{"id":52889,"date":"2026-02-23T10:44:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T05:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/23\/retailers-association-of-india-recognises-top-startups-at-retail-startup-awards-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T10:44:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T05:14:23","slug":"retailers-association-of-india-recognises-top-startups-at-retail-startup-awards-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/23\/retailers-association-of-india-recognises-top-startups-at-retail-startup-awards-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Retailers Association of India Recognises Top Startups at Retail Startup Awards 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 23:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span> In a grand ceremony during the Retail Leadership Summit 2026, the Retailers Association of India (RAI) unveiled the winners of the esteemed ‘Retail Startup Awards.’ This marks the ninth annual celebration of this event, aimed at spotlighting the most groundbreaking retail startups poised for significant impact in 2026. The awards instituted by RAI, are designed to honour entrepreneurial innovation within the retail sector.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Retail Startup Awards\u2019 instituted by RAI celebrate the dynamism and ingenuity of emerging entrepreneurs who are redefining the contours of India\u2019s retail ecosystem. By recognizing ventures that have translated bold ideas into scalable, impactful businesses, the awards spotlight startups that are addressing unmet market needs and elevating consumer experiences through innovation, technology, and seamless convenience.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach edition of the Retail Startup Awards reinforces the depth of entrepreneurial talent across the country. We continue to witness an impressive spectrum of startups from diverse geographies and segments, all contributing fresh thinking and transformative solutions to the retail sector. Their ability to create meaningful value for both businesses and consumers is truly commendable. We are proud to recognize and celebrate this year\u2019s winners, who exemplify excellence, resilience, and forward-looking innovation,\u201d said\u00a0Dr. Hitesh Bhatt, Director \u2013 Marketing and Communication, Retailers Association of India (RAI)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Retail Leadership Summit 2026 provided the perfect backdrop for the awards, underscoring RAI’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within India’s retail industry.<\/p>\n

The entries were\u00a0evaluated over set criteria and a final shortlist of 10 innovative retail startups was presented to the grand jury consisting of\u00a0Amit Sarda – MD, Soulflower and Rehan Huck \u2013 VP & Head of Leasing, DLF Malls.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0three retail startups that have emerged as the winners of the RAI Retail Startup Awards 2026:<\/p>\n

Winners: Sleepycat<\/strong><\/p>\n

1st Runner Up: Gokyo Outdoor Apparel and Lifestyles Pvt Ltd<\/strong><\/p>\n

2nd Runner Up: Club York<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

About Retail Leadership Summit:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Instituted by Retailers Association of India, the Retail Leadership Summit (better known as RLS) is India\u2019s largest gathering of retail leaders, service providers and other stakeholders from the industry. It aims to bring the best brains of the industry together for deliberating and discussing on the ways to take modern retail in India to the next level. Over the years, RLS has earned the reputation of being the ultimate knowledge-sharing platform, where those in attendance learn about the best practices and trends that they can apply for improving business efficiency. RLS is the only official Summit of its kind, an initiative by the industry, for the industry.<\/p>\n

About the Retailers Association of India (RAI)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Retailers Association of India is the unified voice of Indian retailers, representing a wide spectrum of retail formats across the country. RAI works closely with industry stakeholders and policymakers to create a favourable ecosystem for retail growth, while driving knowledge-sharing, best practices, and leadership development across the sector.<\/p>\n

Visit:<\/strong>\u00a0www.rai.net.in<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow on Twitter:\u00a0<\/strong>@rai_india<\/p>\n

If you object to the content of this press release, please notify us at pr.error.rectification@gmail.com. We will respond and rectify the situation within 24 hours.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 23:\u00a0 In a grand ceremony during the Retail Leadership Summit 2026, the Retailers Association of India (RAI) unveiled the winners of the esteemed ‘Retail Startup Awards.’ This marks the ninth annual celebration of this event, aimed at spotlighting the most groundbreaking retail startups poised for significant impact in 2026. The awards…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[1621,1622,1623,1624,1625,1626],"class_list":["post-52889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-press-release","tag-retail-startup-awards","tag-amit-sarda","tag-club-york","tag-gokyo-outdoor-apparel-and-lifestyles-pvt-ltd","tag-hitesh-bhatt","tag-retailers-association-of-india"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52889"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52889\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkcitynow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}