Innovation and entrepreneurship are driving the future of business. Meet a dynamic group of emerging startups and visionary leaders who are disrupting industries, creating impactful solutions, and setting new benchmarks for growth, creativity, and success in 2026.
Sadan Ram is the Founder and CEO of Pipeline Velocity, a global go-to-market agency and revenue growth consultancy built on one conviction: marketing must be measurable, scalable, and fun. With 21 years of sales and marketing experience helping brands achieve planned growth goals, Sadan brings a rare combination of frontline commercial instinct and data-driven discipline to every engagement. He was part of the early leadership team that contributed to Azuga’s growth, culminating in a $400 million acquisition by Bridgestone. Beyond Pipeline Velocity, Sadan serves as a Fractional CMO for global companies, helping them build marketing engines that generate consistent, computable revenue. Pipeline Velocity serves clients across four continents, deploying a proven go-to-market framework across industries from retail to SaaS, guiding startups to scale-ups through omnichannel strategies anchored in ROI, not assumptions – delivering profitable, predictable growth at every stage.
Born in Bangalore, Naveen Prem’s entrepreneurial journey began in Pune in 2006 before expanding across Mumbai and Goa through hospitality ventures such as Kipos, the Greek-inspired restaurant, B Kitchen & Bar at the iconic Kishore Kumar bungalow, Toy Beach Club, and Cavore. Alongside hospitality, he managed marketing operations across teams for the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) and successfully led multiple political campaigns for distinguished ministers in Karnataka.
Today, Naveen returns to his hometown with a larger vision through Sourberry Entertainment. More than a hospitality company, Sourberry is being built as a platform to bring world-class hospitality concepts, global artists, immersive experiences, and international entertainment formats to India. With Bangalore as its base, the company aims to create destinations that rival the best globally while showcasing Indian creativity and culture. Rooted in community, innovation, and the dignity of labour, Sourberry’s mission is to put India firmly on the global hospitality and entertainment map, creating experiences that connect people, cultures, and ideas.
Ms. Heena Waghela, Founder & Principal Consultant of Quadrant Edge, brings over 20 years of experience across Strategy, Business Development, Client Relationship Management, and Learning & Development, with exposure across APAC, the USA, the UK, and the Middle East. Her experience spanning BFSI, IT, consulting, and financial research has shaped her perspective on leadership effectiveness and organizational capability building.
Quadrant Edge is a corporate training and L&D solutions partner delivering customized programs in leadership development, soft skills, technical training, behavioral interventions, and capability building. The organization focuses on aligning business strategy with experiential learning to drive measurable outcomes.
Her contribution to the field was recognized with the Leadership Excellence Summit Award for Excellence in Learning and Skill Development, presented in association with the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME), an organization holding consultative and observer status with the United Nations, further reinforcing her standing in the global learning and development ecosystem.
Mudit Agarwal, Founder of GrassPly
GrassPly is an emerging Indian startup transforming bamboo into a high-performance, sustainable alternative to conventional timber. Founded in 2013 in Siliguri, the company manufactures bamboo panels, flooring tiles and prefabricated structures, positioning itself at the intersection of green innovation and modern construction. Mudit Agarwal, a fourth-generation entrepreneur, envisioned alternative sustainable materials with eco-friendly bamboo solutions, challenging the perception of bamboo as “poor man’s timber.”
Under his leadership, GrassPly has evolved from a small trading venture into a growing manufacturing enterprise with a dealer network across India. Notably, the company has contributed to infrastructure developments such as Guwahati Airport Terminal 2, showcasing bamboo’s viability in large-scale, modern architecture.
Driven by sustainability, innovation, and scalability, GrassPly represents a new wave of Indian startups that combine environmental responsibility with commercial success, redefining material choices for the future of construction.
Dr. Chetan Kumar Mehta, CMD at Laxmi Diamonds, President – Jewellers Association Bangalore ( JAB ), President – Jewellery Division India Bullion and Jewellers Association Ltd ( IBJA )
In a remarkable celebration of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s 70-year inspiring life journey and 45 years of The Art of Living’s dedicated service to humanity, a special edition of Coffee with CKM hosted by Dr. Chetan Kumar Mehta brought together meaningful conversations on leadership, spirituality, entrepreneurship, conscious living, and global impact. Held at the iconic Vishalakshi Mantap, The Art of Living International Centre, Bengaluru, the event witnessed the presence of distinguished guests, entrepreneurs, followers, spiritual seekers, and virtual audiences from across 182+ countries, reflecting the worldwide influence of Gurudev’s teachings. The interaction explored inner peace, emotional well-being, humanitarian service, purpose-driven leadership, and creating meaningful impact beyond professional success. Dr. Chetan Kumar Mehta highlighted the significance of wisdom-driven leadership, self-growth, and living with purpose in today’s fast-evolving world. The memorable celebration concluded with gratitude, reflection, and a renewed commitment towards creating a more compassionate, peaceful, and conscious global community inspired by Gurudev’s timeless vision and values.
