Nagpur, November 1, 2026: TiE Nagpur successfully hosted the TiE U Global Pitch Competition 2026 – Nagpur Chapter Finals on 1st November at VNIT Nagpur, bringing together some of the most promising student entrepreneurs from across the city. The competition witnessed participation from 87 startup teams representing nine educational institutions, marking a significant milestone in promoting student entrepreneurship in the region.
TiE U is a flagship global initiative of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), bringing together student-led startups through a global pitch competition involving TiE chapters across India, Asia and the United States.
The Nagpur chapter’s journey began in August 2026, with participation from VNIT Nagpur, IIIT Nagpur, JD College, Symbiosis International University, LAD College, Jhulelal Institute of Technology, Cummins College of Engineering for Women, Ramdeobaba University and G H Raisoni College of Engineering.
As part of the programme, TiE Nagpur conducted nine Guru Sessions covering idea validation, business model development, market research, financial planning, unit economics, legal compliance and investor pitch preparation. Following multiple rounds of evaluation, 35 teams advanced to the semifinals, from which 15 finalist teams were shortlisted across two categories: Open Track (early traction and revenue-stage ventures) and Core Track (idea-to-prototype-stage ventures).
The jury comprised Mr. Shashikant Chaudhary, serial entrepreneur, angel investor and startup mentor with over four decades of experience, and CA Dr. Tejinder Singh Rawal, TiE Nagpur’s TiE U Chair.
The winners were announced in two tracks:
Open Track
- Winner:IndiaICU – Dhroov Jindal, VNIT Nagpur
- Runner-up:Orvia – G H Raisoni College of Engineering
Core Track
- Winner:Proton Volt – Rugved Kate, VNIT Nagpur
- Runner-up:Saral Labs – Om Kamatkar, Ramdeobaba University
The two winning teams, IndiaICU and Proton Volt, will represent TiE Nagpur at the TiE U Global Semifinals on December 13, 2026, during the TiE Global Summit in Indore. They will compete with winning teams from other TiE chapters for a place among the top six teams advancing to the Global Finals on December 15.
The selected teams will receive further mentoring and pitch preparation support from TiE Nagpur and TiE Global ahead of the international competition.
The programme was designed and executed under the leadership of Mr. Amol Muley, Executive Director, TiE Nagpur, with the support and guidance of the TiE Nagpur leadership and programme team.
The successful conclusion of TiE U 2026 reinforces TiE Nagpur’s commitment to nurturing young entrepreneurial talent, connecting academic institutions with the startup ecosystem and creating pathways for student innovators to take their ideas to a global platform.
About TiE Nagpur: TiE Nagpur is the regional chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a global not-for-profit organisation dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship through mentoring, networking, education and investment facilitation. The chapter works with startups, entrepreneurs, institutions and ecosystem partners to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Vidarbha region.
