhurandhar in reverse’, fans loving the ‘laugh riot’7 minutes agoDelhi Protest Live Updates: Traffic diversion near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Jantar Mantar till 5pm amid call for anti-CEC protest9 minutes agoJailer 2 Box Office Collection Day 8 Updates: Rajinikanth film earns Rs 606.5 cr; sells record 8.7 million tickets on BookMyShow28 minutes agoIndia News Live Updates, 22 October 2026: Bomb threat received at Mumbai’s mayor’s office, nothing suspicious found35 minutes agoWorld News Today Live Updates: 14 Indians involved in yacht incident off Yemen coast, Indian embassy assures help16 hours agoAdvertisement