The fifth ET Martech+ Awards, organised by ETBrandEquity.com, made one thing clear: India’s martech conversation has moved from shiny tools to measurable outcomes. The honours were spread across established brands, agencies, startups and platform providers, with The House of Abhinandan Lodha taking the flagship Martech Brand of the Year title.
The winners at a glance
- Martech Brand of the Year: The House of Abhinandan Lodha
- Martech Agency of the Year: Nians
- Martech Solution Provider of the Year: MoEngage
- Emerging Martech Startup of the Year: GRX10
- Breakthrough Martech Technology of the Year: Segumento India and fastrr by Shiprocket
Saurabh Jain, chief marketing officer at The House of Abhinandan Lodha, was named MarTech Excellence Leader of the Year.
A sharper yardstick for martech
The awards covered four master categories—Martech Deployment, Technologies, Industry and Special—and more than 85 sub-categories. EY was the official tabulator. A jury of marketing and technology leaders from companies including PepsiCo, Samsung Electronics, boAt, Tata Digital and YES BANK evaluated the entries.
What separated winners this year was not just technology ambition. The jury looked at how campaigns were applied, whether they delivered tangible growth and efficiency, and whether they transformed business operations. This reflects a shift toward solutions that are both innovative and commercially relevant.
AI moves from experiment to infrastructure
Jury observations highlighted a clear rise in AI, generative AI and data-driven analytics across entries. Brands are using these tools to create more effective campaigns, make informed decisions and drive better outcomes. The wider signal: technology-led marketing is no longer a pilot project; it is becoming an integral part of business and marketing strategy.
The award categories themselves offer a useful self-assessment framework. Deployment awards focused on tactics such as vernacular marketing, predictive analytics, B2B and B2C campaigns, social media, moment marketing and omnichannel customer experiences. Technology awards covered adtech, mobile apps, conversational bots, CDPs and sales enablement. Industry awards stretched across agriculture, BFSI, FMCG, real estate, e-commerce, retail and healthcare.
What to do with this
The takeaway is not to chase awards. It is to adopt the same lens internally: ask whether a martech investment produces a measurable business result, not just a new capability. If AI or automation cannot be tied to growth, cost efficiency or customer experience, it may be activity rather than strategy. The 2026 winners are being recognised for closing that gap.
Source: ETBrandEquity.com
