India’s story of young leadership has always been told in parts. A founder who built something
from nothing. A business head who turned around an organisation before turning thirty-five. A
creator who built a community of millions without a single boardroom meeting. To tell stories like
these, ET Edge 40 Under 40 has been founded as the foremost platform. As it returns for its
second chapter in North India, it does so with a sharper sense of what it wants to do: shift the
spotlight from achievement alone to the journeys that shape it.
The Question: Why North India, Why Now?
The 2nd Chapter of the ET Edge 40 Under 40 – North Edition 2026 arrives in Delhi in June, at a
moment when the region’s relevance as a centre of enterprise and innovation feels more
pronounced than ever.
North India has long been associated with political power and administrative influence. But over
the past decade, a different identity has quietly taken shape. With more than 100 unicorns having
emerged from the region, over 40 percent of India’s startups estimated to be based here, and
upwards of 35 percent of the country’s startup funding flowing through North Indian companies,
this is no longer just a market, it is a generator. Of ideas. Of capital. Of leadership.
And yet, the leaders driving this transformation are rarely seen on the same stage. The
entrepreneur from Gurugram, the creative director from Noida, the athlete-turned-advocate from
Chandigarh, the sustainability founder from Jaipur – their work is felt, but their journeys are
seldom heard together. That is what this summit intends to change.
From Recognition to Resonance
This platform has always operated with a certain conviction. Recognising young leaders matters.
But recognition without context is incomplete.
The second edition evolves the platform into something more dynamic and inclusive. It is no
longer limited to the language of business. The voices coming to the stage this year span
entertainment and sports, arts and the creator economy, alongside the founders, CEOs, and
technologists who have always been at the centre of the conversation. Because influence, in
2026, does not arrive in a single form.
Some of the themes that will shape the Summit include:
- What resilience looks like in the early chapters of a career
- How today’s leaders are redefining identity across industries and disciplines
- The role of technology, AI, and digital transformation in shaping young leadership
- Reinvention as a strategy, noBuilding influence across sectors – from boardrooms to platforms to policy rooms
- What the next generation of enterprise and creative leadership looks like in North Indiat a setback
- The intersection of purpose, sustainability, and social impact
The conversation has shifted. It is no longer just about who made it. It is about how, and what that
means for everyone coming after.
A Platform That Evolves With Your Needs
What sets this platform apart is not the list it produces. It is the room it creates.
The ET Edge 40 Under 40 – North is designed as a forum for genuine engagement, where keynotes
are candid, conversations are immersive, and the formats encourage real dialogue rather than
rehearsed positioning. The people who walk into this room are not just there to be seen. They are
there to connect, to exchange, and to leave with something they did not have when they arrived.
Young Entrepreneurs and Founders, CEOs and COOs under 40, Innovators and Disruptors,
Investors and Venture Capitalists, Policy Makers and Change-makers in Sustainability, AI and
Digital Transformation Leaders – the entire ecosystem of young influence gathers here, not just to
be recognised, but to be part of a larger, ongoing conversation about where leadership is headed.
Celebrating the Leaders Who Are Rewriting the Rules.
A central element of the Summit is the recognition of the 40 Under 40 honourees themselves –
individuals who are under 40 years of age as of 31st May 2026, and who have demonstrated
professional achievement, organisational leadership, and meaningful industry influence.
But this is not a list built on metrics alone. The criteria ask a deeper question: not just what you
have built, but how. Not just where you have led, but why it mattered. In a world that is quick to
celebrate success, the 40 Under 40 – North takes the time to understand it.
The Next Chapter of Young Leadership in India
North India’s startup and enterprise story is well into its growth arc, but the more compelling
narrative lies in the people shaping it. Across 50,000+ registered startups, a consumption-driven
internet market of scale, and a generation that has grown up building in public – the region is
producing a new kind of leader. One who is comfortable with ambiguity, fluent in disruption, and
motivated by more than just the exit.
The 2nd Chapter of the ET Edge 40 Under 40 – North Summit 2026 enters the picture right at this
moment. The discussion is moving beyond achievement. It is moving into meaning.