On this page
25 Tech Leaders is an annual editorial list from 1stepGrow. It recognises leaders whose work goes beyond their own organisation — people who are changing how technology is built, adopted and taught, and who make it easier for others to follow.
Who is eligible
- Founders, CTOs, CIOs and heads of engineering, data, AI, cloud or product.
- Researchers and academics whose work is used in practice.
- Leaders in technology education and workforce development.
- Working in or from India, with a verifiable public record of their work.
Selection criteria
Every nominee is assessed against the same four criteria.
Measurable impact
Outcomes that can be verified — products shipped, systems scaled, teams built, people trained.
Innovation
New approaches to a real problem, not incremental repackaging of existing work.
Leadership and talent
A record of building teams, mentoring others and raising the bar for the people around them.
Contribution to the ecosystem
Open source, research, public writing, teaching or community work that helps others build.
How selection works
- 1
Nominations open
Anyone can nominate a leader — or themselves — through the form on this page.
- 2
Verification
Our editors check each nomination against public sources and may contact the nominee.
- 3
Jury review
The editorial jury scores shortlisted nominees against the published criteria.
- 4
Announcement
The final 25 are announced on this page with a short profile of each leader.
The jury is drawn from the 1stepGrow editorial desk and our executive board. Jury members declare any conflict of interest and step back from assessing nominees they have a relationship with. Our editorial policy applies to every profile we publish.
The list
Nominations for the current edition are open. The 25 selected leaders will be announced here, each with a profile explaining why they were chosen.
Submit a nomination
Tell us who the nominee is and what they have achieved. Be specific, and link to public evidence — a profile, product, paper or talk.
Nominations are plain text only; please do not include attachments. For younger innovators, see 30 Under 30.
Frequently asked questions
What is 1stepGrow 25 Tech Leaders?
It is an editorial recognition list of 25 technology leaders whose work is shaping AI, data, cloud, software and technology education, chosen by the 1stepGrow editorial jury.
Who can be nominated?
Senior technology leaders — founders, CTOs, engineering, data and product leaders, researchers and educators — working in or from India, with a verifiable record of impact.
Can I nominate myself?
Yes. Self-nominations are welcome and are assessed in exactly the same way as nominations made by others.
Is there a fee to nominate?
No. Nominating is free. Selection is made by the editorial jury against the published criteria.
When are the results announced?
The list is announced on this page when the current edition closes, and every selected leader is informed before publication.