National Startup Day 2026: Startups & Founders Shaping India’s Growth Story

National Startup Day 2026 celebrates Indian entrepreneurs driving innovation across diverse sectors, contributing to economic growth and global competitiveness.

National Startup Day 2026 celebrates Indian entrepreneurs transforming ideas into impactful solutions across various sectors.

National Startup Day 2026 marks a notable moment in India's innovation journey, highlighting the startups and founders translating ideas into impact. Across technology, healthcare, fintech, sustainability, and deep tech, Indian entrepreneurs are solving real-world problems, creating jobs, and building globally competitive companies. Their work contributes to economic growth and positions India within the global startup ecosystem.

1. Caleedo

Caleedo, co-founded and led by Vikas Saxena, is a technology-driven startup focused on how built environments can support human wellbeing, safety, and sustainability. With nearly three decades of experience across intelligent buildings, automation, and digital transformation, Vikas applies a human-centric approach to infrastructure development— positioning technology as a tool to support informed decision-making and lived experiences.

As Co-founder and CEO, Vikas is guiding Caleedo toward a future of sensor-enabled environments powered by IoT and data intelligence. The platform enables workplaces to listen, learn, and respond—anticipating risks, improving health outcomes, and strengthening operations. Caleedo is developing integrated digital solutions that unify air quality, hygiene, safety, and environmental intelligence, helping organisations shift from reactive compliance to predictive, outcome-driven performance.

Beyond entrepreneurship, Vikas participates in industry forums and thought leadership initiatives. His work encourages organisations to view buildings not as static assets, but as active partners in productivity, wellness, and resilience, reflecting India's evolving smart infrastructure ecosystem.

2. DataAIJobs.com & AnalyticsHiring.com

DataAIJobs.com and AnalyticsHiring.com, founded by Prasad Tataverty, are hiring platforms focused on skills-first recruitment for Data Science, Data Engineering, Analytics, AI/ML, and GenAI roles. Built to address the limitations of traditional hiring models, the platforms help employers focus on role clarity and skill alignment.

AnalyticsHiring.com combines a Data and AI leadership hiring agency with domain-first recruitment expertise, enabling organisations to close executive and niche technology roles with speed and confidence. Prasad's entrepreneurial approach is shaped by 25+ years of global recruiting experience, having worked with multinational organisations and managed hiring across 20+ countries.

This performance-led, multi-market exposure supports role scoping, benchmarking, and candidate assessment, helping employers reduce mis-hires and improve decision-making. On National Startup Day 2026, Prasad's journey reflects how domain-specific startups are building focused solutions for India's evolving data and AI talent ecosystem.

3. Drona Aviation

Drona Aviation, co-founded by Dinesh Sain, is an Indian startup using drones for education and skill development. An aerospace engineer and IIT Bombay alumnus, Dinesh set out to move drones beyond their perception as flying machines, reimagining them as learning platforms that foster curiosity, creativity, and hands-on problem-solving among students.

Under his leadership, Drona Aviation developed Pluto, India's first DIY and programmable nano-drone platform, designed for educational use. The startup has also established Drone Labs in schools and colleges across the country, enabling students to build, fly, and code drones while gaining exposure to robotics, aeronautics, and emerging technologies. These initiatives have supported many young learners with future-ready technical skills.

Closely aligned with national missions such as Atmanirbhar Bharat, Digital India, and Skill India, Drona Aviation envisions a future where India not only operates drones but builds them. The company aims to expand Drone Labs across educational institutions, contributing to India's drone education ecosystem.

4. Hecta

Hecta, founded and led by Sridhar Samudrala, is an AI-driven proptech and collect-tech startup focused on improving the recovery of stressed and non-performing assets for financial institutions. By leveraging advanced technology, Hecta supports loan recoveries through the curation and structured marketing of mortgaged assets, enabling lenders to redeploy capital and lend more efficiently.

These assets—commonly known as bank auction properties—are often available at a discount and attract interest from end-users and investors alike. However, access to such properties has traditionally been fragmented. Hecta addresses this challenge by streamlining discovery, buyer participation, and transaction support, improving transparency and market efficiency.

Recognised by the RBI Innovation Hub as a collect-tech platform, Hecta has also been named among the Top 10 Technology Innovators by HDFC Capital. As the company scales, it is supported by a leadership team with experience across technology, AI, finance, audit, and insolvency resolution.

5. INMYO

INMYO, founded and led by Rupanjana Samanta, is an AI-powered intimacy and sexual wellness startup addressing gaps in sex education, emotional wellbeing, and relationship health in India. Built at the intersection of technology and social impact, INMYO aims to create a safe, inclusive, and non-judgmental space for learning and self-awareness.

Rupanjana holds an MBA in Environment Management from IISWBM, which shaped her approach to sustainability, governance, and value creation combined with hands-on execution. This enables her to build INMYO as a scalable ecosystem.

