Home / Posts / Youth Entrepreneurs Challenge 2027: ages 18-35, cash prizes up to ₹1.5 lakh, registration now closed (was open to 22 October)

GOVT STARTUP CHALLENGE

Youth Entrepreneurs Challenge 2027: ages 18-35, cash prizes up to ₹1.5 lakh, registration now closed (was open to 22 October)

By AiCoN | Published 14 October 2026 | Sources checked 14 October 2026 | Scoped recheck 24 October 2026

The Youth Entrepreneurs Challenge (YEC) 2027 is a national startup challenge under the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) 2027, for startup founders and working professionals aged 18 to 35 who are solving a social problem. Registration on MY Bharat ran from 1 September to 22 October 2026, and the official page showed it as closed on 24 October 2026. Participation is free at every stage. The top 5 national awards are cash, from ₹1,50,000 for first place.

Update, 24 October 2026: registration shows as closedOn 24 October 2026 we opened the official YEC page on mybharat.gov.in (without logging in). It now shows "Registration Closed" in place of the New Registration button, after the 22 October last date listed on the page earlier. The rest of this guide is kept as published for reference; the steps below describe the page as it was on 19 October 2026. We did not check whether MY Bharat has extended the date or opened later rounds.

MY Bharat Youth Entrepreneurs Challenge 2027 page on 24 October 2026 showing a Registration Closed card

Official page, captured 24 October 2026 (1920px desktop; page header cropped out). Tap or click the image to open it full size.

Good to knowBoth the YEC page and the VBYLD 2027 tracks page on mybharat.gov.in showed 22 October 2026 as the last date when we first read them. The YEC page now shows registration closed. We did not verify what happens to late entries or whether a new window will open.

Cash prizes (national awards)

First: ₹1,50,000
Second: ₹1,00,000
Third: ₹75,000
Fourth: ₹50,000
Fifth: ₹30,000

The FAQ also mentions non-monetary Special Recognition Awards. National finalists get certificates and mentoring, and ₹5,000 per team for a poster or prototype.

Age and later-round dates differ across official pagesThe YEC-specific page says ages 18-35. The general VBYLD page says ages 15-29. This guide follows the YEC-specific rule, but applicants should confirm their eligibility with MY Bharat if the portal differs. For later rounds, the YEC page says October-November screening and a bootcamp on 11-12 December; the general tracks table lists regional competition on 7 November-2 December and national mentorship on 10 December-7 January. Verify later-round dates with organisers before making travel plans. Both pages agree on the 22 October registration deadline.

Who can enter

Startup founders: age 18 to 35, with a DPIIT-recognised startup or a registered MSME, and an industry-ready solution to a real social challenge. Documents: startup certificate, pitch deck, idea summary
Working professionals: age 18 to 35, employed in government, a private firm, an NGO or academia, with a scalable social-impact solution. Documents: employer NOC or ID proof, and an employment certificate
Individual or a team of up to 3, and every member must meet the age limit. One idea and one team per person. The Team Leader cannot be changed after registration

How it works

Register on MY Bharat under VBYLD 2027, then Youth Entrepreneurs Challenge. Pick a theme, upload your pitch deck, final report and a solution video or image, and complete the declarations. You can edit until the window closes
Regional screening and pitch at a regional nodal institute (October to November 2026). Each State or UT sends 3 teams forward. Teams can get up to ₹10,000 for interstate travel to the regional round
IIT Kanpur picks national finalists (1 per State or UT, 36 teams) and mentors them online, with a 2-day offline bootcamp on 11 and 12 December 2026
National showcase and awards in New Delhi, 10 to 12 January 2027, with a 3-minute pitch to the national jury

How to apply: step by step

Checked on the live official challenge page on 19 October 2026 - registration was open then, and 22 October 2026 was the last date. See the 24 October update above: the page now shows registration closed.

Open the official page: mybharat.gov.in/pages/youth-entrepreneurs-challenge. Entry is free.
Tap NEW REGISTRATION under "Registration Open".
Create your profile and register for YEC 2027 - this is step 1 of the official journey.
Select your challenge theme, then upload your pitch deck, final report and solution video or image, and complete all the mandatory declarations.
Submit before 22 October 2026 and save the confirmation. Regional screening (concept, problem statement and solution) runs October-November 2026 through regional nodal institutes.
If selected: IIT Kanpur mentors national finalists online (with a 2-day bootcamp on 11-12 December 2026), and the national showcase and awards are in New Delhi on 10-12 January 2027.

Steps 1-2: the official challenge page with Registration Open and the NEW REGISTRATION button. Screenshot of the official My Bharat portal, captured 19 October 2026 (mobile view).

Official YEC 2027 challenge journey: register and submit idea, regional screening, mentorship by IIT Kanpur — Steps 3-6: the official challenge journey on the same page. Screenshot of the official My Bharat portal, captured 19 October 2026 (mobile view).

Steps 3-5 happen after you register or log in, so they are not shown as screenshots.

Video guides

We searched YouTube on 19 October 2026 for a step-by-step registration video for YEC 2027 on mybharat.gov.in in English and in Malayalam. We could not verify one that matches this challenge and the current portal, so we are not linking any rather than risk outdated or unrelated instructions.

Themes

Themes are indicative, not fixed: healthcare, education, agriculture, environment, women empowerment and livelihood, governance, accessibility, disaster management and AI for public service. All themes carry equal weight. Ideas outside the list are allowed if they address a social challenge, in line with the UN SDGs.

Good to know

Entries are checked for originality, and false or plagiarised information can lead to disqualification at any stage
Participants in one Innovate for Bharat challenge (Design for Bharat, Hack for Social Cause or YEC) can enter only one of them

We read the YEC page and the VBYLD 2027 page on mybharat.gov.in on 14 October 2026. We did not register or open the portal.

Frequently asked questions

Is entry free?

The YEC FAQ says participation is free at every stage. Travel support is capped and is not a promise that all expenses will be covered.

What is the deadline?

Both official pages showed 22 October 2026. No cutoff time was verified. On 24 October 2026 the YEC page showed registration closed.

Is the age limit 18-35?

Yes on the YEC-specific page, but the general VBYLD page says 15-29. Confirm with MY Bharat if the registration portal applies a different limit.

What changed since this post?

Official YEC and VBYLD pages rechecked on 14 October 2026. Both show registration through 22 October. The YEC page confirms free entry, prize amounts and specific eligibility above. Conflicting general age and later-round timelines are disclosed. AiCoN did not sign in, submit an application or verify the portal's cutoff time.

Sources: Youth Entrepreneurs Challenge 2027 (MY Bharat), VBYLD 2027 tracks and timeline. Checked 14 October 2026; apply steps and video search re-checked 19 October 2026. This is an AiCoN explainer, not a government publication.