seventh edition of The Economic Times Startup Awards (ETSA) – the most coveted recognition for Indian entrepreneurs – will launch amidst never-before-seen enthusiasm in the domestic startup ecosystem.

ETSA has nine categories this year, including the prestigious Startup of the Year, as well as an additional award to recognize companies that have innovated during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite its dire impact on businesses.

And have gathered a high power jury The event, comprising top Indian and global business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs, will meet virtually on September 24 to choose the winners.

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and non-executive chairman of IT services provider Infosys and architect of Aadhaar, will preside over the jury.

“This year startups will have a new lens to measure what they have learned in a post-Covid world. Some have managed to accelerate, become magnets of capital and grow very quickly, while other companies are no longer on the scene. Huh.”

Nandan Nilekani, Co-Founder, Infosys

Key contenders unveiled

Deepinder Goyal, Co-Founder and CEO, Zomato; Gokul Rajaram, Product and Business Leader, Doordarshan; Sachin Bansal, Founder and CEO, Navi Technologies; Nithin Kamath, Founder and CEO, Zerodha; Anu Hariharan, Partner, Y Combinator Continuity Fund; Amit Agarwal, Global SVP and Country Head, Amazon India; Satyan Gajwani, Vice Chairman, Times Internet Limited; GV Ravi Shankar, MD, Sequoia Capital India; Harsh Jain, co-founder and CEO of Dream11 and Ankiti Bose, co-founder and CEO of Zilingo, are members of the jury.

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Over the past seven years, the ET Startup Awards (ETSA) have grown from strength to strength and emerged as one of the most coveted awards for entrepreneurs.

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Collage of all jurors_ET Startup Awards-2021_Graphic_ETTECHmore tech

Indian startup It has raised $25.2 billion as of September 9, compared to $11.2 billion in full 2020, according to data provider Prekin.

Unprecedented capital inflows into fledgling and mature companies point to the potential of the Indian digital economy, which has been bolstered by the disruption caused by the pandemic to brick-and-mortar businesses.

At least 27 new unicorns, or startups worth $1 billion or more, have been born this year, even as a slew of Internet companies are poised to tap the public market, a trend that
Zomato’s bumper IPO kicks off in July.

Digital technologies will be at the fore, now more than ever, and this is one of the reasons why investors find India attractive and come to get their seats at the table.

The year has been significant for Indian startups, which have not only made record-breaking investments but have also shown signs of maturation as they become publicly traded corporations. Many of these companies have previously received the ET Startup Award, as we have tracked their progress and covered them over the years.

From today, ET will reveal the contenders who have shortlisted it.

we will do
Get started with Bootstrap Champsentrepreneurs who have created a startup without external funding, and
top innovators, Startups with an original idea that have set themselves apart from the competition.

We will also recognize students who have founded companies while on campus, women entrepreneurs, social enterprises that combine profits and the public good, investors with a Midas touch, and founders who make successful comebacks.

The new COVID-19 innovation category will recognize startups driving solutions in the healthcare, diagnostics and research space.

ET reached out to the country’s top entrepreneurs, investors, industry groups and other stakeholders to compile a list of over 100 talented entrepreneurial talent.

It was then distilled by the paper’s editorial team, which worked with knowledge partner Traxon to come up with the final list.

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