MUMBAI: Great ideas deserve great recognition, and ET NOW made sure of that. The IDFC First bank presents ET NOW Leaders of Tomorrow Awards Season 12 took centre stage in New Delhi, celebrating India’s most promising MSMEs and startups. With the theme ‘Powering Entrepreneurs for the Global Stage,’ the event highlighted the visionaries scaling their businesses within India while making waves in the international market.
Former union minister & chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on coal, mines & steel Anurag Singh Thakur stated, “Over the past decade, India has risen from the ‘Fragile Five’ to one of the world’s top five economies, and in the next three years, we are set to become the third-largest economy globally. The government has actively supported MSMEs through financial reforms, ease of doing business initiatives, and credit access programs like Mudra Loans and Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme. Today, India is home to over 1.6 lakh start-ups and 117 unicorns, proving that our youth are building enterprises that compete on the global stage. Our vision for Viksit Bharat 2047 is powered by MSMEs that are integrating into global supply chains, focusing on quality and innovation.”
NSE MD & CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan stated, “India's thriving capital market is an anomaly, as traditionally, only wealthy nations develop strong investment ecosystems. However, with 11 crore registered investors and 21 crore accounts, India is now uniquely positioned to fund entrepreneurial dreams. MSMEs must leverage capital markets to boost credibility, secure funding, and scale their businesses.”
His speech didn’t shy away from geopolitical shifts shaping India’s future, adding, “The world is moving from a unipolar system (dominated by the U.S.) to a multipolar system, where India is emerging as a key player alongside major economies. The decline of global regulatory frameworks, such as the WTO (World Trade Organization), suggests that large economies are now prioritizing bilateral agreements over multilateral trade rules.”
The awards night honoured outstanding enterprises across 14 categories, including 3 IDFC First Bank Rising Star Awards and 4 Editorial Awards. Winners were meticulously selected through a rigorous pan-India screening and expert jury evaluation, ensuring only the best took home the accolades.
Beyond the awards, the event saw engaging panel discussions featuring industry heavyweights who shared their expertise and foresight on the future of entrepreneurship. Speakers included Chinmay Dhoble (IDFC FIRST Bank), Akis Evangelidis (Nothing), Aman Gupta (boAt Lifestyle), Dr. A Velumani (Thyrocare), Anand Mane (Joul), Bert Mueller (California Burrito), Spencer Schneier (Commenda), Radha Kirthivasan (BSE), Vivek Gambhir (Lightspeed India), Padmaja Ruparel (IAN Group), and Anisha Singh (She Capital).
With India’s MSMEs and startups gaining unprecedented momentum, the ET NOW Leaders of Tomorrow Awards proved that the future of business isn’t just bright—it’s unstoppable.
