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The path to recognition at the ET AI Awards 2025 is carefully structured to ensure fairness, rigour, and transparency. From the unfurling of nominations until the unfolding of the grand ceremony in Bengaluru, each phase is designed to identify, evaluate, and celebrate India’s most impactful work in artificial intelligence. Whether you are a startup with a breakthrough innovation, an SME transforming operations, or an enterprise deploying responsible AI at scale, understanding the timeline and ceremony highlights is essential to making the most of this opportunity.Nominate Here for ET AI Awards 2025 Critical dates to rememberNominations close: 23 November 2025This is the final date for submitting your entry across any of the 46 categories. Late submissions will not be accepted, so early preparation is strongly recommended. The nomination process involves detailed documentation of your AI solution, measurable impact metrics, supporting evidence, and strategic context.Organisations should use this period to gather client testimonials, performance data, deployment documentation, and any proprietary research or patents that strengthen their submission. Remember, the evaluation criteria emphasise verifiable outcomes over promotional language.Shortlisting and jury evaluation: December 2025 – January 2026Following the nomination deadline, all entries undergo a rigorous three-stage review process. Initial screening ensures completeness and eligibility, followed by category-specific evaluation by domain experts, technology leaders, and industry pioneers. The final stage involves deliberation by an eminent jury, with EY as Knowledge Partner bringing methodological discipline and process rigour to the evaluation.Shortlisted nominees will be notified in January 2026 and will receive a dedicated profile page on EconomicTimes.com: a lasting digital asset that provides visibility, credibility, and discovery for potential customers, partners, and investors. This profile remains active beyond the awards night, serving as an ongoing reference point for due diligence and partnership discussions.Awards ceremony: 26 February 2026, BengaluruThe culmination of months of evaluation and anticipation, the ceremony brings together India’s foremost AI innovators, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem enablers under one roof. Bengaluru, as India’s technology capital and the epicentre of deep-tech innovation, provides the perfect backdrop for this national celebration of AI excellence.What to expect at the ceremonyA national convening of AI leaders: The ET AI Awards ceremony is not merely a presentation of trophies; it is India’s most significant annual gathering of AI practitioners, decision-makers, and visionaries. Attendees include chief data officers, chief technology officers, founders, venture investors, government representatives, and academic researchers, all converging to recognise achievement and forge new collaborations.This high-signal environment creates unparalleled networking opportunities. Startups gain access to enterprise buyers and investors; SMEs connect with potential partners and export channels; large enterprises meet the best emerging talent and technology providers. The ceremony facilitates conversations that often lead to commercial partnerships, pilot programmes, and strategic alliances.Recognition across 46 categories: Winners and finalists will be announced across four pillars: Innovation & Impact (21 categories spanning startups, SMEs, and enterprises across sectors), Functional Excellence (10 categories covering operational AI across business functions), Leadership (7 categories honouring visionaries driving AI adoption), and Special Awards (8 categories recognising responsible AI, sustainability, democratisation, and breakthrough research).Each category winner receives not just a trophy, but national validation from India’s most authoritative business platform. This recognition translates into commercial advantage: shortened sales cycles, enhanced employer brand, improved investor confidence, and invitations to policy discussions and standards bodies.Media coverage and amplification: The Economic Times provides extensive coverage of the awards, both in print and digital formats, reaching millions of business leaders, policymakers, and consumers across India and globally. Winners and finalists benefit from editorial profiles, case study features, and social media amplification that extend the visibility of their achievement far beyond the ceremony itself.This media exposure serves multiple strategic purposes: it strengthens brand equity, supports talent recruitment, enhances customer confidence, and positions winners as thought leaders in their respective domains. For business-to-business (B2B) organisations, this third-party validation from a trusted media institution can be the deciding factor in complex enterprise sales.Inspiration and benchmarking: The ceremony showcases best practices, emerging trends, and success stories that inspire the broader AI community. By highlighting diverse applications—from financial fraud prevention to renewable energy optimisation, from healthcare diagnostics to agricultural efficiency—the awards demonstrate the breadth of AI’s transformative potential across India's economy.Attendees leave with practical insights, new connections, and renewed conviction that responsible, impactful AI is both achievable and commercially viable. This collective learning accelerates adoption and raises standards across the ecosystem.Preparing for the countdownImmediate call to action—submit your nomination: Visit to begin your nomination before 23 November 2025. Select the categories that best reflect your work, prepare comprehensive documentation, and ensure all claims are supported by verifiable data.Build your case: Use the period leading up to the ceremony to strengthen your organisation’s AI narrative. Document case studies, gather stakeholder testimonials, and prepare presentation materials that demonstrate the depth and rigour of your approach. If shortlisted, this preparation will serve you well in post-ceremony business development.Plan your participation: For shortlisted organisations, plan to send senior representation to Bengaluru on 26 February 2026. The ceremony is an investment in visibility, credibility, and relationship-building that pays dividends long after the event concludes.The significance of this momentThe ET AI Awards 2025 represent a defining moment for India’s AI ecosystem. As the nation positions itself as a global AI leader, these awards set the standard for what excellence looks like across sectors, scales, and stages of maturity. Participating in this process is not just about winning; it is about contributing to a national benchmark that will guide investment, policy, and innovation for years to come.The countdown has begun. The question is not whether you are ready, but whether you are willing to step forward and claim your place among India's AI pioneers.Nominate Here for ET AI Awards 2025
