By Aditya Agarwal 
The 12th edition of the Economic Times Startup Awards is taking place in Bengaluru on October 9, bringing together founders, investors and technology leaders from across India’s startup ecosystem.
The awards recognise entrepreneurs across several categories, while the accompanying discussions examine the country’s shift toward deeptech, physical hardware and businesses focused on sustainable growth.
This year’s event arrives at an important moment. India’s startup ecosystem is moving beyond rapid user acquisition toward a stronger emphasis on profitability, technological differentiation and capital efficiency.
ET Startup Awards 2026 Highlight a Changing Ecosystem
The ET Startup Awards 2026 recognise companies and individuals working across different parts of India’s entrepreneurial economy.
Groww has been selected as Startup of the Year. Other winners include Sauce VC founder Manu Chandra for the Midas Touch award, online yoga platform Habuild in the Bootstrap Champ category and climatetech company Varaha in the Social Enterprise category.
Deeptech startup Theranautilus won the Top Innovator category, while Armatrix received the Best on Campus award. Palmonas co-founder Pallavi Mohadikar and Progcap co-founder Pallavi Shrivastava jointly won the Woman Ahead category.
The breadth of these winners reflects the diversity of India’s startup landscape.
Why Deeptech Is Becoming More Important
One notable theme at the awards is the growing importance of hard technology.
Deeptech companies often develop products based on scientific research, advanced engineering or specialised hardware.
Examples include semiconductor systems, space technology, robotics and advanced materials.
Unlike many software startups, these businesses can require longer development periods and substantial technical investment.
Consequently, their growth depends on more than marketing and distribution.
They also need research talent, intellectual property, manufacturing partners and access to capital that can support longer development cycles.
The Startup Model Is Moving Beyond Growth Alone
The entrepreneurial environment has become more demanding.
Investors increasingly want evidence that businesses can generate durable revenue and manage capital efficiently.
That does not mean growth has become unimportant.
Instead, founders must demonstrate that growth can eventually translate into sustainable economics.
Groww’s recognition is relevant in this context. The Economic Times reported that the company was selected for continuing to grow rapidly while maintaining healthy profitability.
This combination is becoming an important benchmark for Indian startups.
Women Founders and Social Enterprises Remain Important
The ET Startup Awards 2026 also recognise founders working in areas beyond conventional venture-backed technology.
The joint Woman Ahead award recognises leadership from Palmonas and Progcap.
Varaha’s recognition highlights the growing role of climate technology and businesses focused on environmental outcomes.
These categories matter because India’s startup ecosystem serves a wide range of economic needs.
Some companies create consumer platforms. Others develop industrial technology, improve financial access or address environmental challenges.
A mature ecosystem needs room for all these models.
What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from This Year’s Awards
The awards provide a useful snapshot of the qualities increasingly valued in Indian entrepreneurship.
Strong founders need to understand their customers, build differentiated products and allocate capital carefully.
Deeptech founders must also demonstrate technical credibility.
Consumer businesses need repeat usage and sustainable margins.
Meanwhile, social enterprises must show that their operating models can deliver measurable outcomes.
The ET Startup Awards 2026 therefore offer more than recognition. They provide a view of how expectations are changing across India’s entrepreneurial economy.
For founders, the lesson is clear: a compelling business needs both a strong vision and evidence that the model can work at scale.
Tags: ET Startup Awards 2026, Indian Entrepreneurs, Groww, Deeptech India, Varaha, Theranautilus, Indian Startup Ecosystem, Women Founders
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Outbound Source: Economic Times — ET Startup Awards 2026
Nayra Roy