Before founding INMYO, Rupanjana worked across multiple businesses and with startup founders in Founder's Office roles, contributing to strategy, operations, ESG frameworks, and business analytics. The idea of INMYO emerged from observed gaps in education & awareness in Indian society, particularly stigma and misinformation faced by young adults.

6. SoftServ Inc.

SoftServ Inc., founded and led by Manoj Pipersania, is a Jaipur-based technology startup delivering digital and KPO solutions. With over 25 years of experience, Manoj brings a blend of engineering and enterprise technology expertise to his entrepreneurial journey. A Mining Engineering graduate from MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur, with an M.Tech. in Information Technology, he began his career in the United States, working with organisations such as EDS and UnitedHealthcare.

In 2014, Manoj returned to India and established SoftServ in Rajasthan. Today, the company employs 250+ professionals, delivering services across healthcare, cybersecurity, power, HSE, and automotive sectors. SoftServ has also built capabilities in low-code and no-code platforms, with proprietary products including blackBAR, barquode, and SnapFingr.

Reflecting on National Startup Day 2026, Manoj notes that India's startup ecosystem has evolved from experimentation to execution, where fundamentals, sustainability, and purpose-driven innovation are shaping economic growth.

7. Something Simple

Something Simple, founded by Dhwani Jain, is a Jaipur-based demi-fine jewellery startup focused on everyday adornment. Built with sterling 925 silver and natural gemstones, the brand was created to address demand for functional, easy-to-wear jewellery that suited to modern lifestyles.

An alumna of NYU Stern School of Business, Dhwani began her professional journey in New York City, where her experience in structured, business-driven environments shaped her approach to brand building. To deepen her product expertise, she pursued formal gemological education and is a GIA-certified graduate gemologist, ensuring a focus on gemstone quality, ethical sourcing, and material precision.

A defining USP of Something Simple is its convertible jewellery, designed to offer multiple styling options from a single piece. Looking ahead, the brand aims to scale as an omnichannel startup through retail partnerships and exhibitions.

8. ThinkStartup

ThinkStartup, co-founded by Shivani Singh-Kapoor and Sanjeeva Shivesh, is an entrepreneurship education platform supporting school and college students to think, build, and innovate from an early age. Positioned at the intersection of education and enterprise, ThinkStartup works to integrate entrepreneurship into mainstream learning.

Shivani, an entrepreneur and IIT Delhi alumna, is driven by the belief that creativity, problem-solving, and confidence are important skills to develop early. Her co-founder, Sanjeeva Shivesh, a former civil servant turned entrepreneur, brings experience in innovation projects, mentorship, and ecosystem building.

The platform has launched several initiatives, including Youth Ideathon, an entrepreneurship competition for school students with over 2 lakh annual participants. Its eHub Entrepreneurship Curriculum is adopted by schools nationwide, while U18 Launchpad provides exposure to prototyping, mentorship, and investor interaction. Initiatives like The Kid Company enable young innovators to take market-ready products to customers.

Their mission is to embed entrepreneurship into education, supporting India's youth in building a self-reliant, innovation-driven future.

9. Traqo.ai

Traqo.ai, co-founded by Vaibhav Kumar, is a technology-led logistics startup leveraging data and cloud-native platforms to drive operational efficiency across enterprise supply chains. As Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Vaibhav is the key architect behind Traqo's rapid product and revenue growth. An IIT BHU alumnus, he brings an engineering foundation and expertise in scalable software systems and cloud architecture.

Under Vaibhav's technical leadership, Traqo has designed and deployed platforms that enable data-driven decision-making, system reliability, and operational visibility for enterprise customers. The startup has recorded nearly 2.5x year-on-year revenue growth, onboarded 100+ enterprise clients, doubled its team strength, expanded operations into Africa, and scaled its offerings across FTL, PTL, and EXIM logistics solutions.

Reflecting on Traqo's journey, Vaibhav emphasises building technology that helps solve real-world challenges and scales alongside customer growth. His leadership demonstrates India's startup ethos of innovation, agility, and purpose-driven execution, contributing to the nation's digital logistics ecosystem.

10. Zalon

Zalon, founded by Aayuush Ahuja, is a B2B beauty-tech platform building digital and supply-chain infrastructure for India's salon industry. Since its inception in 2022, Zalon has scaled to over 18,000 salon partners across the country within three years, achieving EBITDA positivity while maintaining disciplined unit economics. The company has recorded double-digit month-on-month growth and operates with gross margins of 50–65% through its private-label beauty brand, Aurey.

Under Aayuush's leadership, Zalon combines technology, distribution, and private-label manufacturing to create a scalable business model that supports salon growth. “Building a startup is not about chasing noise,” he says. “It's about solving real problems, earning trust, and creating systems that can survive cycles.” The platform reflects a focus on resilience, impact, and enterprise creation within the beauty and wellness ecosystem.

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