ET Startup Awards 2021: Here's what jury members expect in a winner

Ankiti Bose, the cofounder of Zilingo, Harsh Jain, CEO, Dream Sports and Satyan Gajwani, vice-chairman, Times Internet, detail qualities that make the best great.

Ankiti Bose, cofounder & CEO, Zilingo

The Indian startup ecosystem is paving the way while the world is watching and learning. The growth of this ecosystem during the pandemic was proof that it is resilient and willing to adapt to market challenges with record funding and many new unicorns. It’s inspiring to watch the future unfold in front of us, India-first.


I'm very excited to see how many of the nominees are putting together large scale digital infrastructure which will expedite building for so many more use cases and interesting business models in India in the future!

Harsh Jain, cofounder & CEO, Dream Sports

Given the caliber of The Economic Times Startup Awards and the nominees, I would expect them all to be the torch-bearing startups of the Indian tech ecosystem and transform the lives of 1 billion-plus Indians. For me, the winners should display a clear ability to focus on and solve a very large problem. They should have a team which is intensely passionate and persistent, with a track record of world-class execution, and an ability to keep experimenting as they scale exponentially.

The business should have a very large TAM (total addressable market), high-frequency usage, and high retention with strong unit economics. The nominees need to have shown real tenacity, be completely data-driven, and have a user-first approach in everything they do.

Satyan Gajwani, vice-chairman, Times Internet

The bar for being a great new business leader is rising exponentially, and with India as a breakout digital economy, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for impact. Historically, great Indian entrepreneurs have been known for being shrewd, business-savvy leaders. Today, great Indian entrepreneurs are being recognized for their ability to think bigger, make transformative change, to chase grand visions, and to build the capabilities and competences to tackle large scale problems in crunched timelines. The best leaders, of course, can do both - attract, motivate, and align teams on chasing the future skies, while keeping their ears to the ground and attuned to present realities. As we assess businesses, I'm looking for the ones that can have a transformative impact, but also possess staying power to build strong, viable businesses that can last.

Also Read: ET Startup Awards 2021: Jury will pick stars of India's startup world