Handknit India is a mission-based social and lifestyle venture set up by Indra Dhar, an entrepreneur, business excellence coach, and women empowerment advocate. Three decades ago, Indra Dhar didn’t set out to build a business. She set out to help displaced Kashmiri women earn a livelihood and reclaim their independence. That instinct became Handknit India, which has since empowered over 25,000 women artisans across Delhi NCR, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir, turning hand-made garments, toys, and crochet into products that reached fashion’s biggest cities.

Today, Dhar is expanding that mission. Watching stress and screen-time consume India’s younger generation, she’s reintroducing knitting and crochet not as a craft to preserve, but as therapy to give a mindful path to wellness, creativity, and conscious living for Gen Z. “This isn’t nostalgia,” she says. “It’s wellbeing, one loop at a time.”

Navrathan Jewellers carries a jewellery legacy dating back to 1954, with deep roots in Bengaluru and a longstanding presence across South India. Known particularly for its temple and antique jewellery collections, the brand has built its identity around timeless craftsmanship passed down through generations. Today, third-generation leader Mahendar Bafna is steering Navrathan into its next phase. As Director, he has focused on strengthening processes and bringing greater structure and scalability to the business while preserving its traditional strengths. His approach includes integrating new-age technologies, AI-driven systems and advanced software to streamline operations and improve efficiency. By combining a legacy brand’s craftsmanship and customer trust with modern management and technology, Mahendar is preparing Navrathan for sustained growth while keeping its heritage firmly at the centre.

Poonam Mishra and Jitendra Mishra, Co-founders, Vaidik Talk and Catalyst Sourcing

Poonam Mishra and Jitendra Mishra, Co-founders of Vaidik Talk and Catalyst Sourcing, are building ventures with a vision to create meaningful change in society and the Indian economy. Vaidik Talk is their endeavour to bring India’s ancient Vedic wisdom into modern life, making traditional knowledge more accessible through digital platforms, personalized guidance and practical solutions. Their vision is to help people find greater clarity, confidence and connection with India’s rich heritage.

Alongside this, Catalyst Sourcing is strengthening India’s global sourcing ecosystem by bringing international projects to Indian manufacturers and creating new opportunities for Indian industry. Together, they are connecting tradition, technology and economic growth.

Dr. R. Bharathidasan, Founder, EthicaNex

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Dr. R. Bharathidasan is a Chief AI Officer, TEDx Speaker, IICA Independent Director, Cyberpsychologist, author, trainer, and recipient of the 2026 Men of Honour Award. With 14 years of multidisciplinary experience, he founded EthicaNex to help organizations respond to a growing challenge: adopting AI and digital technologies without losing human judgment, trust, accountability, and business purpose.

EthicaNex brings together technology, governance, cybersecurity, human behaviour, professional education, and strategic advisory through a Human–AI ecosystem. It helps businesses, institutions, and professionals use emerging technologies responsibly, improve decision-making, strengthen workforce capabilities, and manage digital risks with greater confidence. By connecting human expertise with AI capabilities, EthicaNex aims to make innovation practical, responsible, and valuable while enabling future-ready organizations and contributing to India’s knowledge economy, digital transformation, and sustainable economic growth across diverse sectors.

Dr. S. Kalpana, Founder, Kalpana’s Kaivinai

Dr. S. Kalpana, founder of Kalpana’s Kaivinai, is a fashion educator, entrepreneur, recipient of the Edupreneurship Excellence Award, and Best Women Entrepreneur of the Year Awardee, recognised for creating opportunities through skill-based education and creative enterprise. She established Kalpana’s Kaivinai to address a challenge faced by aspiring designers and women entrepreneurs: access to fashion education, industry-relevant skills, and pathways to turn creativity into sustainable livelihoods. The institute combines fashion design training, hands-on learning, entrepreneurship guidance, and traditional craftsmanship with contemporary market needs. By helping learners develop technical skills, confidence, business awareness, and income-generating capabilities, Kalpana’s Kaivinai creates a bridge between education and self-employment. Its mission is to make fashion education accessible, preserve creative skills, support women-led enterprise, and contribute to local employment, entrepreneurship, and India’s growing creative economy across communities.

