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Startup Spotlight

Put Your Startup On India’s Radar

For over 11 years, Inc42 has been the launchpad for India’s most promising startups — from stealth-stage innovators to breakout disruptors. We’ve featured 5,000+ ventures across sectors and stages that have gone on to raise billions in funding, become unicorns and soonicorns, and build brands that define the new India.

Now, it’s your turn.

Whether you’re building your MVP or gearing up for scale, the Startup Spotlight is where your journey gets discovered by the people who matter.

If selected, your story won’t just live on our website — it will reach millions of founders, operators, investors, and corporates across Inc42’s editorial, social, and investor networks. You’ll be featured alongside India’s most exciting young ventures, and your startup may also be included in our flagship research reports, investor decks, and sector deep dives.

Building something big? This is your shot to get discovered, get funded, and get on the map.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for Inc42 Startup Spotlight, your startup should meet most of the following:

1. India-Focused: Headquartered in India, or if overseas, must have 60–70% of the workforce based in India.

2. Tech-First or Tech-Led: Must be a tech company or use digital platforms meaningfully to scale product, or distribution.

3. Independent Entity: Should not be a subsidiary, acquired firm, or spin-off of a larger corporate or conglomerate.

4. Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Must have a working product or service

5. Revenue-Generating or Close to It: Actively making revenues, or on track to start generating revenue within the next 60 days.

6. Innovative Differentiation: The product, model, or approach should bring something fresh, solving a real problem in a new, better, or more scalable way.

7. Market Relevance: The startup should be addressing a real, identifiable need — not just a nice-to-have. 8. Clear Growth Signals: Tangible signs of momentum — user growth, partnerships, expansion, team scaling, or market traction.

9. Mission-Aligned Storytelling: Bonus points if your brand has a compelling origin story, cultural resonance, or consumer/community love.

We’re highly selective — only 1 in 20+ startups make it to the Inc42 Startup Spotlight. If your story gets featured, it’s because you’ve cleared a rigorous editorial bar across innovation, traction, and storytelling. We don’t just cover promising startups — we spotlight the ones truly breaking through.

What’s In It For You (If Selected)

1. Featured Profile on Inc42.com Be discovered by 2.5 Mn+ monthly readers and the startup world’s sharpest minds. 2. Get Listed On Inc42 Datalabs Your startup becomes part of Inc42 Datalabs — India’s startup discovery engine used by 1,000s of investors and corporates to track high-potential companies. 3. Be Cited In Inc42 Research Reports Get cited in Inc42’s monthly deep-dives, where top startups are cited for insights read by VCs, CXOs, and policymakers. 4. Be On The Radar Of Top VCs & Angels Be seen by top VCs, angels, and institutional investors through curated decks, research reports, and ecosystem briefings shared by Inc42 5. Proof of Credibility A feature on Inc42 signals traction, vision, and legitimacy to the ecosystem. 6. Build Trust With Customers & Talent A feature on Inc42 can enhance your consumer brand and employer brand with high recall and credibility. 7. Open Doors To Partnerships Many startups have secured strategic partnerships, media attention, and inbound interest after being featured. 8. Permanent Digital Footprint Your story will live on Inc42 — as part of India’s startup history.