Pune: The Governance Challenge 2026 (TGC 2026), India’s first governance-focused competition for premier business and public policy schools, has been launched with a mission to encourage students to develop practical solutions for real-world governance challenges.
Hosted by the Government of Maharashtra, supported by The Gates Foundation, and organised by Samagra, the fourth edition of the competition challenges participants to answer a critical policy question: “What can the Government of Maharashtra do to make Maharashtra an Innovation Hub by 2035?”
Designed to bridge academia and public policy, The Governance Challenge 2026 provides students with an opportunity to work on an actual governance issue identified by the Government of Maharashtra and present implementation-ready solutions before the Chief Minister, senior government officials and industry leaders.
Each edition of the competition revolves around a case study based on a pressing governance priority.
Participants are expected to analyse the challenge, develop practical recommendations and demonstrate how their proposals can be implemented to create meaningful public impact.
The Governance Challenge 2026 competition will be conducted in three stages – Campus Round, Nationals Round and Summit Round – with extensive mentorship and guidance throughout the process.
The Governance Challenge 2026 participants will receive access to reference material, dedicated team buddies for continuous feedback, mentorship from IAS officers and industry experts, knowledge-sharing sessions and several learning opportunities aimed at helping teams refine their policy recommendations.
The top six finalist teams will present their ideas before the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, senior bureaucrats and industry leaders during the Summit Round. Apart from competing for cash prizes worth ₹9 lakh, finalists will also receive a Pre-Placement Interview (PPI) opportunity with Samagra.
Competition Eligibility
The Governance Challenge 2026 is open to first and second-year students enrolled in full-time PGP, MBA or other full-time residential programmes at selected institutions across India.
The eligibility guidelines include:
- Students must participate in teams of three.
- Cross-year teams are permitted.
- Cross-specialisation teams are allowed.
- Any deviation from the eligibility guidelines will result in the disqualification of the entire team.
- Eligible Institutions
Thirty leading business and public policy institutions have been selected for the competition, including:
- BITS School of Management (BITSoM), Mumbai
- Department of Management Studies (DMS), IIT Delhi
- Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi
- Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad
- IIM Bangalore
- IIM Calcutta
- IIM Indore
- IIM Kozhikode
- IIM Lucknow
- IIM Mumbai
- IIM Nagpur
- IIM Raipur
- IIM Ranchi
- IIM Shillong
- IIM Tiruchirappalli
- IIM Udaipur
- Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad
- Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad
- Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai
- Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurugram
- Masters’ Union School of Business, Gurugram
- Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai
- National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru
- S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai
- Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management (SJMSOM), IIT Bombay
- Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
- Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB)
- Xavier School of Management (XLRI), Jamshedpur
- Campus Round
The first stage of The Governance Challenge 2026 requires teams from eligible campuses to submit:
- A three-minute executive pitch video.
- A two-page concept note outlining their proposed solution.
The case study based on the theme “What can the Government of Maharashtra do to make Maharashtra an Innovation Hub by 2035?” will be released on August 10, 2026.
Further submission guidelines and format instructions will be shared closer to the competition.
The top-performing team from each of the 30 eligible campuses will advance to the Nationals Round.
Nationals Round
The Nationals Round for The Governance Challenge 2026 requires shortlisted teams to prepare and present a detailed solution before a panel comprising IAS officers and industry leaders.
Teams will submit a preliminary presentation of up to 15 slides (including annexures) by 11:59 PM on September 6, 2026.
Leadership from Samagra will review the presentations and provide structured feedback before teams submit their final presentations by 6:00 PM on September 10, 2026.
The presentations will be conducted online on September 11 and 12, with each team receiving 10 minutes to present followed by a five-minute question-and-answer session.
The six best-performing teams will qualify for the Summit Round and will each be assigned two mentors—one from government and one from industry—to help strengthen their final presentations.
Summit Round
The final stage of The Governance Challenge 2026 will see the six finalist teams present their policy recommendations before the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, senior bureaucrats and industry experts during a high-profile summit in Mumbai.
Ahead of the final presentations, shortlisted teams will participate in a two-day Governance Immersion Visit designed to provide first-hand exposure to Maharashtra’s governance ecosystem. The immersion programme aims to help participants gain practical insights into policy implementation, governance mechanisms and public administration before presenting their final recommendations.
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The Governance Challenge 2026: Rewards and Prizes
Apart from the opportunity to present directly before the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, The Governance Challenge 2026 offers several rewards for participating teams.
The top three teams will receive cash prizes worth a total of ₹9 lakh, including:
- Winner: ₹5,00,000
- First Runner-up: ₹3,00,000
- Second Runner-up: ₹1,00,000
The six finalist teams will also receive Pre-Placement Interview (PPI) opportunities with Samagra. Students who are not in their final year will be able to avail the PPI when they become eligible for placements.
Additionally, the top 30 teams qualifying for the Nationals Round will receive the opportunity to interact with senior government leaders, IAS officers and industry experts while also receiving exclusive TGC memorabilia and commemorative gifts.
Registration Deadline
Students interested in participating in The Governance Challenge 2026 must complete their registrations by:
- Registration Deadline: August 21, 2026 (11:59 PM IST)
The Governance Challenge 2026 Timeline
- Stage 1: Campus Round: August 10 – August 21, 2026
The Campus Round begins with the release of the case study on August 10, 2026. Teams are required to register for the competition and submit a three-minute executive pitch video along with a two-page concept note outlining their proposed solution by August 21, 2026.
The results of the Campus Round will be announced on August 26, 2026.
- Campus Round AMA Session: August 14, 2026
An online “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session for The Governance Challenge 2026 will be organised on August 14 to address participant queries regarding the competition format, timelines, evaluation process and submission guidelines.
- Nationals Round – Preliminary Submission: August 26 – September 6, 2026
The 30 Campus Round winners will prepare and submit their preliminary presentations by September 6.
These submissions will be reviewed by Samagra leadership, who will provide detailed feedback to help teams strengthen their analysis and improve their solutions.
- Knowledge Sharing Sessions: August 27 – August 29, 2026
Experts and government leaders from across the innovation ecosystem will conduct knowledge-sharing sessions for the shortlisted teams.
The sessions will focus on research, entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystems and commercialisation of emerging technologies to support participants in refining their proposals.
- Feedback Session: September 7, 2026
Leaders from Samagra will review the preliminary presentations and provide detailed feedback to shortlisted teams, enabling them to further strengthen their final submissions.
- Nationals Round – Final Submission: September 7 – September 10, 2026
After incorporating the feedback received from mentors, participating teams will submit their final presentations by September 10, 2026.
- Stage 2: Nationals Round Presentations: September 11 – September 12, 2026
Teams will deliver a 10-minute presentation, followed by a five-minute question-and-answer session before a panel comprising IAS officers and industry leaders.
Following the presentations, the top six teams will qualify for the Summit Round.
- Summit Round – Final Submission: September 13 – September 27, 2026
The finalist teams will prepare and submit their final presentations by 12 PM on September 27, 2026.
- Governance Immersion Visit: September 28 – September 29, 2026
Prior to the final summit, shortlisted teams will participate in a two-day Governance Immersion Visit across Pune district and Mumbai.
The programme will provide opportunities to interact with citizens, engage with government officials and understand governance and policy implementation through field visits.
- Stage 3: Summit Round: September 30, 2026
The six finalist teams of The Governance Challenge 2026 will present their policy recommendations before the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, senior IAS officers and industry leaders during the Summit Round in Mumbai.
