One of a Kind Awards: Honouring the resourcefulness of bootstrapped champions
At the One of a Kind Awards - for early stage startups, presented by The Economic Times and Cashfree Payments, the Bootstrapped Champion Award recognised an early-stage, internet-first startup that achieved significant traction while remaining largely self-funded.
The inaugural edition of the One of a Kind Awards, presented by The Economic Times and Cashfree Payments, recognized early-stage startups that have built successful businesses through resourcefulness and persistence without relying heavily on funding. Held on August 21, 2026, at Novotel, Bengaluru, the ceremony celebrated the inaugural 2026 cohort of Indian internet-first startups.
The Bootstrapped Champion Award category highlighted three standout companies: Nesta Toys, THE TAN CLAN, and Hitesh Enviro Engineers Private Limited. Nesta Toys, an IIM-alumni-led company, received the top honor for creating safe, screen-free, development-focused play products for children aged 0 to 14. THE TAN CLAN, known for handcrafted accessories rooted in Indian artistry, was named the first runner-up.
Hitesh Enviro Engineers Private Limited, based in Delhi-NCR, was recognized for developing engineering solutions for water and wastewater treatment, earning the second runner-up title.
The awards process involved appications being accepted from April 13 to May 31, 2026. Strategic evaluation took place from May 29 to June 19, followed by the final presentations before a jury of industry experts. The jury included Animesh Kumar Das, MD & CEO of ACKO General Insurance, Vikram Chachra, venture capitalist at 8i Ventures, Saurabh Garg, entrepreneur and founder of NoBroker.com, Kanika Agarrwal, partner at India Quotient, and Dr. Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO of MeitY Startup Hub - Government of India.
Selected winners and runners-up received national exposure through feature stories and brand spotlights across The Economic Times and Cashfree digital platforms. They also gained access to Cashfree Payments' infrastructure, including exclusive credits for payment solutions, enabling them to grow their operations while managing essential functions like payment collection and international transactions.
This recognition aims to highlight companies growing without large capital raises, providing them with the visibility and resources to strengthen their trajectory.
Written by urgent.news from Economic Times Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- One of a Kind Awards: Celebrating the startups that earned the people’s vote economictimes.indiatimes.com
