ET Startup Awards 2018: Celebrating the best in India’s startups

Beginning today, this paper is launching the fourth edition of The Economic Times Startup Awards, the finest accolade recognising the best of Indian entrepreneurship. A jury consisting of the who’s who of the startup world will meet in Bengaluru to choose the winners from a list of high achievers on Monday, July 23. They will pick the best from a shortlist of five contenders across eight categories. The awards ceremony will take place on August 17 in Bengaluru.

The winners will be chosen by a high-powered jury chaired by Infosys cofounder Nandan Nilekani and which includes Flipkart cofounder Sachin Bansal, Nasscom president Debjani Ghosh, Quess Corp chairman Ajit Isaac, Makemytrip founder Deep Kalra, Wipro board member Rishad Premji, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma and Inmobi cofounder Naveen Tewari.

It’s about Chasing a Dream

If there is one thing that typifies the optimism that a brighter future lies ahead of India, it is the startup sector. The internet and the mobile phone are making it possible to organise hitherto fractured markets even as more young people come up with cutting-edge technology that promises to transform how we live here in India and around the world.

There is a special excitement about startups because entrepreneurship is not just about earning a living but changing the world. It is about chasing a dream, and our paper recognises this, which is why ET’s coverage of startups is unmatched in depth and breadth.

From today, ET will also unveil the contenders who have made it to the shortlist. We begin with Bootstrap Champ (those who have built a startup without outside funding) and Top Innovator categories.

There are also awards saluting students, women, social entrepreneurs and investors, as well as those who return with bigger and better ideas.

ET reached out to over 50 of India’s top entrepreneurs and investors who helped identify the high-quality group from which the final shortlist of candidates were chosen. ET worked with research venture Tracxn as its knowledge partner to compile this listing of India’s brightest entrepreneurial talent.