ET 40 Under Forty: Meet the trailblazers of India’s tomorrow

From personal milestones and proud families to ambition and, of course, AI, the 12th edition of The Economic Times 40 Under Forty awards celebrated a generation shaping what comes next.

There was a little bit of everything at the awards evening at the Four Seasons-high tea, hurried conversations, champagne-fuelled catch-ups, handshakes and hugs. The young achievers mingled with the ease of people who had known each other for years, even when many had just met. Conversations jumped from kids and careers to technology and business, with a few founders being reminded, jokingly, that should anything go wrong with their apps, they would be the ones getting the call.

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Against the event backdrop, couples pau-sed for pictures while guests toggled between sneakers, heels and sandals. There was even a walking boot in the mix, courtesy of a badminton injury. The mood shifted between lighthearted banter and more serious conversations on the sofas, until the bell rang and guests were ushered into the hall.

Sivakumar Sundaram, CEO, The Times of India, opened the evening with a reference to The Odyssey. It set the tone for an evening that repeatedly returned to technology, ambition, and what comes next.

Jury head Kiran Mazumdar Shaw introduced a personal note, reflecting on how far India's entrepreneurial ecosystem had evolved since she began her own journey nearly five decades ago. For the winners, the words added a deeper sense of accomplishment acknowledging how far they had come and the possibilities ahead.

The evening was as much about the people around the winners as the trophies in their hands. Awards were followed by hugs with parents, partners, mentors and friends. A few toddlers made appearances too-turning a celebration of professional achievement into something that felt distinctly familial.

There were emotional moments tucked in between the applause. One winner summed up the high of the evening rather perfectly: "I feel like I've peaked in life." Her mother, equally delighted, admitted she was "super proud of her," making for one of those heart-warming exchanges that can easily get lost amidst the grandeur of an awards night.

A panel discussion with distinguished guests, ET's 40 Under Forty alumni, brought the room back to the questions behind the buzzword. Could an obsession with Al come at the cost of human intuition? The answers were less about choosing sides and more about recognising the value of both AI may sharpen the decision, but intuition still has a place at the table.

Karan Bhagat, founder, MD & CEO, 360 ONE, offered a perspective that felt both reflective and rousing. Returning a decade after receiving his own ET 40 Under Forty award, he spoke about what changes when experience, resources and ambition begin to converge and why 40 can be less a milesto-ne than a launchpad.

In a room filled with people still building, the energy was palpable. As the awards wound down, that mood lingered. Winners were busy taking pictures, calling family members on video call, exchanging congratulations, squeezing in one last conversation and lingering over an elegant dinner. A few winners made a dash for the airport, moving on to the next big thing.

For all the talk of AI, ambition and the future, the evening was not so much a celebration of résumés as one of lives in constant motion.