Economic Times Startup Awards 2026 Unveils Startup of the Year and Midas Touch Nominees

The Economic Times has unveiled the nominees for two of the most closely watched categories at the 12th edition of the ET Startup Awards 2026, putting some of India’s most prominent startups and investors in contention ahead of the final jury selection.

Six companies have been shortlisted for Startup of the Year: Porter, Skyroot Aerospace, Rapido, Meesho, Groww and Sarvam. The award is intended to recognise companies demonstrating breakthrough innovation, strong execution, rapid growth and high-quality founding and management teams. (The Economic Times)

The Midas Touch category, which recognises investors associated with the most lucrative startup exits, has four nominees: Shailesh Lakhani of Ambition Capital, Manu Chandra of Sauce VC, Anu Hariharan of Avra Capital and entrepreneur-investor Mukesh Bansal. (The Economic Times)

The awards jury, chaired by Wipro Executive Chairman Rishad Premji, is scheduled to meet in Bengaluru on August 25 to choose the winners across the 2026 categories. (The Economic Times)

Six Companies Compete for Startup of the Year

The Startup of the Year shortlist reflects the widening breadth of India's startup economy.

The nominees span logistics, space technology, mobility, ecommerce, wealth technology and artificial intelligence.

That mix illustrates how the country's leading technology businesses are no longer concentrated mainly in consumer internet and ecommerce.

New categories such as private space and foundational AI have now reached sufficient scale to compete alongside established internet companies.

Porter Represents India’s Logistics-Tech Market

Porter was founded in 2014 by Uttam Digga and Pranav Goel and is based in Bengaluru.

The company operates an on-demand logistics marketplace connecting small businesses and individual users with commercial-vehicle operators for local and last-mile transportation.

Its investors include Kedaara Capital, Wellington Management and Tiger Global. (The Economic Times)

Porter's nomination reflects the growing importance of technology-enabled logistics as Indian businesses increasingly expect transport capacity to be booked with the same ease as other digital services.

SME Logistics Is a Large Opportunity

Small and medium-sized businesses often need vehicles intermittently rather than maintaining their own fleets.

Digital logistics platforms can help them access capacity when needed.

That can reduce:

fixed fleet costs,

idle vehicles,

and administrative complexity.

For fleet operators, the marketplace can increase vehicle utilisation.

This creates potential benefits on both sides of the platform.

Skyroot Aerospace Brings Space Technology Into Top Category

Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace is another Startup of the Year nominee.

Founded in 2018 by former ISRO engineers Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, the company is building launch vehicles for small and larger satellite missions.

Its investors include GIC, Temasek, BlackRock and Arkam Ventures. (The Economic Times)

Skyroot's nomination is particularly significant because it represents India's rapidly developing private-space industry.

Skyroot Reached Major Rocket Milestone in 2026

The company’s Vikram-1 became India’s first privately developed rocket to successfully reach low-Earth orbit in July 2026, according to the ET nominee profile.

Skyroot is also developing the larger Vikram-2 and working on reusable launch technology. (The Economic Times)

That achievement moves the company beyond technology demonstration toward commercial launch capability.

Private Space Is Becoming Investable Industry

India's space economy was historically dominated by government activity.

Policy reforms have created greater room for private companies across:

launch services,

satellites,

and downstream applications.

As commercial satellite deployment expands globally, low-cost launch capability can become a substantial business opportunity.

Rapido Represents Mobility Platform Scale

Rapido, founded in 2015 by Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli and Rishikesh SR, has also made the Startup of the Year shortlist.

The Bengaluru company operates two-, three- and four-wheeler taxi services across roughly 400 cities and has become one of India's largest ride-hailing platforms. (The Economic Times)

Its key investors include Prosus, Nexus Venture Partners and WestBridge Capital.

Rapido Is Expanding Beyond Ride-Hailing

The company has also launched food-delivery service Ownly in Bengaluru, targeting value-conscious consumers with plans for wider expansion. (The Economic Times)

That move demonstrates a broader strategic ambition.

A mobility platform already possessing:

drivers,

consumer traffic,

and local logistics

can potentially extend into adjacent delivery categories.

