IIM Bangalore, GIFT City launch national case challenge for students with tracks in global markets and governance

The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore) along with GIFT City and has launched the 'GIFT Finance Olympiad – National Student Case Challenge 2026'; and is inviting postgraduate students to develop solutions to real-world problems in international financial markets.

The competition will focus on product innovation, market infrastructure and institutional partnerships at GIFT International Financial Services Centre (GIFT IFSC). Organised in collaboration with IIM Bangalore’s Centre for Capital Markets and Risk Management (CCMRM), the competition is open to postgraduate students enrolled in any recognised college, university or business school in India, regardless of their academic discipline.

Each team is required to have four members, with interdisciplinary teams encouraged. The Markets and Product Design track will focus on a proposed launch of single-stock futures linked to large Indian companies for global investors through GIFT IFSC.

Single-stock futures are contracts whose value is linked to the share price of an individual company. They allow investors to take positions on a stock’s future price without necessarily buying the shares directly. Participants will examine the proposed product from the perspective of market demand, product design and the practical considerations involved in offering it to international investors.

The challenge will have three stages: a national online case challenge, regional finals in four cities and a Grand Finale. The deadline for Stage I submissions is October 31, 2026. The Institutional Strategy and Governance track will examine how exchanges and clearing corporations operating in GIFT IFSC should assess partnerships with global exchanges, custodians and other market infrastructure institutions.

Clearing corporations help complete and settle financial transactions, while custodians hold and administer financial assets on behalf of investors. Participants will need to consider the strategic and operational implications of such partnerships, including how they could support market access and the functioning of financial markets.

At the regional finals, shortlisted teams will participate in an in-person case round, present their analysis and answer questions from a jury. The winning team from each city will advance to the Grand Finale, where finalists will work on an extended case and present their recommendations.

Entries will be assessed on analytical quality, strategic depth, feasibility, understanding of market trade-offs and presentation. Participants may use artificial intelligence tools for research and drafting but must disclose their use.

Evaluation will focus on the originality of their analysis, the practicality of their recommendations and their understanding of the risks involved.