Cohort 01 · Applications close September 30
Two months. Zero equity. Twenty founders.
Fellowship '26 is the Council's flagship launchpad — a structured 2-month sprint that takes early-stage student founders from raw concept to a product real users have actually touched. It is 100% equity-free, and we don't take the ₹1.5 Lakh program fee — we have made even the program fee ₹0 for all 20 admitted founders.
How It Runs
A structured 2-month sprint taking you from raw concept to validated product.
Diagnose
Strategy audit, advisory board matching, and a hard look at what you're actually building and for whom.
Build
Execution sprints with weekly checkpoints. You ship, we push back, you ship again.
Prove It
Investor pitch prep, masterclasses, and demo day — the point where "student project" stops being an accurate description.
What You Get
Nine comprehensive pillars designed to take your prototype to real market traction.
Verified Council Credibility
A badge that means something on every public directory we run. Verified credibility for your venture across the ecosystem.
An Advisory Board, Not an Advisor
Matched mentorship from operators who've built in your vertical. Real guidance tailored to your specific problem space.
Weekly Strategy Audits
Structured sprints toward product-market fit, not vague check-ins. Rigorous accountability to push your shipping velocity.
Closed-Door Masterclasses
Sessions with venture-backed founders who don't do public talks. Raw, unvarnished insight into what it actually takes to win.
A 90+ Campus Talent Pipeline
Hire your co-founder or first engineer without cold DMs. Direct access to India's sharpest student developers and operators.
Real Launch Support
Distribution, press, and a demo day built to get you seen. Amplification across our collegiate channels and social footprint.
Warm Investor Intros
Pitch sessions with active angel syndicates, not a spray-and-pray intro list. Direct lines to capital when you're ready to raise.
IRL Founder Mixers
Private dinners across Delhi NCR with people building at your level. High-trust peer groups where real deals and partnerships happen.
A Network for Life
Alumni access doesn't expire when the cohort ends. A permanent back-channel of builders, mentors, and collaborative syndicates.
Only 20 get in. Every applicant still leaves with something real.
10,000 founders will apply for 20 seats. We built this page assuming you're one of the 9,980 — because your ₹1,999 was never just an entry ticket, it's what gets you inside the Council's actual infrastructure, whether Cohort 01 picks you or not.
A Real Evaluation, Not a Rejection Email
A written scorecard against the exact rubric our selectors use — idea clarity, market, team, traction — with specific feedback on where you stood.
The Fellowship Toolkit
The actual templates fellows use to build: pitch deck template, GTM canvas, cap table basics, investor outreach tracker. Yours to keep.
Every Masterclass, On-Demand
The same sessions selected fellows attend live, released to every applicant to watch on your own time.
3 Months Free in Builder Vaults + Project Squads
Where most founders actually find their co-founder — open to you immediately, no selection required.
50% Off Next Cohort Application Fee
50% off on the application fee for the next cohort, because you already showed up and backed yourself once.
Verified Applicant Badge
A verified "TFC Fellowship '26 Applicant" badge, shareable on LinkedIn.
What selection adds on top: 1-on-1 operator advisory, weekly strategy audits, investor pitch sessions, and demo day. That's the part that's genuinely limited to 20 — 100% equity-free, and we don't take the ₹1.5 Lakh program fee (the program fee is completely ₹0). Everything above isn't limited.
Apply Now →Who This Is For
This is for founders who already have a real idea — not a pitch deck, an idea — and are ready to spend two months testing whether it's actually worth building.
You don't need a company registered, a team hired, or a product built. You need conviction and the willingness to be audited on your progress every single week.
4-Step Application Process
Submit Application
Fill the founder questionnaire and pitch details below.
Confirm Slot (₹1,999)
Pay registration pass via secure UPI to filter non-serious applicants.
Admissions Interview
15-minute founder drill to assess ambition, technical depth, and velocity.
Cohort 01 Welcome
Selected founders start offline sprints in Delhi NCR on October 1.
