ET Adds AI Special Product Category to 2026 Innovation Awards

The ET Awards, a benchmark for artificial‑intelligence excellence, have expanded their roster to include a category that rejects conventional sector boundaries. Organisers describe the move as a response to a wave of AI solutions that create entirely new markets rather than merely improving existing ones.

Key facts - The AI Special Product / Innovation category will accept entries that cannot be placed in any existing sector classification. - Submissions must show live deployment with documented results, proving the product works beyond the lab. - Judging will focus on genuine innovation, measured by the ability to leap past incremental upgrades and to define a new product class. - The call is open to AI‑first startups, SMEs, large enterprises and research institutions that have commercialised a cross‑functional AI application.

The criteria stress originality, scalability and measurable impact. A jury of industry leaders will assess whether a solution reshapes how businesses, consumers or entire ecosystems interact with intelligent systems. Products that merely tweak existing tools will be filtered out; only those that create a distinct category or shift industry practice will advance.

What it means The new category signals that the AI landscape is maturing beyond siloed applications such as supply‑chain optimisation or drug discovery. By rewarding cross‑sector breakthroughs, ET encourages firms to pursue platforms that serve multiple markets simultaneously—think AI that powers both smart manufacturing and personalized health monitoring. The requirement for live deployment ensures that hype gives way to proven performance, raising the bar for future entrants.

For innovators, the award offers a high‑visibility platform to showcase technology before a global audience of investors and partners. For the broader market, it highlights emerging solutions that could redefine competitive dynamics across industries.

Watch for the first batch of nominees later this year, as companies position their cross‑industry AI products for a chance at early‑stage validation and industry‑wide recognition.