Participant Help

The Top 500 have been announced. If you were selected, you will have an email from us and your dashboard will show your Pitching Arena card with a confirm button. If you log in and there is no Arena card, your application did not make this round.

Check your spam and promotions folders first, and search your inbox for Pitch Karo India. The dashboard is the reliable source: log in with the same email you applied with and your status is shown there. If the email address you applied with is different, tell us on WhatsApp and we will look it up.

Season 1 is complete. The Pitching Arena ran 12 to 14 August 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, with more than 7,000 applications and 500 startups on stage. Your account stays open, so Saturday Pitching, mentorship, investor connect and the grants listings are all available to you now, and you will be first to hear when Season 2 opens.

Confirmations are now closed. All pitching slots are full and day selection has ended, so no further registration or changes are possible. If you confirmed before it closed, your pitching day and entry pass are on your dashboard. If you did not confirm in time, we are not able to allocate a slot, but you are welcome to attend the expo as a Business Delegate.

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Your confirmation has already been emailed to you and is also shown on your dashboard, so you can check it any time. If you have not chosen a pitching day yet, do it now from the dashboard so we can plan the running order.

Use the same email address you applied with. We sign you in with a one-time code rather than a password, so there is nothing to remember. If the code does not arrive within two minutes, check spam, then request it again. Still stuck, message us on WhatsApp with your registered email and we will sort it out.

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Your earlier registration remains valid and carries over at no extra cost. Create your account using the same email you paid with and your registration is linked automatically. If it does not appear, message us on WhatsApp with your payment reference.

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Day changes are now closed. The running order has gone to the venue team, so days can no longer be changed on the site. If something is genuinely wrong with your allocation, text +91 87967 52205, Team Pitch Karo India. Text only, please do not call.

Your pass appears on your dashboard as soon as you confirm your pitching day. Use the download button to save it as an image. Carry it printed or on your phone, either is accepted at the gate.

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The pass only appears after you have confirmed a pitching day, so check that first. If you have confirmed and it still will not download, try a different browser or a laptop. You do not strictly need the image: your name and registered email at the registration desk are enough to let you in.

Each founder gets a 2 minute fast pitch on stage. That is followed by mentorship feedback and a question and answer round with the panel. Keep the 2 minutes tight: problem, solution, traction, ask.

Bring your deck as a PDF. Carry it on a USB drive or on your own laptop, ideally both. There is no upload or email submission, you bring it with you on the day.

Bring your own laptop. Carry your PDF deck on it and keep a copy on a USB drive as backup. Bring your charger, and a display adapter if your laptop needs one.

Both work. You can pitch in English or in Hindi, whichever you are more confident in. The panel understands both, so choose the one that lets you explain your business best.

The jury is looking for something real, genuine and scalable. That means a working product or genuine traction rather than only an idea, an honest account of where you actually are, and a business that can grow beyond its current size. Do not oversell, the panel has seen thousands of pitches.

The Arena runs from 10:00 AM each day. Time slots are assigned on-site when you register at the venue on your chosen day, not in advance. Arrive at least 60 minutes before the 10:00 AM start so you are placed early in the running order.

Winners were announced on stage on each day of the event. The winning startups from all three days are published on our homepage, and every participant is emailed. Prize money follows the process the team confirms with each winner directly.

Pitching runs across the Arena days and each day carries a different mentor line-up, a different panel discussion and a different set of investors. Some days are now full, so the picker on your dashboard shows only the days still open, and a full day appears marked Slots full. Choose from the open days: they carry exactly the same sessions. You pitch on one day only, the day you confirm.

Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on 12, 13 and 14 August 2026, inside Bharatiya Vyapar Mahotsav 2026, India's largest Made-in-India expo. Entry is through Gate No. 4, Bharat Mandapam. Nearest metro: Supreme Court Metro Station (Blue Line), connected to Pragati Maidan, Gate 10.

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The Arena opens at 10:00 AM each day. Arrive at least 60 minutes before your session, so by around 9:00 AM if you are pitching in the morning. Enter through Gate No. 4, then head to Hall No. 1 and report at the Pitch Karo India x BISE desk to collect your running order. Carry your Business Delegate pass and a government photo ID, both are checked at the gate.

