News Broadcasting
NDTV presents its first ever Unicorn start-up awards 2016
MUMBAI: The world of start-ups is bursting at the seams and India is becoming the start-up capital of the world. NDTV’s series Unicorn — Chasing the start-up dream has been leading the charge in discovering the next big idea from India’s belly which can be the next billion-dollar valued start-up.
Carrying forward this anticipation NDTV presents the first ever Unicorn Start-up Awards in association with Vestige and Indigo Nation to honour those who have astonished the market with simple ideas and some great execution. The awards will witness some of the biggest mentors and venture capitalists from the start up space in attendance, including Deep Kalra, Founder and CEO, MakeMyTrip, and Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder, Shopclues & Droom.
The awards will recognise the most credible dream-chasers who are going to change the way India does business with a stellar jury panel including R Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM, Suchi Mukherjee, Founder and CEO, Limeroad, and Raman Roy, a seasoned investor, to name a few.
Start-ups like Grofers, Oyo Rooms, Ola, FlipKart and Shopclues will compete for coveted titles. NDTV has tied up with NASSCOM 10,000 Startups, as knowledge partner for the awards, and with Tracxn, a start-up intelligence and market research platform, as research partner.
The exciting evening will be hosted by the glamorous Mandira Bedi, tech guru Rajiv Makhni and Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV.
Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV is all geared up for the first innings of these awards. “We have entered a new business era of start-ups, and it could transform India. NDTV too has expanded its wings in the e-commerce arena and we are growing rapidly. The Unicorn Start-Up Awards is our attempt to honour the unique ideas which have made a mark. From here on, we expect the awards to get bigger and better, and to be the benchmark for entrepreneur recognition.”
Rajiv Makhni, MD Technology, who is the brainchild behind these awards said, “From nascent ideas cooked up in a warehouse to booming ventures that are eating up market share and attracting consumers at breakneck speed, NDTV Unicorn Start-Up Awards will lift the iron curtain off them all. This is the highest form of recognition for those that have blazed a trail of their own. This is the start-ups’ moment to shine and occupy centre-stage on a prestigious platform like NDTV.”
The awards will be presented and the webcast will be live on ground on July 29th at the Taj Palace, New Delhi, 7 pm onwards.
• Bootstrapped start-up of the year – this category will award start-ups that are bootstrapped all the way and have made notable progress without external funding or support and own nothing outside of their start-up.
• New Kid on the Block– this category will award the start-up that has an exceptional idea and is now attempting to scale up into a business. It should be an original idea with the potential to disrupt the market.
• Dream-chaser of the year– this category will award the start-up that has a concrete plan and is now scaling up through funding.
• Woman Entrepreneur of the year– this category will recognise a start-up helmed by a woman entrepreneur which has disrupted the market.
• Health start-up of the year– this category includes health start-ups across wellness and fitness and more that have made an impact.
• Unicorn of the Year– this category will be awarded to the billion-dollar start-up, or Unicorns that has shown highest year-on-year growth in the financial year gone by.
• Start-up of the future– this category will award the start-up that has the ability to be the next big thing and has a fantastic idea at its core and is looking at establishing itself in a developing market.
• Global Start-up of the Year– this category will award an international start-up that has revolutionised its segment and has shown remarkable growth in the last financial year.
• Start-up mentor of the year– this category will recognise an investor, a big shark, an incubator, which has funded start-ups. This individual or venture capital firm will be awarded for great investment acumen and success rate.
• Good Samaritan of the year– this category will award start-ups that are making a social impact through their idea.
• People’s Start-up of the Year: this will be the only category thrown open to public voting through a microsite and will not be part of the jury’s decision-making process. This convenience start-up will be awarded for pleasing consumers through great service, marketing, and brand retention.
• Start-up Person of the Year– this category will award and recognise Indian personalities who have played an important role in shaping India’s start-up sector. He or she could be a government representative, a leading investor, a Unicorn founder.
• Brand Ambassador of the Year– this category will award the person who has upheld his/her responsibilities as a start- up brand ambassador and is a true start up evangelist!
News Broadcasting
News18 hosts Tamil Nadu town hall ahead of 2026 polls
MK Stalin headlines ‘Next Big Leap’ event from 10am on 23 February in Chennai with leaders and icons.
MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu’s political pot is simmering and News18’s town hall is stirring it up just in time for the 2026 assembly elections boilover. Set for 23 February from 10am onwards in Chennai, the News18 Network Town Hall gathers heavyweights under the banner ‘The Next Big Leap for Tamil Nadu’ to dissect the state’s political pulse, economic edge, and cultural clout. With the 234-seat assembly contest looming as a fiercely competitive showdown, the event spotlights how Tamil Nadu’s identity-driven politics and engaged voters continue to ripple across national debates.
Chief minister MK Stalin leads the charge with a keynote on the theme, sketching his government’s blueprint for governance, development, and staying power pre-polls. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chimes in on ‘Voices, Vision & Way Forward’, unpacking generational shifts and fresh narratives. From the opposition corner, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami tackles ‘Baton Change at the Ballot?’, floating alternatives to the status quo.
Economic vibes get a nudge from industries minister TRB Rajaa on ‘Investment Story Intact?’, probing the state’s draw for big bucks. BJP’s K Annamalai dives into ‘People, Trust & Political Ideology’, positioning his party in the Dravidian-dominated turf. IT Minister Palanivel ThiagaRajan explores ‘Code, Capacity & Citizenship’, on tech’s role in citizen-focused services. TVK’s KG Arunraj questions if ‘Winds of Change are Possible’ in this pattern-prone state.
A panel on innovation features IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, M&M’s Velusamy R, and Electronic Industries Association’s Dr Sasikumar Gendham, musing how AI and knowledge hubs are remaking opportunities. AICC’s Praveen Chakravarty weighs ‘Power Sharing vs Principles’, while former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan joins the fray. Culture gets its due with composer Anirudh Ravichander on ‘Tamil Music for the World’.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar noted, “The News18 Network Tamil Nadu Town Hall… reflects our core editorial focus, to capture the political mood of the state and spotlight the ideas that will shape the next phase of governance and growth.”
Network18, CEO of English & business news Smriti Mehra added, “As Tamil Nadu moves closer to a defining electoral moment… we see it as our responsibility to drive informed and meaningful conversations.”
Network18 managing editor for South, Vivek Narayan said, “The News18 Network Townhall in Tamil Nadu is designed as a platform where policy, politics and public interest intersect.”
Backed by associate partners Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and Reliance Industries, the live event streams on CNN-News18, News18 Tamil, CTV, and Youtube from 10am on 23 February perfect for catching the sparks, even if you’re not knee-deep in Dravidian drama.
