In an increasingly competitive marketplace, products and features can often be replicated. Customer trust, however, is much harder to earn, and even harder to retain.At the inaugural edition of the One of a Kind Awards - for early stage startups, presented by The Economic Times and Cashfree Payments, this distinction was recognised through the Customer Experience Delight Award category. The honour was presented at the grand reveal and felicitation ceremony held on August 21, 2026, at Novotel,Bengaluru.The ceremony brought together founders, investors, entrepreneurs and ecosystem leaders to celebrate India’s next generation of internet-first businesses. The awards have been designed to identify companies that are still in the foundational phase of their journeys, when customer trust, product-market fit and operating discipline are being built.In the Customer Experience Delight category, Swipe was named the winner, while PAYTAP and Proshort were awarded first runner-up and second runner-up, respectively.Designing around customer needsSwipe was recognised for making invoicing, billing and payment collection simpler for India’s small businesses. Its app allows small businesses, retailers, freelancers, wholesalers and distributors to create GST invoices, manage inventory and collect payments, while sharing invoices through WhatsApp, email, SMS or payment links.PAYTAP was recognised for building a payment and expense-management system around vehicles, fleets and mobility-led businesses. Its RuPay-powered prepaid cards and NFC tags allow users to make payments for fuel, parking and other vehicle-related services, while a central dashboard provides visibility over balances, approvals, limits and spending. The model is designed to reduce cash handling and manual reconciliation while giving fleet operators greater control over everyday expenses.Proshort was recognised for applying generative AI to the everyday work of sales teams. Its platform combines sales conversations, CRM data and contextual insights to help representatives prepare for calls, receive assistance during customer interactions and identify actions that may move deals forward.More than a support functionA customer-centric startup does not merely respond to complaints. It builds systems to understand pain points, incorporates feedback into decision-making and continually improves the experience of using its product or service.Customer experience is closely connected to the wider shift from growth alone towards durability. As companies face greater pressure to retain users, operate efficiently and demonstrate genuine value, the quality of the customer relationship becomes an important indicator of business health.A rigorous selection processApplications were accepted from April 13 to May 31, 2026. The strategic evaluation phase ran from May 29 to June 19, with internal research experts assessing factors including market traction, scalability and the quality of execution. Shortlisted companies presented their business models to the final jury on June 30.The jury included Animesh Kumar Das, MD undefined Vikram Chachra, venture capitalist, 8i Ventures; Saurabh Garg, entrepreneur, founder and CBO, NoBroker.com; Kanika Agarrwal, partner, India Quotient; and Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub.Sustaining the customer relationshipFor winners and runners-up, the One of a Kind Awards - for early stage startups initiative creates an ecosystem of continued support designed to help early-stage companies strengthen visibility, access and execution. National feature stories and brand spotlights across ET and Cashfree digital platforms can help brands reach customers, partners, talent and investors beyond their immediate networks.The benefits include national exposure through feature stories and brand spotlights across The Economic Times and Cashfree digital platforms, as well as access to a network of investors, founders and builders through the Awards Night ecosystem.Winners also gain access to Cashfree Payments’ infrastructure, including exclusive credits that support brands in their growth journey with advanced payment solutions for internet-first businesses. This support can help companies manage and expand essential functions such as payment collection, settlements, international payments and identity verification as their operations develop.Why the awards matterEarly-stage companies often build strong relationships with customers before they have the visibility or resources to make those strengths widely known. The One of a Kind Awards - for early stage startups helps address this gap by recognising customer-centric businesses while their models are still taking shape.Presented by The Economic Times and Cashfree Payments, the initiative brings early promise into the national spotlight and connects it to practical support. It helps ensure that companies are not judged only by their current size, but also by the quality of the customer value they are creating and the potential for that value to endure.