CATALYST 3.0: STARTUP LAW AND POLICY SUMMIT 2026 AT CNLU PATNA (AUGUST 22; CASH PRIZES OF RS.50K + INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: REGISTER BY 15TH JULY

About the Event/Opportunity

CATALYST 3.0: Startup Law and Policy Summit 2026 centers on the intersection of Banking, Venture Capital, and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A): the three pillars shaping the maturity of India’s startup economy. The summit will bring together banking regulators, venture funds, transaction lawyers and startup founders to examine structured debt, term sheet negotiations, dilution management and cross-border M&A frameworks. Topics span RBI guidelines on venture debt and startup banking, SEBI’s listing norms, FEMA implications in VC round structuring and antitrust scrutiny in serial acquisitions.

The summit is structured around two core components:

1. Paper Presentation: Authors submit original, unpublished manuscripts under the summit themes. After review, the top 8 shortlisted teams will present their manuscripts before experts at CNLU Campus on the day of the summit.
2. Panel Discussions: Three high-level panels featuring law firm partners, startup founders, investors and policymakers will explore whether venture debt/private credit can rival traditional VC, how startups navigate RBI/SEBI/FEMA/competition law compliance, and whether IPOs, acquisitions, or insolvency-led exits offer the most sustainable growth pathways.

Sub themes

• Bank-Financed Acquisitions and the Liberalisation of Acquisition Finance in India.
• Leveraged Buyouts, Structured Debt and Acquisition Financing in Corporate Transactions.
• Distressed Acquisitions and Resolution-Based Deal-Making under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
• External Commercial Borrowings (ECB), Cross-Border Capital Flows and Financing of Corporate Acquisitions.
• Regulatory Interface in Corporate Deal-Making: RBI, SEBI, CCI and MCA Oversight in Complex Transactions.
• Digital Lending, FinTech Regulation and the Evolving Architecture of Credit Markets in India.
• Private Credit, Alternative Capital Structures and the Transformation of Corporate Financing.
• Banking Governance, Risk Management and Regulatory Accountability in Contemporary Financial Systems.
• Financial Inclusion, Neo-Banking and Technology-Driven Innovation in Banking Regulation.
• Shadow Banking, NBFC Regulation and Systemic Stability in India’s Financial Sector.

Eligibility

• Open to students pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD programmes at any recognized university in India.
• Participants must produce a university-issued ID card or bonafide certificate confirming enrolment.
• Team Composition: Maximum of two authors per team. Cross-institutional teams are permitted.
• All submissions and presentations must be in English.

Manuscript Format

• Submit in MS Word (.doc/.docx)
• Abstract word limit: 150-250 words, with 5 keywords
• Word count of Manuscript: 2,500-3,000 words (exclusive of footnotes)
• Font: Times New Roman, Size 12, 1.5 line spacing, justified alignment, 1-inch margins on all sides
• Title: Times New Roman, Size 14, CAPITALS, Bold, centre-aligned
• Footnotes: Times New Roman, Size 10, single line spacing, justified & OSCOLA (4th Edition) citation style only
• Manuscript must not disclose author identity (though citing one’s own prior published work is allowed)
• Originality: Must be unpublished, original work; 10% plagiarism limit (zero-tolerance policy; submissions exceeding this are rejected outright).
• Use of AI is strictly prohibited for this competition.
• Manuscripts submitted here cannot be submitted elsewhere simultaneously; however, authors not on the merit list are free to pursue publication elsewhere afterward.

How to Register?

• Interested candidates can register online via the link provided for Non- CNLU students: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflOVKM_fKxVWSbH3lqmTsUF8IUV4sPfE0Rcw43WdqwPDIjPQ/viewform 
• Interested candidates can register online via the link provided for CNLU students: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemjrh5UGlpWDcCN5I7d2NhL8ZVhXAarfnhkEbJd_33w7nnBQ/viewform 

Fee

For NON-CNLU Students:

• Single Author: INR 800
• Co-Authors: INR 1,500

For CNLU Students:

• Single Author: INR 600
• Co-Authors: INR 1,100

Cross-institutional teams (one CNLU + one non-CNLU student): Fee applicable is the Co-Authorship rate under “For CNLU Students” (INR 1,100).

For Finalists: Each finalist author must additionally pay INR 2,000 towards accommodation and food expenses.

Registration fees are non-refundable.

Important dates

Event	Date
Commencement of Registration & Brochure Release	19th June 2026
Deadline of Registration & Payment of Registration Fee	15th July 2026
Submission of Full Paper	20th July 2026
Declaration of Result & Intimation to Top 8 Teams	12th August 2026
Paper Presentation & Panel Discussion (Summit Day)	22nd August 2026

Prizes & Awards

Prizes:

• Publication Opportunity: Top 15 manuscripts to be published in an ISBN-bearing book by a National/International Publisher
• Top 8 manuscripts invited for final presentation rounds at CNLU Campus
• Certificate of Merit for Top 15 Manuscripts
• Certificate of Achievement for Top 8 Finalists

Awards:

• Winner: INR 30,000 Cash Prize + Internship Opportunity with J. Sagar Associates (JSA) + Gold Medal + Trophy and Certificate of Achievement
• Runner-Up: INR 20,000 Cash Prize + Internship Opportunity with J. Sagar Associates (JSA) + Silver Medal + Trophy and Certificate of Achievement

Note: JSA reserves all rights to determine the office, dates, and team under which the internship is granted.

Contact

Ujjawal Priyadarshi (Convenor): +91 8620001879
Tanushree Singhal (General Secretary): +91 9060728668
Aman Raj (Event Head): +91 9631408898
Email: ciile@cnlu.ac.in