Veterans India recognised Dr Sanjay Sarda at the fourth edition of its Pride of Nation Awards for his outstanding contribution to India’s startup ecosystem.
Veterans India presented its Pride of Nation Awards 2022, the fourth edition, with Gen (Dr) VK Singh, former Chief of the Army Staff, as chief guest. The awards recognise individuals for their contribution to society. Dr Sanjay Sarda was honoured for Outstanding Contribution to the Start Up Ecosystem. His certificate named him as CEO of Assist Growth Consulting, the role he held at the time.
He was travelling on the day and could not attend. His daughter, Dr Shivani, collected the award on his behalf. He called it “a humbled and proud moment”, and a good one for her too.
The work behind the recognition
The award reflects years of hands-on work with young founders. As Director of Neotec Hub, the Ambuja Neotia Group’s incubator and accelerator, he built a cohort of 25 young entrepreneurs, and Neotec Hub was named the best company in its incubator category in 2018. As a mentor, he has seen more than a hundred startups at close range.
What sets his mentoring apart is where he puts the emphasis. Technology, funding and market fit all matter, but he works on the founder: their resilience, their long-term view, and above all their character. In his experience, ventures rarely fail because of the technology. They fail when the people behind it stop growing.
The Pride of Nation Award recognises that contribution to the people building India’s next generation of businesses.
Watch the award presentation above.