Prize Pool Contribution Terms

The Iqwat Startup Challenge prize pool is a fund awarded to Kashmiri Pandit founders selected through the IGBC 2.0 Startup Challenge.

Iqwat Foundation has committed ₹4,00,000 to open the pool. Members of the community may add to it.

You receive nothing in exchange · no equity, no shares, no securities, no interest, no returns, no goods and no services.

This is not an investment. You are not buying a stake in any startup.

Contributing does not give you any role in selection, evaluation or award.

Shortlisting and evaluation are carried out against criteria set by the Foundation’s jury. The final decision on who is awarded, and how much, rests entirely with Iqwat Foundation and is final.

Awards are made as an outright grant.

No equity, no convertible instrument, no repayment obligation and no claim on the startup of any kind. Recipients may apply the funds at their own discretion.

Every shortlisted startup is subject to documentation checks and due diligence · entity registration, founder identity, bank details and eligibility as a Kashmiri Pandit founded venture.

The Foundation may withhold, reduce or withdraw an award if due diligence is not satisfied, and may reallocate it within the pool.

Any balance remaining after awards is applied to the Foundation’s objects, which may include the next edition of the Startup Challenge. It is not returned.

Contributions are applied to the Foundation’s objects or carried to the next edition, at the Foundation’s discretion.

Contributions are not refundable.

If you contributed in error or the amount is wrong, write to conclave@iqwat.com within 7 days and we will look at it.

Your name appears on the public contributors list only if you ticked that box.

We hold your name, email and mobile for your receipt and our records whether or not you consented to publication. We do not sell or share contributor data.

Iqwat Foundation is 80G certified. Prize pool contributions are eligible for a tax deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. For the formal 80G receipt with certificate URN, email donations@iqwat.com quoting the Payment ID on your receipt.

Contributions are accepted only from Indian citizens, from an Indian bank account or card. International payment methods are disabled on our payment gateway. If a contribution from outside India reaches us notwithstanding, we will refund it. If you are outside India and would like to support this work, write to conclave@iqwat.com.

Iqwat Foundation · conclave@iqwat.com · +91 8879073748