In Bengaluru today, India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem converged for the 12th ET Startup Awards, celebrating the country’s most dynamic startups and emerging business leaders amid growing momentum around AI-powered innovation.
- ETSA 2026 winners honored in Bengaluru with top entrepreneurs and government participation.
- TCS posts 15% profit growth, AI revenue surpasses $3 billion in Q2 FY27.
- AWS foresees AI driving a new wave of startup creation in the next two years.
What happened
The Economic Times Startup Awards 2026 took place in Bengaluru, bringing together top entrepreneurs, investors, and government officials including Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal. The event celebrated Indian entrepreneurial excellence with awards across eight categories, recognizing companies like Groww as Startup of the Year and honoring founders advancing innovation and social impact.
Speakers at the event included CEOs of leading startups Groww and Meesho, who shared insights into their rapid growth journeys. Discussions also focused on India’s ambitions in hard-tech sectors, featuring leaders from spacetech, AI, and semiconductor startups, highlighting the country’s expanding frontier in advanced technologies.
Why it matters
The awards underscore India’s thriving startup ecosystem, which is becoming a strategic pillar for economic growth and innovation. With government support emphasized by Piyush Goyal, initiatives to deepen and broaden the startup landscape promise to accelerate entrepreneurship in key sectors including AI, deep tech, and digital services.
Tata Consultancy Services' strong quarterly financial results exemplify the growing commercial impact of AI technologies. Reporting a 15 percent profit increase and $3.1 billion in annualized AI revenue, TCS positions itself as a major player facilitating AI adoption across enterprises, signaling broader market opportunities for startups developing AI solutions.
What to watch next
Industry attention will be on the evolution of AI-driven startups as AWS forecasts a significant surge in company creation over the next two years. According to AWS data, AI-native startups are achieving faster revenue growth and earlier market traction, suggesting AI as a catalyst for transforming the Indian startup ecosystem.
Additionally, TCS’s new partnerships and acquisitions, including a deal with Porsche and taking over Best Buy’s India global capability center to create an AI Capability Center, will be key developments to follow. These moves signal increasing investments in AI and global IT services from Indian tech firms, enhancing scale and innovation potential.