The Third Indian Woman to Join an Elite Club
On June 18, 2026, Indian entrepreneur Somdutta Singh won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (US) award, becoming one of a handful of Indian women entrepreneurs to receive the recognition . Singh represented India at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme in the United States, where she was the only Indian woman founder among the finalists .
The significance of the achievement was not lost on her. "After Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Falguni Nayar, I am the third Indian woman to get this award," Singh said in a social media post announcing the recognition . The EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme, founded in 1986 and now operating across nearly 80 countries, honours business leaders for innovation, company growth, and long-term value creation . Singh was selected by an independent panel of judges based on her entrepreneurial spirit, sense of purpose, growth, and impact .
The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast program celebrates entrepreneurs from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee . Singh had earlier been named a finalist for the 2026 Southeast Award .
The Company Behind the Achievement
Singh is the founder and CEO of Assiduus Global, an AI-powered e-commerce and supply-chain middleware company that helps brands expand across international marketplaces . The company is described as the world's fastest-growing cross-border e-commerce accelerator .
Assiduus provides full-stack, AI-led middleware for digital distribution and supply chain management, helping brands accelerate sales across global marketplaces . Its platform helps brands navigate compliance challenges, regulatory hurdles, and operational complexities that make cross-border scaling difficult . The company's Brand Central platform serves as a command center, turning e-commerce data into AI-powered insights on consumer behaviour, preferences, and market reach .
The Numbers That Tell the Story
Assiduus's impact is measurable. According to company information, the platform has:
Generated more than $1 billion in revenue for partner brands (some reports indicate over $1.5 billion)
Supported the global expansion of over 150 companies across more than 20 countries, including the United States, India, Canada, the UAE, the UK, Europe, and Oman
Operates across 25+ marketplaces and has enabled brands to scale across 20+ countries
The company has remained profitable since its first year of operations, a rare feat in the e-commerce and SaaS ecosystem . Assiduus has also secured $25 million in Pre-Series B funding led by Bajaj Finserv to scale AI capabilities and expand infrastructure .
Multiple Recognitions
Assiduus has appeared on multiple high-growth company rankings, including the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India list, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 North America list, the FT Americas Fastest Growing Companies ranking, and the Inc. 5000 list .
Singh herself has received numerous awards, including honours from Entrepreneur India, Fortune India, India Today, and BusinessWorld. She was also named AI Woman of the Year and E-commerce Entrepreneur of the Year . In addition to her role at Assiduus, she has founded investment platform Karma Holdings, which backs over 70 startups across sectors including consumer technology, healthcare, fintech, agritech, and space technology . She has also served as vice-chairperson of the NASSCOM Product Council .
The Journey and the Philosophy
Singh's journey to this achievement reflects a pattern familiar to many first-generation entrepreneurs. She was an alumna of MIT and a participant in Harvard Business School's Owner/President Management programme . Her experience scaling private label brands in the US gave her a deep understanding of marketplace dynamics, but she also encountered compliance challenges and regulatory hurdles when trying to expand those brands to India—experiences that became the driving force behind Assiduus .
A Broader Significance
Singh's achievement is not just a personal milestone. It signals a broader shift: Indian women entrepreneurs are building technology companies that compete not just in India but in the world's most demanding markets. As Singh herself reflected, "This is not the destination. It is a reminder to dream even bigger" .
