MAM
Exhibit’s 501 Startups – a Pitching Event culminates on a high note
MUMBAI: Exhibit Magazine, India’s leading title on technology, fashion and lifestyle hosted the 6th edition of its prestigious startup pitching summit. Rechristened Exhibit’s 501 Startups, the event was held on 24th July at JW Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai where up-and-coming entities battled it out in front of an eminent panel, comprising venture capitalists and investors. Powered by GoDaddy and held in association with Poker Saint, Exhibit ‘501 Startups’ celebrated the startup wave in India, and brought to the forefront distinct startups from the nooks and corners of the country. The day-long pitching event was also supported by IAN, NASSCOM, TiE, Inc42 and Business Standard.
The conclave saw participation of startups with an operating cycle of at least a year; from verticals across technology, sports, e-commerce, food, hospitality and travel and the likes. The esteemed jury appointed for the sixth edition of the awards included Niren Shah of Norwest Ventures, Nikhil Arora of GoDaddy, Ashish Sharma of Innoven Capital, Mohit Dak & Nilesh Balakrishnan of Orios Venture Partners, Sajad Fazalbhoy of Blume Ventures, Harish Talreja and Varun Varma of Lightbox Ventures, Vishesh Sharma of Accel Partners, Dr. Apporv Ranjan Sharma of Venture Catalysts and Ramesh Somani of Exhibit Magazine.
Exhibit 501 Startups witnessed over 5000 registrations and concluded with 25 innovative startups making the final cut to present their business models amidst the stellar jury. From the call for entries, 501 startups will also feature in an exclusive issue that will bring to light the unique ideas of these young companies. Wearable startup tech – Broadcast Wearables emerged a clear winner securing maximum scores and was closely followed by ProMeTheUs, a human resource startup focussed on talent identification and mapping, who ranked second amongst competing organisations. Startups were adjudged basis uniqueness of their product idea, presentation, and business model.
Commenting on the prestigious summit, Ramesh Somani, CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Exhibit Group said, "We are elated with the response received for the 6th edition of Exhibit 501 Startups. It’s always amazing to see the startups come in and pitch with exemplary grit, determination and passion! The Indian startup machinery has churned out some promising startups, who are waiting for their one chance of sunshine. Being a startup myself, it gives us immense satisfaction in helping startups inch closer to their goal and we’re glad, we at Exhibit provide that stepping stone. Kudos to all the winners and look forward to next year."
MAM
Toyota appoints Kenta Kon as President & CEO
New leader to steer EV push and global innovation amid industry shift.
MUMBAI: Toyota just handed the keys to a new driver because when the road to electric mobility gets twisty, you need someone who knows how to accelerate without skidding. Toyota Motor Corporation has named Kenta Kon as its new president and chief executive officer, a key leadership transition as the Japanese giant doubles down on its transformation in the fast-evolving global automotive landscape.
Kon brings deep expertise in automotive innovation, business strategy, and operational leadership to the top job. His appointment signals Toyota’s intent to sharpen focus on accelerating electric mobility, strengthening worldwide operations, and pushing customer-centric breakthroughs in next-generation technologies.
The company is betting on Kon to guide it through the industry’s pivotal shift toward sustainability, digital integration, and smarter mobility solutions. Key priorities under his watch include ramping up electric and hybrid lineups, expanding global market reach, driving cutting-edge automotive R&D, tightening supply-chain efficiency, and scaling connected and intelligent vehicle ecosystems.
This move comes at a time when legacy automakers face intense pressure to balance heritage strengths with aggressive electrification timelines and software-defined vehicle demands. Toyota aims to reinforce its position as a leader in sustainable, reliable, and future-ready mobility while navigating competitive challenges from both traditional rivals and new-age EV players.
For a brand that’s long defined durability and innovation, Kon’s elevation isn’t just a title change, it’s Toyota flooring it toward the next lap, ready to turn today’s tech talk into tomorrow’s showroom reality.
