India’s Brightest Entrepreneurs Gather for ET Startup Awards 2025 Celebration

The entrepreneurial heartbeat of India reached its crescendo today as the country’s most innovative minds converged in Bengaluru for the prestigious ET Startup Awards 2025. This landmark celebration brings together visionaries who are reshaping the nation’s economic landscape, marking another pivotal moment in India’s extraordinary startup journey.

What makes this year’s ceremony particularly special? The who’s who of the startup ecosystem will come together in Bengaluru today to honour the winners of The Economic Times Startup Awards (ETSA) 2025. We’re witnessing history unfold as This year’s 11th edition recognizes entrepreneurial excellence amidst a global tech reset.

The Remarkable Rise of India’s Startup Ecosystem

India’s startup story reads like a fairy tale. India’s startup count has skyrocketed from just 350 in 2014 to 1.95 lakh in October 2025. This isn’t just growth—it’s a revolution! Today, India is now home to 1,95,065 recognized startups, with 48% led by women entrepreneurs and 40% emerging from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

The numbers tell an inspiring story. Collectively, these ventures have generated over 17.6 lakh direct jobs, fueling growth across fintech, agritech, healthtech, deeptech, edtech, and mobility sectors. But what’s truly remarkable is how this ecosystem has evolved beyond traditional boundaries.

India’s startup ecosystem grew +16.8% in 2025, ranks #22 globally, with 10,188 startups and total startup funding over $15.09B. However, according to another comprehensive analysis, India now hosts over 509,115 startups, ranking second globally in total startup count. Among them, 31,700 are funded, having raised $583 billion across 47,043 funding rounds, supported by 121,867 investors. The country has also produced 94 unicorns, recorded 4,863 acquisitions, and witnessed 5,784 IPOs.

Celebrating Excellence: The Winners of ET Startup Awards 2025

This year’s ET Startup Awards 2025 celebration honors exceptional companies across eight distinct categories. Let’s meet the champions who’ve earned their place in entrepreneurial history:

Startup of the Year: Urban Company

From solving the chaos of finding reliable plumbers to becoming a household name in beauty, cleaning, and appliance repair, Urban Company has rewritten the playbook for India’s services economy. Founded in 2014 by Abhiraj Singh Bhal, Varun Khaitan, and Raghav Chandra, the company now serves millions of customers across India and international markets. In an industry notorious for informality, Urban Company built trust, standardisation, and scale. Being a profitable venture that delivered a stellar IPO, it is not just India’s largest home-services platform but also a rare consumer internet brand that has cracked governance, growth, and global expansion.

Midas Touch (Best Investor): Ashish Agrawal

Ashish Agrawal, Managing Director at Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India), has emerged as one of the most influential venture investors in the country. His early bet on Groww, now India’s leading investment platform, exemplifies his knack for spotting transformative ideas and backing founders with conviction. Focused on fintech and consumer internet, Agrawal has guided multiple startups through scale and complexity, shaping India’s financial services landscape in the process. The ETSA jury honoured him for a portfolio that not only delivers returns but also defines new categories of growth.

Top Innovator: Qure.ai

Qure.ai is redefining the future of medical diagnostics with artificial intelligence. Founded in Mumbai in 2016 by Prashant Warier, Qure.ai’s mission is to make healthcare more affordable and accessible through AI-powered diagnostic tools. Its products assist clinicians in detecting conditions such as tuberculosis, lung cancer, and pulmonary disorders, speeding up diagnoses, and enabling more efficient treatment plans, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Qure’s solutions are deployed in over 100 countries, with 18 US FDA clearances to date, the highest for lung disease AI. Qure has shown how cutting-edge Indian innovation can bridge one of healthcare’s toughest gaps: timely, accurate diagnostics for all.

Bootstrap Champ: Minfy Technologies

Minfy Technologies, founded in 2016 by Vijay Jain and Vivek Jain, has quietly built itself into one of India’s most trusted cloud transformation specialists without raising a single rupee of outside capital. In a sector dominated by deep-pocketed players, Minfy’s disciplined, low-burn model stood out, enabling it to scale profitably while serving clients in healthcare, BFSI, manufacturing, and government. An AWS Premier Partner, Minfy has executed complex migrations and modernisation projects across regulated industries, extending its footprint into Southeast Asia and beyond. Its success underscores the power of agility, automation, and a founder-driven ethos in building a resilient global services business.

Social Enterprise: Chakr Innovation

Chakr Innovation, founded at IIT-Delhi in 2016 by Kushagra Srivastava, is tackling one of India’s most pressing urban problems, air pollution. Its breakthrough device, Chakr Shield, retrofits diesel generators to cut particulate emissions by up to 70%, while converting captured soot into usable carbon black.

