The Data Engineering Summit 2026, or DES 2026, organised by AIM Media House, convened leading data practitioners, technology innovators, and enterprises shaping the future of the data ecosystem, highlighting the critical role of data engineering in the era of generative AI.
As part of the summit, AIM honoured outstanding contributions through the Finkelstein Awards for Data Engineering Excellence 2026, celebrating individuals and teams driving impact across innovation, collaboration, project execution, talent development, and upskilling within the data engineering landscape.
Here’s a look at the winners and the work that set them apart.
Advancement in Data Engineering Education and Upskilling
MathCo has won this category for its consistent focus on championing continuous learning, nurturing future-ready talent, and building a strong culture of data engineering excellence. Through its learning ecosystems, hands-on capability building, and impactful education and upskilling initiatives, the company has continued to empower data professionals and strengthen its talent foundation in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.
Best Collaboration between Data Engineering and Business Teams
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited is the winner in this category for successfully reducing the gap between data and business through strong cross-functional collaboration and alignment. By fostering close integration between data engineering and business teams, the organisation has enabled greater innovation, agility, and measurable business impact, demonstrating how data-led collaboration can drive meaningful transformation at scale.
Outstanding Data Engineering Innovation in Indian GCCs
Wayfair India TDC pushed the boundaries of data engineering within the GCC ecosystem through innovation, scale, and enterprise-wide impact. It has won the category by building advanced data engineering capabilities and delivering high-impact global solutions. The organisation has demonstrated how India-based GCCs are evolving into strategic innovation hubs, driving transformation at a worldwide scale.
Outstanding Contribution to Data Democratisation
HDFC Bank Ltd is the winner in this category for making data more accessible, usable, and actionable across the enterprise, enabling data-driven decision-making at scale. Through its strong focus on data democratisation and seamless access to insights, the organisation has empowered teams across functions to leverage data more effectively and drive meaningful business outcomes.
Outstanding Data Engineering Team Award
phData demonstrated exceptional capability in building, scaling, and sustaining high-impact data engineering systems. Through a combination of technical excellence, strong execution, and robust delivery capabilities, the team has consistently delivered scalable and high-performing data engineering solutions that drive meaningful business impact.
Innovative Data Engineering Project of the Year
Carrier Digital Hub India is one of the winners in this category for delivering breakthrough data engineering projects that combine innovation, scalability, and measurable business impact. Known for building intelligent and scalable data engineering solutions, the organisation has played a key role in enhancing operational efficiency, enabling smarter decision-making, and driving transformation through data-led innovation.
Dentsu Global Services also won for driving data-led transformation across modern marketing ecosystems through advanced data engineering capabilities. By leveraging scalable data infrastructure and intelligent analytics frameworks, the organisation has enabled more agile, insight-driven marketing operations and delivered impactful business outcomes at scale.
Tiger Analytics has won this category for delivering high-impact, analytics-driven data engineering solutions at enterprise scale. With a strong focus on transforming complex data into actionable business intelligence, the organisation has consistently enabled enterprises to drive smarter decision-making, operational efficiency, and large-scale digital transformation through advanced data capabilities.
Tredence Inc enables robust and scalable data platforms that transform complex data into actionable business insights. Through advanced data engineering and analytics capabilities, the organisation has empowered enterprises to unlock greater operational efficiency, accelerate decision-making, and drive measurable business impact through data-led transformation.
Vodafone Idea is also a winner in this category for driving innovation in large-scale telecom data engineering to enhance network intelligence and elevate customer experience. By leveraging advanced data capabilities across complex telecom ecosystems, the organisation has enabled smarter network operations, improved service delivery, and more data-driven customer engagement at scale.
Data Engineering Company of the Year
Datazip Inc is recognised for setting a benchmark in modern data engineering through scale, strategic vision, and continuous innovation. Known for redefining data infrastructure with a strong focus on speed, simplicity, and scalability, the company has built advanced data engineering solutions that enable enterprises to manage and operationalise data more efficiently in an increasingly AI-driven environment.
EPAM Systems has been honoured for delivering enterprise-grade engineering excellence and enabling large-scale global data transformation initiatives. Through its strong focus on scalable architectures, advanced engineering capabilities, and innovation-driven execution, the company has helped enterprises accelerate data modernisation and drive impactful business transformation across global markets.
Polestar Analytics is one of the organisations being recognised in this category for driving innovation in analytics-led data engineering and enabling enterprises to transform complex data into actionable intelligence at scale. Through advanced analytics capabilities and scalable data solutions, the company has empowered businesses to make faster, smarter, and more insight-driven decisions across the enterprise.
- The AI-First Employee is Not What You Think
- Top Test Management Solutions for End-to-End Testing
- Genpact Certified as a Best Firm for Data Scientists
- The Economics of Continuous Inference
- [Webinar Alert] Building Secure and Scalable Enterprise Applications in the Age of AI With Aurigo
- Hexaware Certified as Best Firm for Forward-Deployed Engineers by AIM