The challenge is doing so without weakening the economics of the core mobility business.

Meesho Represents Public-Market Startup Maturity

Meesho is another nominee and stands apart because it has already completed its transition from venture-backed startup to listed company.

Founded in 2015 by Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, Meesho operates an ecommerce marketplace focused heavily on affordable products and non-metro consumers.

It listed in December 2025 and was valued at more than $9 billion at the time of ET's latest nominee profile. (The Economic Times)

Meesho Built Around Value Commerce

Meesho differentiated itself by serving buyers seeking lower-priced products, including substantial volumes of unbranded merchandise.

Its categories include:

apparel,

home and kitchen,

and electronics.

The company has also introduced Meesho Mall for branded products. (The Economic Times)

Its nomination suggests that scale and public-market execution remain important alongside frontier technology.

Groww Shows Rise of Retail Investing Platforms

Groww is also competing for Startup of the Year.

Founded in 2016 by Lalit Keshre, Harsh Jain, Neeraj Singh and Ishan Bansal, Groww offers stockbroking and direct mutual-fund investing aimed particularly at younger retail investors.

The company listed in November 2025 and currently carries a market capitalisation above $12 billion, according to ET's nominee profile. (The Economic Times)

Groww Wants to Expand From Brokerage to Wealth

The platform initially simplified mutual-fund investing and later expanded aggressively into stockbroking.

Its next challenge is broader wealth management.

That can include deeper relationships across:

investments,

and financial planning.

The transition can increase revenue per customer but also brings competition from banks, brokers and specialist wealth platforms.

Sarvam Represents India’s Foundational AI Ambition

Sarvam is the youngest Startup of the Year nominee.

Founded in 2023 by Pratyush Kumar and Vivek Raghavan, the Bengaluru company develops foundational artificial-intelligence models tailored to Indian requirements.

Its investors include HCLTech, Khosla Ventures, Peak XV Partners and Bessemer. (The Economic Times)

Sarvam's inclusion demonstrates how quickly generative AI has become strategically important within India's startup ecosystem.

Sarvam Is Building Large Models From Scratch

ET's profile says Sarvam has built 105-billion-parameter and 30-billion-parameter large language models from scratch.

The company serves enterprises, government organisations and developers building AI applications for Indian users. (The Economic Times)

This gives the Startup of the Year shortlist direct exposure to one of the most competitive areas in global technology.

Indic AI Can Address Local Market Needs

India presents unusual AI requirements.

Systems need to operate across:

many languages,

different scripts,

and varying levels of digital literacy.

A model optimised for these conditions could offer advantages over global systems designed primarily around English-language markets.

The commercial challenge is converting technological capability into sustainable enterprise revenue.

Startup of the Year Criteria Emphasise Execution

ET says the Startup of the Year award will focus on breakthrough innovation, execution and fast-paced growth.

The quality of the founding and management team is also an important element in judging the nominees. (The Economic Times)

This is significant because the companies represent very different industries.

A logistics company cannot be assessed using exactly the same metrics as a rocket manufacturer or foundational AI business.

The jury therefore needs to evaluate progress relative to each company's sector and opportunity.

Midas Touch Recognises Investment Outcomes

The second major shortlist announced on August 21 is Midas Touch.

The award is designed to recognise the investor associated with the most lucrative exit of the year.

ET says the decision considers both the number of deals and the size of investment exits. (The Economic Times)

That makes the category an important measure of venture-capital performance.

Shailesh Lakhani Makes Midas Touch Shortlist

Shailesh Lakhani, partner at Ambition Capital, is one of the four nominees.

He spent more than 18 years at Peak XV Partners, formerly Sequoia Capital India, before starting Ambition Capital.

His key investments include Zetwerk, Truecaller, Porter, HealthKart and Ixigo. (The Economic Times)

Several of those companies have already reached public markets, creating important liquidity events for investors.

Public Listings Are Transforming Venture Returns

For years, one of the challenges facing India's venture-capital ecosystem was a shortage of large exits.

That is changing.

More startup companies are entering the stock market.

IPO exits allow venture investors to:

realise returns,

and recycle capital.

A healthy exit market is essential for sustaining future startup funding.