Ashwin Kumar has emerged as a visionary leader in India’s experiential real estate sector, redefining Farmland land ownership through a distinctive blend of sustainability, nature-led living, and value-driven investments. Under his stewardship, Vibez Estates has built a strong reputation for pioneering managed farmland and premium land estates, setting new standards in transparency, operational excellence, and investor confidence. Reinforcing this growth trajectory, the company has partnered with Sarovar Hotels’ upscale brand, Sarovar Première, to introduce Vibez Sarovar, a 40-acre luxury managed villa estate in Sakleshpur, Karnataka. The strategic collaboration combines Vibez Estates’ expertise in curated lifestyle developments with Sarovar’s extensive hospitality legacy, creating an elevated ecosystem of luxury, wellness, and hospitality while establishing a new benchmark for branded managed estates in South India.
Cyber Octet is a cybersecurity services and training company focused on helping businesses and institutions strengthen digital security and cyber resilience. The organization works across Cyber Security Services, Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT), Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), Cloud Security, Cyber Awareness Programs and Cyber Security Training.
Recognized among the Top 25 Promising Cyber Security Companies in India, Cyber Octet has trained more than 60,000 students and delivered cybersecurity solutions, workshops and consulting services to organizations across multiple sectors.
Founded by cybersecurity expert Falgun Rathod who brings over 17 years of experience in ethical hacking, cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity education, Cyber Octet combines practical security solutions with industry-focused learning initiatives. Bhoomika Pathak contributes to strategic operations and organizational growth while Darshan Pathak supports cybersecurity education and awareness initiatives.
Through its focus on cybersecurity services and training.
Prateek Garg, Director of Est8box Technologies Pvt Ltd
Prateek Garg is building the intelligence layer Indian real estate has long needed. As Director of Est8box Technologies, Founder of Real Estate Dominators Club, and creator of Forensic Valuation for Real Estate™, he sits at the intersection of RealTech, market intelligence, and investor education.
His AI-enabled valuation system helps investors, institutions, and serious buyers move beyond sales pitches, portal prices, and speculative pricing to decode true value, liquidity risk, micro-market strength, and exit potential.
Through a growing community of 300+ real estate investors across India, Prateek is making institutional-grade deal intelligence accessible beyond boardrooms. His larger mission is to change how India invests in property – from emotion, influence, and guesswork to transparency, intelligence, and structured decision-making.
Vineet Garg, Founder of Signmitra
Mr. Vineet Garg, Founder of Signmitra and Managing Director of Graphonix Infotech Pvt. Ltd., is a technology-driven entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in design, branding, digital marketing and business communication. A B.Tech graduate, he began his career as a web designer in Australia before founding Graphonix in 2001 with a vision to blend creativity with practical technology. Under his leadership, Graphonix has delivered 980+ projects across sectors and earned recognition for branding and innovation. He also serves as Managing Trustee of Gargi Girls’ School, a renowned girls’ school of Western UP. With Signmitra, he is helping businesses transform ordinary TVs into smart digital signage screens through remote updates, scheduling and multi-location communication from one dashboard.
Sourav Mahajan, Podcaster, Motivational Speaker and Entrepreneur
Sourav Mahajan is a famous podcaster & distinguished entrepreneur, influential speaker, and accomplished leader, recognized for empowering numerous individuals to expand their aspirations and achieve greater success.
Leveraging extensive experience in leadership development, business construction, and personal advancement, he has guided individuals in transforming their perspectives and cultivating novel opportunities for achievement.
As the host of the Sourav Mahajan Show (SMS), he convenes entrepreneurs, industry specialists, and inspirational figures to disseminate profound insights, success narratives, and valuable life lessons that inspire individuals to realize their utmost potential.
The pages slugged ‘Brand Connect’ are equivalent to advertisements and are not written and produced by Forbes India journalists.