From startup dreams to national recognition: ET MSME Awards 2025 nominations now open
Remember the moment when you first established your business? That leap of faith, the sleepless nights, and the conviction that you could build something meaningful?Now, it's time the country recognises what you've built.Nominations are open for the ET MSME Awards 2025 , the biggest initiative of its kind that celebrates the unsung heroes of India's stupendous growth story. This isn't just another awards platform with fancy speeches, photo ops, and sound bytes. It's the impetus for more leaps of faith.Let's be honest, many business awards are either popularity contests or pay-to-play schemes. You know the ones: fill a form, pay a fee, and get a trophy. In essence, everyone's a winner.The ET MSME Awards is not one of them.Now in its 6th edition, it has become the one award Indian MSMEs genuinely want to win. Not because it looks good on LinkedIn (though it does), but because it opens many doors.Winning an ET MSME Award is like getting a VIP pass to India's business community. You become part of a conversation that includes industry heavyweights, government officials, and successful entrepreneurs who matter in your space. Winners have met their next big customer at the post-Awards dinner, or had a brief conversation with a fellow winner that turned into a major partnership. Other businesses start reaching out because they want to work with "that award-winning company". Banks and financial institutions take notice, viewing ET MSME Awards winners as lower-risk borrowers with proven track records, which can translate into better credit terms and easier access to growth capital when you need it most. Employees walk taller because of the morale boost that comes with working for a recognised leader.The network effect is particularly strong among fellow winners. There's an unspoken bond among entrepreneurs who've made it to this level, and they genuinely help each other out. Whether it's sharing a customer lead that isn't right for their business, making an introduction to someone in their network, or just offering advice during tough times, this community is a resource that keeps giving. It's the kind of network you can't buy or build overnight. And once you're in, you realise why winning is about so much more than just recognition.It's like having a business development team working for you, except that the team in question is India's most trusted business publication.Another thing that makes the ET MSME Awards 2025 different is that it scrutinises your business the way a smart investor would. Not just your balance sheet, but your growth story, innovation, sustainability efforts, how you've adapted, and how you've made a difference. The evaluation is comprehensive because business success isn't one-dimensional. You're not just a number on a spreadsheet; you're an entrepreneur with a story worth telling.And with 22 categories this year, there's room for everyone. Whether you're manufacturing textiles in Tirupur, running a green transition consultancy in Indore, or creating innovative products in rural Odisha, there's a category that gets what you do.The jury members evaluating applications are esteemed entrepreneurs and industry veterans who've been in your shoes, understand your challenges, and who know what real success looks like. They get it when you talk about pivoting during tough times, scaling with limited resources, or competing with bigger players. They understand that MSME success isn't just about the numbers, but about the journey, innovation, and impact on communities and customers.Running an MSME isn't easy. You've probably faced cash flow crunches, difficult customers, regulatory headaches, and other challenges big corporations don't deal with. You've survived and thrived despite it all.Such resilience deserves more than a pat on the back.The nomination deadline for the 6th edition of the ET MSME Awards is August 31, 2025. That might seem like plenty of time, but if you're like most entrepreneurs, you'll blink and it'll be August 30. Don't let that happen!The ET MSME Awards 2025 isn't just about celebrating what you've already done. It's about amplifying what you will do next. It's about putting you on a stage where the right people will notice. And it's about giving you the recognition that will unlock the next phase of growth.Your business has a story. Your innovation has value. Your success matters. The question is: are you ready to tell that story to the people who need to hear it?
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