Manu Chandra Represents Consumer-Focused Investing

Manu Chandra, managing partner at Sauce VC, is another Midas Touch nominee.

His portfolio includes Innovist, The Whole Truth, Mokobara, XYXX and Supertails.

ET describes his strategy as involving relatively small initial investments followed by greater backing when companies demonstrate traction, with a sharp focus on consumer businesses. (The Economic Times)

Consumer Startups Require Different Investment Discipline

Consumer brands can sometimes launch quickly but become expensive to scale.

Investors need to assess:

customer retention,

distribution,

and brand strength.

Backing companies after early traction can reduce some product-market risk while still preserving meaningful upside.

This explains the appeal of staged investment strategies in consumer venture capital.

Anu Hariharan Brings Growth-Stage Technology Experience

Anu Hariharan, managing partner at Avra Capital, is also nominated.

She previously led Y Combinator's Continuity Fund before cofounding Avra Capital.

Her major investments include Groww, Meesho, Razorpay and Zepto. (The Economic Times)

Groww and Meesho have already gone public, creating significant validation for the portfolio.

Growth Investing Depends on Picking Durable Winners

Later-stage investing differs from seed investing.

The company has already established some product-market fit.

The challenge is determining whether it can become a category leader.

Investors may deploy far larger amounts of capital at this stage.

That increases both potential gains and potential losses.

Hariharan's portfolio reflects several companies that have successfully moved through this transition.

Mukesh Bansal Represents Operator-to-Investor Model

Entrepreneur Mukesh Bansal completes the Midas Touch shortlist.

He founded Myntra and Curefit before building venture studio Meraki Labs and becoming an active angel investor.

His investments include Groww, Skyroot Aerospace, Cred, FirstClub and Temple. (The Economic Times)

His nomination highlights the growing influence of successful founders who later become startup investors.

Operators Can Bring More Than Capital

Former founders often contribute practical experience around:

hiring,

product strategy,

fundraising,

and scaling.

This can make operator-investors attractive to younger entrepreneurs.

The relationship can be more hands-on than traditional financial investing.

Groww Appears Across Both Major Categories

One notable feature of the nominee lists is Groww's presence in both award narratives.

The company itself is nominated for Startup of the Year.

At the same time, Groww is listed among the major investments of both Anu Hariharan and Mukesh Bansal in the Midas Touch category. (The Economic Times)

This illustrates how successful startup outcomes create recognition simultaneously for founders and early investors.

Skyroot Also Connects the Two Categories

Skyroot Aerospace appears as a Startup of the Year nominee and is also among Mukesh Bansal's investment portfolio.

That connection is particularly notable because deeptech and space businesses typically require significantly longer development timelines than consumer internet companies. (The Economic Times)

Successful private-space investing therefore requires patience as well as technological conviction.

Porter Also Appears on Investor Shortlist

Porter is another company connecting the two categories.

It is shortlisted for Startup of the Year and is also among Shailesh Lakhani's key investments. (The Economic Times)

This shows how the awards highlight the broader startup capital cycle—from company building through investor returns.

2026 Shortlist Shows Startup Ecosystem Has Matured

The nominee mix is very different from India's startup ecosystem a decade ago.

Consumer internet remains important.

But the ecosystem now includes credible companies across:

space technology,

AI,

wealth technology,

and sophisticated logistics.

At the same time, companies such as Meesho and Groww have progressed all the way to public listings.

This indicates a more mature funding and exit environment.

IPOs Are Becoming More Important to Startup Ecosystem

Public-market exits provide venture investors with liquidity.

They also impose greater financial discipline on startups.

Once listed, companies need to report:

revenue,

profit,

cash flow,

and operating metrics

on a regular basis.

This can create a more transparent benchmark for the next generation of private companies.

Deeptech Is Moving Closer to Mainstream Venture Capital

Skyroot's inclusion is particularly important for India's deeptech ecosystem.

Deeptech businesses often require:

long development cycles,

technical risk,

and substantial upfront investment.

They historically received less venture funding than consumer internet businesses.

Successful companies can encourage more capital to flow into aerospace, robotics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing.

