Payoneer India Cross-Border Excellence Awards: A diverse winner list reflects India’s growing cross-border trade

Beyond India’s traditional export hubs, the cross-border economy in the country is growing exponentially as more businesses are venturing into global markets and doing well there. A new generation of Indian companies is gaining access and exploring overseas markets in domains including technology, AI-led services, e-commerce, D2C Brands, Bookkeeping and Accounting, and more.

This transformation is rapid; however, the businesses/individuals or ideas contributing to it, are not getting the attention they deserve. The Payoneer India Cross-Border Excellence Awards, in association with The Economic Times, have taken a significant step towards disrupting this status quo.

The awards have recognised and felicitated businesses, giving an impetus to India’s cross-border ambitions, and have awarded them across sixteen categories. The recognition, in sync with India’s global trade ambitions, could not have been better timed as India is emerging as a global force in services, e-commerce, digital innovation, and more.


The country’s exports have surged to a record $863 billion in financial year 2026. Services exports continue leading the pack with a record number of $421.3 billion in the corresponding period, surpassing an earlier estimate of $418.3 billion. The country’s exports are well on their way to meet the ambitious target of $2 trillion by 2030-31.

These awards, backed by a transparent and rigorous evaluation process and judged by industry leaders, are turning the spotlight on the companies and founders that are helping India turn this ambition into a reality.

A rigorous evaluation, an esteemed jury:

Before the jury made their decision, they were presented with an extensive evaluation of the nominees for the awards. The evaluation was based on the following criteria:

Growth and Scale carried 40% of the total weightage and determined the year-on-year revenue and trajectory over the last two to three years. For service exporters, billed foreign revenue was considered.

30% of the weightage was dedicated to Market Reach and Diversification. The evaluation in this segment was based on the number of geographies served, depth of the market penetration, and international markets that were entered into in the last two years.

Product or the uniqueness of the service carried a total weightage of 15%, and what set the nominees apart here was technology adoption, business model innovation, and brand building and positioning.

The nominees were also evaluated on their employment generation and community impact, with this domain carrying a total weightage of 10%. Direct and indirect jobs created by the company, skilling, supply chain development, and community initiatives were the metrics that were thoroughly analysed.

Digital Infrastructure and Payments have become a significant part of cross-border trade. 5% of the total weightage was allocated to this segment, wherein cross-border payment maturity, use of digital platforms, tools for global operations, and scalability of payment infrastructure were assessed in detail.

The evaluation was finally presented to the jury, including Dr. Abhay Sinha, Director General, SEPC India; Dr. Sridevi Arunachalam, Founder, Indo-UAE Economic Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Abhilasha Gaur, CEO, SSC NASSCOM; and Sarita Raichura, Director, Blume Ventures.

The jury took a long and hard look at the evaluation and the nominations before they came up with the verdict.

The diversity of the winners is reflective of India’s evolving export economy. While technology and services continue to be the pivots of India’s export economy, the list of winners also includes regional manufacturers, aerospace businesses, logistics companies, consumer brands, education platforms, and more.

Here are the winners:

Service Exports:
IT & Development: HIC Global Solutions, a Salesforce-focused technology and IT consulting company, was declared the winner in the IT & Development category. The company offers consulting, implementation, customisation, development, integration, AI-powered solutions, and managed services.

Runner-up: iTechnolabs.

AI & ML: An AI-native sales and route-to-market platform for consumer goods and FMCG companies, SalesCode.ai, was adjudged the top of the category in AI & ML. The company’s technology spans sales-force automation, distributor management, eB2B, image recognition, and AI agents. It has a presence in 25 countries, the company says.

Runner-up: CapitalNumbers Infotech Limited

Accounting, Bookkeeping & Micro GCC: Nexdigm, declared the winner, provides consulting, outsourcing, finance and accounting, tax, regulatory, and advisory services. With clients in more than 50 countries, the company also serves across India.

Runner-up: Enterslice

Digital Marketing Services: Speqto Technologies stood out and took the winner title home. It is an IT and digital solutions company with expertise in software development, digital marketing, AI, blockchain, IoT, AR/VR, and data science. The company has built an international client base and operates across multiple geographies.

Runner-up: Infinite Locus Pvt Ltd

EdTech: Jury chose Careerera LLC as the winner for this category. An online education and professional upskilling platform, it offers a focus on career advancement, upskilling, and reskilling as well as industry-relevant learning.

Runner-up: MYCPE ONE Solutions Private Limited

SaaS & B2B Solutions: Xoxoday took the title home! It is a B2B SaaS company and has a focus on rewards, incentives, loyalty, and recognition, while the platform serves employees, channel partners, and customers.

Runner-up: Increff

E-commerce:

Fashion & Apparel: IBA Crafts represents the growing role of Indian-origin products and designs in international e-commerce markets, and took the top spot. It is an export-oriented fashion and craft company.

Runner-up: Mehta E-Retail India

Home & Kitchen: The winner for this category wasEurospa TerryTowels. Based in the capital city of India, the company manufactures and supplies textiles, and the product portfolio includes terry towels and other textile products.

Runner-up: Artociti Canvas Pvt Ltd

Personal Care, Health & Wellness: Behal International, the winner of this category, is headquartered in Amritsar, and serves as an exporter and importer across international markets including the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, and Australia. Its portfolio includes FMCG, personal care, Ayurvedic and herbal products, household goods and lifestyle products.

Runner-up: Isak Fragrances

Independent categories:

Company Incorporation Partner: USAIndiaCFO, a company that provides financial, tax, compliance and virtual CFO services for businesses operating across India and the US, was adjudged as the winner for this independent category.

Runner-up: 10x Global

Women in Export Excellence: Amantya Technologies Pvt Ltd topped this list. It is a global technology company working across telecom, cloud, AI, and digital engineering. CEO, Anuradha Gupta, received the award.

Runner-up: House of Kraft, led by Neha Khanna (CEO & Co-Founder)

D2C Cross-Border Brand: Chaupal OTT is a regional OTT platform, with a focus on vernacular entertainment, including Punjabi, Haryanvi, and Bhojpuri. The company represents a growing demand for such content beyond India. Chaupal OTT took the winner title!

Runner-up: Yo Tours (Wanderung Guides Private Limited)

Global Employer: CTA Apparels Pvt Ltd, a Noida-based garment and textile manufacturer and exporter, was declared the winner in this category. The company employs more than 6,000 people and says it produces more than 1.5 million garments a month.

Runner-up: Trexo Global

Regional export leaders:

North India: New Delhi-based Integral Logistics Services (ILS) was the rightful owner of the title. The company operates in the logistics industry and provides customised solutions.

Runner-up: Dolfin Rubbers Limited

South India: Ziegler Aerospace, the winner in this category, specialises in aerospace structures, kinematics and assemblies, aircraft-seat components and lifecycle parts. The company serves aerospace customers in global markets.

Runner-up: Recipharm Pharmaservices Pvt Ltd

West & East India: The winner, Laxcon Steels Limited, a stainless and special-steel manufacturing company with an annual capacity of more than 140,000 tonnes. Its products serve automotive, oil and gas, renewable energy, construction, and other sectors.

Runner-up: Kalapi Engineering Associates Pvt Ltd

A grand ceremony was held where the certificates and trophies were awarded, giving a chance to the participants to network with other businesses as well as industry leaders.