From having to face early questions about survival to blockbuster IPOs, Indian startups have come a long way in the past decade. The 11th edition of The Economic Times Startup Awards (ETSA) turned into a celebration of this remarkable journey. With Urban Company, which went public in September, being picked as ET Startup of the Year 2025 and Lenskart’s founder and CEO Peyush Bansal–currently steering the eyewear firm through its IPO book-building process–taking centre stage in a fireside chat, this year’s event was held against the backdrop of eagerly watched public market debuts by new-age companies.