AI Has Become Core Startup Category

Sarvam's nomination similarly signals how quickly AI has become part of mainstream startup competition.

Only a few years ago, foundational AI models required resources associated almost exclusively with global technology giants.

Indian startups are now attempting to build their own model infrastructure.

The economic challenge will be competing against global platforms with far larger capital budgets.

Mobility Platforms Continue to Evolve

Rapido's nomination reflects another change.

Ride-hailing is no longer a new category in India.

The challenge has shifted toward operational efficiency, broader mobility coverage and adjacent services.

A mature platform needs to demonstrate that it can build sustainable economics rather than simply acquire users.

Logistics Platforms Are Becoming Digital Infrastructure

Porter's nomination similarly reflects the formalisation of business logistics.

Small companies increasingly expect digital access to:

transportation,

and payments.

Logistics platforms can become part of the basic infrastructure used by SMEs rather than occasional technology tools.

This can create large recurring markets.

Startup Awards Can Influence Ecosystem Visibility

Industry awards do not determine company value.

But recognition can increase visibility among:

employees,

and customers.

For younger technology companies, this can strengthen employer branding and commercial credibility.

The effect is particularly relevant in competitive categories such as AI and deeptech.

Jury Leadership Adds Corporate Perspective

The ET Startup Awards 2026 jury will be led by Wipro Executive Chairman Rishad Premji and will meet in Bengaluru on August 25. (The Economic Times)

A jury with experience across technology, entrepreneurship and investment is expected to assess nominees across the eight award categories.

The final selections will therefore reflect both business outcomes and the broader quality of company building.

Awards Have Reached 12th Edition

The 2026 programme marks the 12th edition of the Economic Times Startup Awards. (The Economic Times)

The longevity of the programme itself mirrors India's startup evolution.

Over that period, the ecosystem has moved from relatively small private companies toward multibillion-dollar listed technology businesses and globally ambitious deeptech ventures.

Midas Touch Highlights Importance of Exits

The investor category carries particular significance in 2026.

Startup ecosystems cannot rely indefinitely on fresh funding alone.

Investors eventually need exits.

Those exits return capital to venture funds and their limited partners.

The proceeds can then finance another generation of companies.

A strong exit environment therefore makes the entire venture ecosystem more sustainable.

Founders Benefit From Healthy Capital Recycling

When investors successfully return money, they can raise new funds more easily.

Those funds become available to future founders.

This creates a capital cycle:

investment,

company growth,

exit,

and reinvestment.

The Midas Touch category essentially recognises the investors succeeding at this final stage.

Startup of the Year Measures Company-Building Quality

The company award measures a different part of the cycle.

Strong fundraising alone is insufficient.

ET's stated criteria emphasise:

innovation,

execution,

growth,

and management quality. (The Economic Times)

This places greater emphasis on what founders have built with capital rather than simply how much they have raised.

Conclusion

The Economic Times Startup Awards 2026 shortlist for Startup of the Year and Midas Touch offers a snapshot of how far India's startup ecosystem has expanded in both scale and diversity.

Porter, Skyroot Aerospace, Rapido, Meesho, Groww and Sarvam are competing for Startup of the Year, representing sectors ranging from logistics and mobility to space technology, ecommerce, wealth management and foundational artificial intelligence. (The Economic Times)

The Midas Touch shortlist features Shailesh Lakhani, Manu Chandra, Anu Hariharan and Mukesh Bansal, recognising investment strategies that have produced significant startup outcomes and exits. (The Economic Times)

Several connections between the two lists are particularly revealing. Groww, Skyroot and Porter appear both as leading companies and as important investments associated with Midas Touch nominees.

That reflects a startup ecosystem becoming more complete.

India now has companies moving from early venture backing to national scale, public listings and meaningful investor exits, while new technology categories such as private space and foundational AI are entering the top tier of startup competition.

The jury chaired by Rishad Premji will meet in Bengaluru on August 25 to determine the winners. (The Economic Times)

Whichever nominees ultimately take the awards, the 2026 shortlist demonstrates that India's startup story is increasingly about more than fundraising. It is becoming a story of execution, technological depth, public-market maturity and the ability to generate real returns for both founders and investors.