India's bi-annual virtual ideathon for college students. No code required — just your best thinking across Tech, Social Impact, and Business.
What is Idea Marathon?
Idea Marathon is a structured 48-hour idea sprint open to every college student in India — not just coders. Whether you study engineering, MBA, social work, design, or liberal arts, your ideas belong here.
AI, fintech, edtech, healthtech — ideas that push digital boundaries.
Sustainability, accessibility, rural development — ideas that make India better.
D2C, marketplaces, new models — ideas with commercial potential.
Phase 1
Sign up solo or with a team of up to 4. Pick your track.
Phase 2
Brainstorm, validate, and refine your idea with mentor support.
Phase 3
Upload your idea deck and a 3-minute pitch video.
Phase 4
Expert judges score ideas. Winners announced live.
Three Tracks
Every discipline has a home here. Pick the track that matches your passion — or surprise us.
From AI-powered solutions to developer tools — build the digital future with ideas that scale.
Tackle India's toughest challenges — from rural access to climate resilience and inclusive design.
Got a business idea that could disrupt a market? Validate it with mentors and a real audience.
48-Hour Journey
A Design Thinking-powered format that turns raw sparks into polished, pitch-ready ideas.
Hour 0–2
Understand the problem space. Attend kickoff talks and connect with your team.
Hour 2–16
Brainstorm freely. Use structured templates. Book mentor sessions for guidance.
Hour 16–40
Validate assumptions. Build your pitch deck. Prepare a 3-minute video.
Hour 40–48
Submit your idea. Expert judges review. Winners announced live on stream.
Why Join?
Whether you win or not, you leave with more than you came in with.
Track winners, runners-up, special awards, and the People's Choice — multiple paths to recognition.
Book 1-on-1 sessions with industry professionals. Get real feedback on your ideas in real time.
Top companies are watching. Your idea submission doubles as your portfolio for internships and jobs.
Every participant gets a verified digital certificate and Open Badge for LinkedIn.
Join a Discord community of thousands of like-minded students from 200+ colleges across India.
This is an ideathon, not a hackathon. All you need is a great idea and the will to shape it.
For Sponsors
Direct access to thousands of verified college students across 200+ institutions — at a fraction of campus visit costs.
Naming rights, keynote slot, exclusive track, and the full participant talent database for hiring outreach.
Workshop slot, sponsored prize category, and mentor representatives from your team.
Bounty challenge, social media mentions, mentor access, and a virtual expo booth.
FAQ
Everything you need to know before your marathon begins.
Any college student currently enrolled in an Indian institution — engineering, MBA, arts, design, social work, or any other discipline. There's no restriction on branch or year.
Yes, completely free. Idea Marathon is 100% sponsorship-funded. We believe cost should never be a barrier to innovation.
Not at all. This is an ideathon, not a hackathon. You submit idea decks and pitch videos — no code, no prototypes required.
Yes! You can register solo or form a team of up to 4 members. We also help with team formation through our Discord community and platform matching.
Edition 1 launches in the last two weekends of February 2027. Registrations open in December 2026. Join our community to get notified.
Expert judges evaluate your idea deck and pitch video on criteria like innovation, feasibility, impact, and presentation. Rubrics are published before the event so you know exactly what to aim for.
Join thousands of students from across India. Be the first to know when registrations open.
Join Our Discord →