An eminent jury led by Amitabh Kant, India's former G20 Sherpa, will convene in Bengaluru on Thursday to pick the winners of the 11th edition of India's most coveted prize for entrepreneurial excellence — The Economic Times Startup Awards (ETSA).
Joining Kant will be a group of accomplished founders, investors and business leaders. They include Prashanth Prakash, partner at venture capital fund Accel; Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO of Flipkart Group; Sahil Barua, cofounder and chief executive, Delhivery; Ruchi Kalra, cofounder of OfBusiness and Oxyzo; Adwaita Nayar, cofounder of Nykaa; Ghazal Alagh, cofounder of Mamaearth; Tarun Mehta, cofounder and CEO, Ather Energy; Harshil Mathur, cofounder and chief executive, Razorpay; Faraz Khalid, chief executive of Dubai-based ecommerce major Noon; and Satyan Gajwani, chairman of Times Internet.
The jury members will come together to recognise the brightest and best entrepreneurial leaders who have emerged in a year when the global tech industry is undergoing a reset as investor priorities shift amid evolving geopolitical uncertainties.
The star-studded jury also meets at a time when startups and new-age companies are increasingly looking at public markets as they mature.
ETSA will award founders who have built companies without external funding, those who have innovated successfully, built businesses in the social enterprise space, and entrepreneurs who have made a comeback. They will also decide the highest accolade of them all-the Startup of the Year.
The awards will also recognise students who have founded companies while on campus, women entrepreneurs in the Woman Ahead category, and the year's best investor in the Midas Touch category.
The legacy
Launched in 2015 to celebrate the fledgling startup ecosystem, ETSA has over the past 11 years recognised and rewarded the high achievers of the Indian entrepreneurship ecosystem, serving as a barometer of its health and vitality.
Past winners of the coveted Startup of the Year, such as Freshworks, Delhivery, Zomato and Swiggy, have grown into strong publicly listed corporations, displaying the mettle of new economy ventures.
ET reached out to more than 200 of the country's top entrepreneurs, investors, industry groups and other stakeholders to compile an exhaustive list of India's brightest entrepreneurial talent.
The paper's editorial team, along with knowledge partner Tracxn, then arrived at the final shortlist of 41 nominees across eight categories.
Joining Kant will be a group of accomplished founders, investors and business leaders. They include Prashanth Prakash, partner at venture capital fund Accel; Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO of Flipkart Group; Sahil Barua, cofounder and chief executive, Delhivery; Ruchi Kalra, cofounder of OfBusiness and Oxyzo; Adwaita Nayar, cofounder of Nykaa; Ghazal Alagh, cofounder of Mamaearth; Tarun Mehta, cofounder and CEO, Ather Energy; Harshil Mathur, cofounder and chief executive, Razorpay; Faraz Khalid, chief executive of Dubai-based ecommerce major Noon; and Satyan Gajwani, chairman of Times Internet.
The jury members will come together to recognise the brightest and best entrepreneurial leaders who have emerged in a year when the global tech industry is undergoing a reset as investor priorities shift amid evolving geopolitical uncertainties.
The star-studded jury also meets at a time when startups and new-age companies are increasingly looking at public markets as they mature.
ETSA will award founders who have built companies without external funding, those who have innovated successfully, built businesses in the social enterprise space, and entrepreneurs who have made a comeback. They will also decide the highest accolade of them all-the Startup of the Year.
The awards will also recognise students who have founded companies while on campus, women entrepreneurs in the Woman Ahead category, and the year's best investor in the Midas Touch category.
The legacy
Launched in 2015 to celebrate the fledgling startup ecosystem, ETSA has over the past 11 years recognised and rewarded the high achievers of the Indian entrepreneurship ecosystem, serving as a barometer of its health and vitality.
Past winners of the coveted Startup of the Year, such as Freshworks, Delhivery, Zomato and Swiggy, have grown into strong publicly listed corporations, displaying the mettle of new economy ventures.
ET reached out to more than 200 of the country's top entrepreneurs, investors, industry groups and other stakeholders to compile an exhaustive list of India's brightest entrepreneurial talent.
The paper's editorial team, along with knowledge partner Tracxn, then arrived at the final shortlist of 41 nominees across eight categories.