This award recognises women entrepreneurs who have built their own ventures and are competing with the best in the industry. To qualify, nominees must be serving as CEOs of their startups, unless the company does not have a CEO-designated role.
By ETtech | Updated:
ETtech
We are back with the 12th edition of The Economic Times Startup Awards. As we approach the main event, here are the nominees in one of the eight categories: Woman Ahead.
This award recognises women entrepreneurs who have built their own ventures and are competing with the best in the industry. To qualify, nominees must be serving as CEOs of their startups, unless there is no one with a CEO designation.
Claim to fame: Progcap was founded with the aim of finding new models to help fund MSMEs and SMEs access capital. Shrivastava built Progcap after her experience working at the IFC and the World Bank, and understanding deep-rooted inequalities in financial access.
Key investors: Bertelsmann, Fireside Ventures, Bikaji family office
Claim to fame: Rozana allows rural consumers to order products via an app or call centre. It buys the products and stores them in leased warehouses. At Rozana, Dahiya aims to bridge the gap between urban and rural product accessibility.
Claim to fame: Margeret launched BlissClub with a product-first philosophy, focussing on fabrics and fits designed specifically for Indian body types. The D2C brand offers comfortable clothing for women and men, designed for everyday activities ranging from travel and workouts to all-day wear.
Key investors: Xponentia Capital, Vertex Growth Fund
Claim to fame: Mohadikar launched Palmonas when demi-fine jewellery was a category that was taking off globally but remained largely untapped in India. Palmonas operates on an omnichannel model spanning its D2C site, online marketplaces, and 75 offline retail stores.
Claim to fame: Through Deconstruct, Adapureddy has built a D2C skincare brand based on consumer-insight-led product development and close collaboration with Korean skincare experts. Its sells across online marketplaces, quick commerce, and D2C channels, with a portfolio spanning spans sunscreens, face serums, lip care, and moisturisers.
Prachi Dharani
Designation: CEO and cofounder, PayGlocal Technologies
Founded in: 2021
Based in: Bengaluru
Key investors: Peak XV Partners, Tiger Global, Beenext
Claim to fame: Dharani founded PayGlocal with a focus on simplifying cross-border payments for Indian consumers and businesses. It enables seamless international transactions, helping merchants accept payments from customers across markets while making global commerce more accessible.
ET Startup Awards 2026: Nominees for Social Enterprise
