The Young And The Restless

The last year has been anything but uneventful in the Indian startup space. By March 2020, it was amply clear that startups would have to grapple with unexpected challenges and yet, most manoeuvred their way out of the travails that came their way. Indeed, these were unusual times, not just for startups, but all enterprises everywhere, but especially so for fledglings in the sphere of entrepreneurship.

BW Businessworld’s community platform dedicated to the startup and affiliated ecosystem in India – BW Disrupt, chose this year of unprecedented challenges to scout for enterprises and entrepreneurs who stood out in the crowd. We picked out not just entrepreneurs, but intrapreneurs too, who were making a difference to their company and business community. BW Businessworld has a tradition of acknowledging and honouring leadership, for as leadership guru and best-selling author Orrin Woodward’s famously said, “good leaders raise the bar” for all others to follow. In keeping with that tradition BW Businessworld in association with BW Disrupt launches the BW Disrupt 30 Under 30 list of young achievers.

India is reportedly home to almost 38,815 dynamic active startups, comprising both funded and bootstrapped ventures. These proliferating young startups are spawning a culture of entrepreneurship. In this environment are also more than 5,694 active investors in the Indian market, of whom around 27 per cent are from the United States. The BW Disrupt 30 Under 30 list celebrates these young achievers and their achievements from across sectors. The platform aims to endorse and motivate entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs who, through sheer dint of their hard work have paved out a path for themselves, overcoming the hardships that came their way.

BW Businessworld in association with BW Disrupt embarked on this initiative to bring to the centre stage these ‘30 Under 30’ change agents among entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs in the Indian startup ecosystem. This inaugural ‘BW Disrupt 30 Under 30’ list celebrates a community of innovative and influential young leaders who are changing the course of their business ventures. The jury-led initiative involved a judging process in two phases, which was preceded by an outreach to more than 1000 young achievers. More than 150 nominations were received, of which 75 were shortlisted following an initial screening. Names of these young achievers were presented to a jury, chaired by Manu Jain, Global Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Mi India. The jury was Co-chaired by angel investor and business strategist, Lloyd Mathias. More than 60 nominees were presented virtually to the jury. The final short list of 30 top achievers were fêted at a ceremony on 3 July, 2021.

The winners’ list included seven intrapreneurs and 13 entrepreneurs. In a year marred by a pandemic and economic crisis, technology-led products and services did have an edge, but achievers in sectors such as finance, healthcare and education, also made their mark. Young women leaders comprised almost 27 per cent of the young achievers.

Apart from the Jury Chair and Co-chair, the jury panel comprised industry leaders such as Anshul Singhal, Managing Director, Welspun One; Aman Gupta, Co-Founder & CMO, boat; Gurpreet Singh, COO & Co-Founder - One Digital Entertainment; Rammohan Sundaram, Country Head and Managing Partner, Integrated Media, DDB Mudra; Neelesh Misra, audio storyteller and Founder, Slow; Samyak Chakrabarty, Founder and Managing Director, X Billion Skills Lab; Vivan Sharan, Partner, Koan Advisory; Ruchira Chaudhury, author, leadership coach and Founder, TrueNorth Consulting; Chef Anahita N. Dhondy; Vinay Dixit, Regional Business Director, Abbott; Miniya Chatterji, Founder and CEO, Sustain Labs Paris; Salil Kappoor, Business Unit Head – Appliances, Orient Electric and Siddharth Batra, Independent Counsel Practise and Partner, Satram Dass & Co.

The BW Disrupt 30 Under 30 will be an annual initiative to recognise and honour the young and the restless, who make a difference to their community.