ET Startup Awards 2026 | Comeback Kid: Mukund Jha returns stronger with AI bet
For the Comeback Kid category, the ET Startup Awards 2026 jury looked for founders who had endured a bruising phase and returned stronger. Mukund Jha’s second act after Dunzo stood out for combining the scars of a high-profile failure with a sharp bet on artificial intelligence on a global stage.
“For Comeback Kid, it was about people who have gone through tough times, sometimes essentially near-death experiences, and then come back very, very strong,” said jury member and Navi founder Sachin Bansal.