The Government’s Vision and Support

The ET Startup Awards 2025 celebration isn’t just about recognizing success—it’s about reinforcing India’s commitment to innovation. Piyush Goyal, union commerce and industry minister. It’s D-day! Top entrepreneurs, policymakers, and investors will come together in Bengaluru today to honour the stars of Indian entrepreneurship.

Government support has been instrumental in this transformation. The number of DPIIT-recognised startups has grown from around 500 in 2016 to 1,59,157 as of January 2025. Furthermore, From 2016-2024, recognised startups have reportedly created over 16.6 lakh direct jobs, significantly contributing to employment generation.

The Evolution of Award Categories

The ET Startup Awards 2025 recognizes excellence through eight carefully designed categories. We recognize excellence in eight categories Startup of the Year, Woman Ahead, Top Innovator, Bootstrap Champ, Midas Touch (Best Investor), Social Enterprise, Best on Campus and Comeback Kid.

Each category reflects different facets of entrepreneurship. The award will aim to pick the startup that has the potential to become a blue-chip corporation. The ET Startup of the Year will be characterised by breakthrough innovation, top-class execution and fast-paced growth.

The Social Enterprise award particularly resonates with current global priorities. This award will recognise the startup that best embodies the ‘double bottomline’ model combining profits and public good. Meanwhile, the Comeback Kid category celebrates resilience, as This award celebrates failure and recognises those who have survived to tell the tale. It will be given to entrepreneurs who rebuild or launch a more successful business.

Technology Driving Innovation

What’s powering India’s startup revolution? Technology, undoubtedly. Over 70% of startups were integrating artificial intelligence into their business operations. Sectors such as healthcare, edtech, and beauty were leading in AI maturity, leveraging automation for customer service, predictive analytics, and personalisation.

The focus has shifted beyond metropolitan areas. Tier 2 and 3 Market Focus: Emerging as the new growth area. Startups use vernacular content, regional influencers, and WhatsApp-based commerce for penetration. This geographical diversification represents a fundamental shift in how we approach entrepreneurship.

Global Recognition and Future Prospects

India’s achievements haven’t gone unnoticed globally. India is ranked fourth after the US, UK and China in terms of total funding to tech startups. India is home to one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems with close to 30,000+ tech startups, making it the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world after the US and China.

Looking ahead, the numbers are staggering. India’s start-up ecosystem is poised for exponential growth, with the number of start-ups expected to rise by over 2.6 times to 180,000 by 2030. The cumulative funding in the sector since 2014 is projected to surpass US$170 billion by the end of 2025.

Moreover, The tech start-up space is expected to grow substantially, with the number of companies in this sector forecast to rise to 120,000 by the end of 2025, up from the current 70,000.

Women Entrepreneurs Leading the Charge

One of the most remarkable aspects of India’s startup story is the rise of women entrepreneurs. The data speaks volumes about this transformation. Not only are nearly half of India’s recognized startups led by women, but we’re also seeing increased representation in leadership positions across the ecosystem.

The Woman Ahead category in the ET Startup Awards 2025 specifically recognizes this growing influence. Prukalpa Sankar, co-founder and CEO of Atlan, represents a new generation of global SaaS leaders from India. Atlan, her second venture after SocialCops, has become the go-to data collaboration platform for enterprises worldwide, integrating seamlessly into the modern data stack. In 2024, the company raised $105 million led by GIC and Meritech, pushing its valuation to $750 million.

The Rise of Tier-2 and Tier-3 Cities

Perhaps the most exciting development in India’s startup ecosystem is its geographical expansion. This shift toward decentralized growth signals a new phase of entrepreneurship where innovation thrives beyond major metros like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi.

As per the industry estimates, the startups have spread across over 670+ districts of the total 806 in India. Major cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune host a large pool of tech graduates and have become talent hubs, making them the favourite destinations for VCs and tech giants. However, data reveals that around 50% of these companies now operate in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, demonstrating the viability of their operations.

Best on Campus: Nawgati

The Best on Campus category highlights how innovation begins early. This year’s winner, Aryan Sisodia, Vaibhav Kaushik & Aalaap Nair · Nawgati began as a student-led idea and is now a critical player in India’s mobility ecosystem. Its flagship platform, Flow, streamlines fuel-station operations by reducing queues, improving throughput, and digitising workflows for consumers.

This demonstrates how educational institutions are becoming breeding grounds for entrepreneurship, with students transforming classroom ideas into market-ready solutions.

