Startup Awards: ET Startup Awards 2024 methodology: how we arrived at the winners

In its tenth year, The Economic Times Startup Awards (ETSA) have captured the ever-changing world of technology and digital India as the sector has grown from infancy to the stage of spawning multiple publicly-traded corporations. Having seen multiple cycles of a funding boom followed by a tech winter, the awards are a true testament to the way Indian entrepreneurship has matured in the past decade, despite many crests and troughs.

But what goes behind selecting the nominees and the winners of The ET Startup Awards, considered the most prestigious in the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem?

June: ET reached out to over 200 of the country’s top entrepreneurs, investors, industry groups and other stakeholders to compile a list of the brightest entrepreneurial talent.

July: We received more than hundreds of nominees from this select group. The editorial team then analysed each entry by going through its metrics and data to arrive at a shortlist of nominees across eight categories. ET’s editorial team then reached out to all nominees to verify information, interview the founders and tally all the data independently.

August: The ET editorial team created the jury dossier, which contains the names of the nominees along with detailed profiles including their financials for the past three years. The data shared by companies is highly confidential and is never published. It remains with the jury.

September 11: The ETSA jury came together in Bengaluru, and deliberated for over two hours to decide the winners. The process involved two rounds of secret voting – to shortlist their top two choices, and then to vote on the final winner. Jury members with conflicts of interest recused themselves, refraining from voting.