Udit Handa, Founder, Cynoteck Technology Solutions

Long before India’s technology story spread beyond its metros, Cynoteck was silently building one from the Doon Valley under the leadership of Udit Handa, the founder and CEO. Founded more than 15 years ago and headquartered in Dehradun, the company has grown into a global digital transformation partner with offices across the United States, UAE and India, and a 250-strong team serving clients in over 15 countries. Its “Made in Dehradun” philosophy has turned a tier-two city into a credible export hub for high-value technology work in AI, CRM and product engineering, while creating skilled jobs where they are scarcest. With 500-plus projects delivered and a 90% client retention rate, Cynoteck proves world-class engineering no longer requires a metro postcode.

Satish Grandhi, Founder & Managing Director, Padma Infra

Padma Infra has grown from Satish Grandhi’s early contracting assignments into a construction business with more than 100 completed projects across South India. Its portfolio spans educational institutions, commercial developments, premium residences, luxury villas, apartments, PG hostels and turnkey construction, serving homeowners, developers, businesses and institutional clients.

Grandhi’s approach to scaling the business centres on disciplined project management, financial control, technology, quality assurance and transparent client communication rather than simply increasing project volumes. The company also places growing emphasis on sustainable construction practices, quality-controlled materials and technology-enabled execution. As Padma Infra enters its next phase, the focus is on expanding geographically and taking on larger, more complex projects while keeping quality, timely delivery, transparency and customer trust at the centre of its growth.

Dr. Neelanjan Manna & Subham Sarkar, Co-Founders, DORTRESS Defense Technologies

Dortress Technologies Private Limited is an emerging cybersecurity and deep-tech company building future-ready solutions for a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Founded by Dr. Neelanjan Manna and Subham Sarkar, the company focuses on post-quantum cryptography, secure key exchange, encrypted communication, zero-trust security, authentication, vulnerability assessment, and privacy technologies. Its philosophy is rooted in designing security into technology from the beginning rather than addressing vulnerabilities after they emerge. By combining research-driven innovation with privacy-by-design and modern cryptographic principles, Dortress aims to develop an integrated security ecosystem that helps businesses, developers, and users protect their digital identities, data, applications, and communications.

Satyavrat Nirala and Naveen Babu Garikapati, Co-Founders, HiMirrorly

HiMirrorly is taking a different approach to consumer AI by designing its technology around a simple principle: artificial intelligence should be able to acknowledge when it does not know something. Launched on August 17 from Kolkata and Hyderabad, the platform places Human Intelligence above AI within its architecture. Co-founder Satyavrat Nirala, who grew up in Balijan, Assam, named its AI engine Mishi after his eight-year-old daughter, Mishita. His co-founder, Naveen Babu Garikapati, brings an MCA background and 25 years of experience across IBM, CSC, and UnitedHealth Group. Together, the founders are building HiMirrorly around a human-first approach to AI, where technology supports human judgement rather than attempting to replace it.

Rahul Bhargava, Founder, SheKunj.com

Rahul Bhargava’s entrepreneurial journey began far from a conventional business career. Starting out as a shop cleaner, he went on to build ventures across technology, education, recruitment and youth development. Today, as the founder of SheKunj.com, his focus is on creating opportunities that help young people develop the skills and confidence needed to participate in India’s changing economy.

A TEDx speaker, academic adviser and mentor, Bhargava regularly engages with students at educational institutions on entrepreneurship, technology, careers and industry expectations. Through SheKunj.com and his broader mentorship efforts, he is working to connect young people with practical guidance and opportunities. His larger goal is to help students move beyond academic learning and become capable professionals, entrepreneurs and contributors to India’s future growth.

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