Comeback Kid: Capillary Technologies

Resilience defines entrepreneurship, and this year’s Comeback Kid winner exemplifies this spirit. Capillary Technologies, cofounded by Aneesh Reddy, Anant Choubey, and Sridhar Bollam, epitomises resilience. Once heavily reliant on retail, the SaaS firm saw nearly 80% of its revenues vanish overnight during the pandemic.

Their story inspires countless entrepreneurs who face setbacks, proving that failure isn’t the end—it’s often the beginning of something greater.

Investment Landscape and Future Funding

The investment ecosystem supporting these startups continues evolving. Another catalyst behind the growth of the Indian startup ecosystem is the influx of venture capital. In recent years, India has attracted substantial investment from global investors, with large-scale investments pouring into the country’s technology, agritech, cleantech, fintech, edtech, and healthtech sectors. 2025 will likely see even more interest from domestic and international investors eager to tap into the country’s fast-growing markets.

Current funding trends show resilience despite global challenges. According to a report by market intelligence platform Tracxn, the sector secured $1.3 billion in funding in 2025 year-to-date (YTD), while 2,700 startups in the space received funding.

The Global Impact and Recognition

India’s startup ecosystem isn’t just growing—it’s gaining international acclaim. According to the new report “Exploring India’s Dynamic Start-up Ecosystem”, published by KPMG in December last year, India’s start-up ecosystem with more than 100 unicorns, ranking third globally, continues to rise due to a mix of positive factors driving innovation and entrepreneurship.

The international community recognizes India’s potential. Moreover, the government has been proactive in supporting entrepreneurs. Schemes like “Startup India” and tax exemptions have helped create a more favourable environment for new ventures. In addition, various state and federal initiatives have made it easier for startups to flourish, from financial backing to regulatory support.

The Economic Impact

The economic implications of this startup boom are profound. Startups have created over 1.6 million jobs across the country, demonstrating their role as significant employment generators. Startups contribute directly to GDP through innovation-driven productivity and indirectly by fostering ancillary industries.

Moreover, Thanks to digitalisation efforts and supportive government policies, this ecosystem in India is ready to witness YoY growth of 12-15% in the coming years, contributing significantly to the country’s GDP.

Building a Sustainable Future

The maturity of India’s startup ecosystem is evident in its shift toward sustainability. Moreover, as the startup ecosystem matures, the focus shifts toward building sustainable businesses with long-term viability rather than short-term profits. This shift in mindset could lead to more stable and scalable companies, benefiting entrepreneurs and investors alike.

Innovation drives this transformation. Innovation is a major driver of startup growth in India. The country is home to some of the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs tackling challenges across various sectors. From AI and blockchain to sustainable energy solutions and healthcare, Indian startups consistently push the envelope. Fintech, for example, is booming in India, with companies offering digital payment solutions, lending platforms, and investment tools that cater to millions of underserved people.

The Legacy and Future Vision

The ET Startup Awards 2025 celebration represents more than recognition—it embodies India’s entrepreneurial spirit. The Economic Times Startup Awards have been instituted to celebrate the finest and the bravest who risked everything to launch a new enterprise. It is a recognition of the sweat and tears that went into shaping what will drive the nation’s economic engines tomorrow. The awards salute the entrepreneurs and also seek to inspire the dreamers and daredevils in all of us.

The legacy of ETSA spans 11 years, chronicling India’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and rewarding high achievers. The awards serve as a barometer of the ecosystem’s health and vitality, fostering growth and innovation among India’s brightest entrepreneurial talent.

As we celebrate today’s winners, we’re witnessing more than an awards ceremony. We’re observing the emergence of India as a global innovation powerhouse. With sustained policy support, digital enablement, and deep-rooted innovation culture, India’s startup movement is shaping the foundation of Viksit Bharat 2047 — an inclusive, innovation-led economy that thrives across geographies and genders. From Tier-3 towns to top-tier tech corridors, India’s next growth chapter is defined by women-led ventures, regional innovation, and digital-first enterprises driving equitable prosperity.

The future looks incredibly bright. Looking forward, the growth of the Indian startup ecosystem in the future is expected to be fuelled by three major factors: the continued rise of digital innovation, increasing investment from global players, and a thriving entrepreneurial spirit.

As India’s brightest entrepreneurs gather for this momentous celebration, we’re not just honoring past achievements—we’re launching the next chapter of India’s remarkable startup story. The ET Startup Awards 2025 stands as a testament to the power of dreams, determination, and the unwavering belief that innovation can change the world.

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