A government photo ID, checked at the gate. Your Business Delegate pass or QR code from the BVM site, screenshot it in case the network is slow. Your Arena entry pass, printed or on your phone. Your deck as a PDF on your own laptop with a USB backup. A few printed one-pagers for investors. Remember: Gate No. 4 for entry, Hall No. 1 for the Arena.

Smart formal. You will be on stage, photographed, and meeting investors, so dress the way you would for an investor meeting.

Enter through Gate No. 4 at Bharat Mandapam. The Pitching Arena is in Hall No. 1, where you will find the Pitch Karo India x BISE desk. You must already hold a Business Delegate pass from bharatiyavyaparmahotsav.com to get through the gate, and carry a government photo ID. Other gates serve different halls, so please use Gate No. 4.

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The BISE Central stage runs panels and keynotes through each day, and the line-up changes daily. Your dashboard shows what is on stage right now and what is next, with a warning 30 minutes before each session starts. The full day-by-day schedule with every speaker is on the event page.

If you recorded a feedback video at the Arena, thank you. Those videos are being shared with our investor network and the strongest are published across our channels and Founder Stories. If you did not get a chance to record one, you can still publish your story from your dashboard, which reaches the same audience.

No. Accommodation is not provided and we do not arrange or book hotels. Please arrange your own stay in Delhi. There are many options near Pragati Maidan and around New Delhi Railway Station.

No. A stall or exhibition booth is not included. Your access is to the Pitching Arena only: your pitch slot, the mentor and investor sessions, and the panel discussions on the day you attend.

No. Travel is not reimbursed and travel bookings are not arranged by us. Please plan your own journey to Delhi.

Food is on your own. There are food stalls at the venue where you can buy meals and refreshments, including a dedicated regional food zone. Carry some cash as well as UPI.

Yes, parking is available at Pragati Maidan. It fills up quickly on busy expo days, so arrive early or use the metro. Supreme Court station on the Blue Line connects directly to Pragati Maidan.

Yes. A family member, co-founder or business partner may come with you at no extra charge. They must apply for their own Business Delegate pass at bharatiyavyaparmahotsav.com beforehand, and collect their pass at the main reception desk at the venue, so bring their photo ID as well.

Registration for a flagship event is a one-time fee of ₹799, inclusive of taxes. There is no membership and no recurring charge. It covers entry to the live pitch and jury evaluation, access to our partner programme events, Saturday Pitching which is our weekly live pitch session, an AI gap-analysis report on your pitch, and founder dashboard access with grants and opportunities through the year.

A single total prize pool of ₹3,00,000, awarded on stage by the jury. There is no fixed position-wise split. Alongside the cash there are investor connects, mentorship and national visibility.

Bharatiya Vyapar Mahotsav 2026 is India's largest Made-in-India business expo. Expect more than 1,000 exhibitors and stalls, over 2,00,000 business delegates and close to a million visitors across the days, filling Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan. The Pitching Arena by BISE and Pitch Karo India sits inside it, so you are pitching in the middle of the country's biggest trade gathering rather than in an empty hall.

The expo is presented by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) with Rits Capital, hosted at Bharat Mandapam, which is run by the India Trade Promotion Organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. CAIT is the world's largest traders' body, with 48,000+ trade associations and over 9 crore members. The Pitching Arena inside it is run by BISE and Pitch Karo India.

The expo runs 12 to 15 August 2026. Pitching in the Arena happens on the first three days, 12, 13 and 14 August. Your Arena pass covers the day you confirmed, and you are welcome to walk the expo on the other days you attend.

A great deal. The floor is organised into sector zones covering manufacturing, MSMEs, handloom and handicrafts, D2C brands, women-led enterprises, rural businesses, financial institutions and government bodies. There are buyer-seller meetings, knowledge sessions and policy discussions running alongside. For most founders the expo floor itself is worth as much as the pitch, because the buyers, distributors and suppliers are all in one building.

Yes, and this is the part founders underestimate. CAIT's network is traders, retailers and distributors from across India, exactly the people who put products into shops. Carry printed one-pagers and business cards, keep a note of who you meet, and use the gaps between sessions to walk the floor rather than sitting in the Arena all day.

Yes. Government bodies and financial institutions take part in the expo, and Startup India and DPIIT related desks are typically present. Carry your Udyam or DPIIT recognition number and company documents if you want to use those desks properly while you are there.

