GTU will award gold medals to student start-ups at its convocation — apply by noon on 30 October

Gujarat Technological University (GTU), through its GTU Innovation & Start-up Center (GISC), has opened nominations for its student start-up gold medals, to be presented at the university's 16th annual convocation. The circular, posted on 19 September 2026, says the medals reward the best start-ups founded by students of the 2025-26 graduating batch. GTU first gave this medal at its 2019 convocation under the national Student Start-up Policy, and has awarded it every year since.

Deadline

Applications close at 12 noon on 30 October 2026. Entries are submitted through the online form linked from the circular on gtu.ac.in. Send a single, complete entry — the circular asks founders not to submit more than once.

Is your start-up eligible?

• The founder or co-founder nominated must be from the graduating batch of a UG or PG programme at a GTU-affiliated college, a GTU school or a constituent college.
• The start-up must be recognised by DPIIT and registered as a legal entity in academic year 2025-26. It does not need to be attached to an incubator.
• It must have at least ₹3 lakh in turnover, including orders in hand, before the convocation. A social-innovation start-up can qualify instead with intangible value of ₹2 lakh or more, which the jury will estimate.
• Grants, prize money and investment do not count towards turnover. They can, however, earn extra weight when the jury shortlists.
• An extension of a family business does not qualify. The venture must be independent and started by a student or a student team.

How the medals are decided

A jury drawn from Gujarat's and India's start-up ecosystems, academia and industry evaluates the entries; its decision is final. Shortlisting relies on the data you submit, and anything incorrect or misleading can disqualify an entry at any stage. Selected founders are invited to an award ceremony.

Before you fill the form

• Keep your DPIIT recognition certificate, incorporation papers and a turnover statement — invoices plus confirmed orders — ready.
• Prepare a short pitch deck; the form asks for one along with correct contact details.
• If you are not graduating this year, this round is not for you. GTU Ventures' Student Associateship Programme, which closed on 5 October, is the kind of opening to watch for instead.

CareerBox News Desk — reporting on the GTU Innovation & Start-up Center circular inviting nominations for student start-up gold medals at GTU’s 16th annual convocation, posted on 19 September 2026. Official portal: gtu.ac.in. Dates and eligibility change; confirm them on the official portal before you act.