EDII Awards 2026 Gujarat Celebrates Powerful Young Minds
Gujarat Entrepreneurs Gain Major Recognition at EDII Awards 2026
The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) honoured a new group of students and alumni at its 2026 awards ceremony, celebrating business ideas, social impact projects and family business growth plans. The awards reflected how young entrepreneurs are now focusing on technology, sustainability, social change and practical business solutions.
Among the top scholastic awards, Saubhagyavardhan Shukla received the Dahyabhai Chhotalal Charity Foundation (Remik) Sponsored Gold Medal for Scholastic Performance in New Enterprise Creation. His project, ReWork, focused on helping retired professionals return to work through flexible jobs, mentorship and project-based roles. The idea comes at a time when India is seeing a rise in senior professionals who wish to stay active after retirement. Several workforce studies have shown that experienced retirees can play a major role in mentoring younger workers and helping start-ups avoid common mistakes.
The Silver Medal in the same category went to Anshika Gupta for TANB Virtual Infra. The project aims to offer secure and affordable cloud infrastructure for Indian MSMEs and government organisations. India’s growing digital economy has increased the demand for local data hosting and secure cloud services. Many small businesses still struggle with costly international cloud platforms. Experts in the technology sector have repeatedly pointed out the need for India-focused digital infrastructure solutions to support small enterprises and public services.
In Family Business Management, Darshan Sanghani won the Gold Medal for preparing a five-year growth plan for Chetsa Bathware Pvt. Ltd., a Jamnagar-based bath fittings manufacturer. Gujarat’s manufacturing sector, especially in Jamnagar and Rajkot, continues to grow strongly due to export demand and infrastructure development. Industry reports have shown that Indian consumers are increasingly choosing premium bathroom products that combine style with durability, creating new opportunities for local manufacturers.
The Silver Medal for Family Business Management was awarded to Dhananjay Dangariya for his growth strategy for DND Industries, Rajkot. The company manufactures pump parts, industrial fasteners and stainless-steel products for industries such as pharmaceuticals, automotive and petrochemicals. Rajkot has become one of India’s major engineering hubs over the years, with thousands of MSMEs supplying parts across India and abroad. Experts believe precision engineering and export-focused manufacturing will remain key growth drivers for Gujarat’s industrial economy.
Chellappan Valliyappan received the EDII-sponsored Gold Medal for Scholastic Performance in PGDM-IEV for his project Onslr, an AI-powered analytics and software consulting platform. Artificial intelligence and data-driven services have become one of the fastest-growing sectors globally. Businesses now depend heavily on AI tools to improve customer service, analyse data and reduce operational costs. Market researchers expect India’s AI industry to create millions of jobs in the coming years.
Another EDII Gold Medal in PGDM-Online was awarded to Arun Chalotra for Himalayan Green, an agrotech initiative promoting climate-resilient farming in Himalayan regions. Climate experts have warned that changing weather patterns are affecting farming in hilly areas. Projects supporting sustainable farming, water conservation and climate-friendly agriculture are now receiving strong support from environmental groups and development agencies.
The EDII President’s Alumnus Award 2026 for Business Entrepreneur was presented to Kaxeel Patel, Director of Rajesh Power Services Pvt Ltd and Intellisolar. Under his leadership, Rajesh Power Services signed Memorandums of Understanding worth Rs. 4,754 crore with the Gujarat Government under the ‘Urja Aatma Nirbharta – Viksit Gujarat 2047’ initiative. The company also launched a successful IPO worth Rs. 160.47 crore on the BSE SME platform in December 2024. Gujarat has become one of India’s strongest renewable energy and power infrastructure markets, with major investments flowing into solar energy, underground cable systems and power transmission projects.
The EDII President’s Alumnus Award for Social Entrepreneur was given to Sujata Goswami, Executive Director of Sarba Shanti Ayog. She has spent more than two decades supporting women-led enterprises and Fair Trade groups across India. Fair Trade organisations help rural producers receive fair prices and better working conditions. Development experts often describe such initiatives as important tools for reducing rural poverty and supporting women’s financial independence.
Special Jury Awards were also presented to emerging entrepreneurs. Yogender Patidar was recognised for building businesses across learning spaces, food processing and infrastructure. His work has already earned him the Businessworld 40 Under 40 Award in 2024. Deepak Patel received recognition for expanding from fuel retail into pharmaceuticals and fitness services. His journey reflects a growing trend where Indian entrepreneurs are diversifying into healthcare and wellness sectors after the pandemic increased awareness about health and fitness.
Suvendu Rout received the Special Jury Award for Emerging Social Entrepreneur for his work with women-led social enterprises. He played an important role in developing the Pink City Rickshaw initiative in Jaipur, where women drive e-rickshaws for tourists. The project has now expanded to other cities, including Varanasi, Udaipur and Agra. Social enterprise experts have praised such models for creating safe employment opportunities for women while also supporting tourism and local economies.
The EDII awards once again showed how entrepreneurship in India is moving beyond profits alone. Many of the winning ideas focused on sustainability, women’s empowerment, digital growth and social development, reflecting the changing priorities of modern Indian entrepreneurs.