No, attending is not compulsory. If you are far from Delhi and travelling is not practical for you, there is no penalty and nothing is held against you or your startup. That said, this is genuinely a large opportunity: a live pitch in front of 30+ investors, inside an expo with 1,000+ exhibitors and close to a million visitors. If you can make the journey, most founders find it pays for itself. If you cannot, please tell us on WhatsApp so your slot can be offered to another startup.

The Pitching Arena is a live, on-stage round, so the pitch itself happens in person. Attending is not compulsory though, and if you are genuinely too far away to travel, write to us at pitchkaroindia.com@gmail.com explaining your situation as a special request and the team will look at it individually.

Online requests are now closed along with everything else. If your online slot was approved before closing, the joining details are in your email and on your dashboard. For anything urgent, text +91 87967 52205, Team Pitch Karo India.

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Founders are coming from across the country. Weigh it up honestly: you get a live pitch to 30+ investors, three days of mentors and panels if you want them, and an expo floor of buyers and distributors you would otherwise spend months trying to reach. Travel and stay are at your own cost, so plan a budget trip and try to attend at least one extra day so the journey earns more than the pitch alone.

We do not book or recommend specific hotels, and accommodation is not provided. Founders usually look around Pragati Maidan, Connaught Place, Karol Bagh or near New Delhi Railway Station, all of which are a short metro ride from the venue. Book early, August is a busy period in Delhi.

Yes. A certificate is issued to every participant and appears in your dashboard once processing is complete, so there is nothing to collect. If it has not appeared after a few days, text +91 87967 52205, Team Pitch Karo India.

More than 30 investors, VCs and angels are part of the Arena across the three days, and the line-up changes each day. Investor conversations happen around the pitching sessions. A meeting is not individually guaranteed to every startup, so carry printed one-pagers and use the breaks.

Text us on +91 87967 52205, Team Pitch Karo India. Please text only, do not call this or any other number. This is our only official number, so please ignore any other number you may have been given. Include your registered email address so we can find your record. Most questions are already answered on this help page, so please check here first, it is faster than waiting for a reply.

Yes, and this is mandatory for every participant. Alongside your Arena confirmation you must apply for a Business Delegate pass on the official Bharatiya Vyapar Mahotsav site. Choose Business Delegate registration, not visitor registration: delegates are admitted from 10:00 AM and get the full day, while visitors are only let in from 3:00 PM and would miss the morning pitching. Apply at bharatiyavyaparmahotsav.com, use the same name that is on your photo ID, and save the confirmation they send you. Anyone coming with you must apply separately.

How to do it, about three minutes and free: open bharatiyavyaparmahotsav.com, choose Business Delegate Registration rather than Visitor Registration, enter your name exactly as on your photo ID, use the same email address you registered with us, complete the OTP if asked, enter your startup name as the company and Founder as the designation, select the days you will attend including your pitching day, then save the confirmation or QR code they send you and carry it with your photo ID and Arena pass.

Why it is necessary: gate access to Bharat Mandapam is controlled by the expo organisers, not by us. Your Arena pass admits you to the Pitching Arena, but the expo pass gets you through the building entrance. If the site asks for payment, go back and pick the free Business Delegate option.

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Business delegates are admitted 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. General visitors are only let in 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. This is exactly why every participant must apply as a Business Delegate rather than a visitor, otherwise you would miss the morning pitching. Carry your Arena pass, your delegate confirmation and a government photo ID, and arrive at least 60 minutes before your session.

BISE is the Bharat Innovation and Startup Exchange, the startup platform inside Bharatiya Vyapar Mahotsav. The Pitching Arena is run jointly by BISE and Pitch Karo India, which is why both names appear on your pass and on stage.

Write to us at pitchkaroindia.com@gmail.com with your name, your registered email address and the details of your situation. This is the right route for anything unusual, including founders travelling from very far who would like the team to look at their case individually.

Season 1 is complete and your dashboard stays open. You are part of the Pitch Karo India network now. Your certificate appears in the dashboard once processing finishes, Saturday Pitching and mentorship are back on, grants and opportunities keep updating through the year, and you can publish your Founder Story any time. Season 2 opens later and your account is already in place.