Forbes list, SET100 & Google honour; Kerala startups shine brighter with top recognitions

Kochi: Kerala startup ecosystem has shone brighter on national and international platforms this week with four different companies winning top recognitions. While two Kerala-based startups found a place in the Forbes India 30 Under 30 list, a third company has been selected as one of the Top 100 most promising clean energy and climate tech start-ups by Start Up Energy Transition (SET100 List 2025), a global innovation platform. Adding to the glory, Kochi-based AI startup Riafy’s co-founder has been honoured with the Google Cloud Partner All-Star Award. 

Kochi-based Fuselage Innovations Pvt Ltd and Thiruvananthapuram-based Qudrat have been featured in the Forbes list in agritech and NGO & social entrepreneurship categories, respectively. Kochi-based Nyquest Innovation Labs Pvt Ltd, which operates as Energy24by7, has been included in the SET100 List 2025 in the category Quality Energy Access & SDG-7. 

Founded by Cherthala native Devan Chandrasekharan along with his sister Devika Chandrasekharan and friend Athul Chandran, Fuselage helps farmers increase efficiency by deploying advanced solutions for mapping and diagnostics of the farmland. The startup was launched as the siblings tried to find a solution to address the adverse impact caused by the successive floods of 2018 and 2019 in Kerala. The company specialises in the development of technologies based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Elated over the recognition, Devan said Fuselage is working its way up to expand operations to Canada, UK, Finland and Sharjah. 

Qudrat was co-founded by UP-based brothers Rishabh Suri and Rohan Suri. Along with Devan, Rishabh has found a place in the Forbes list. According to the Forbes announcement, Qudrat makes tableware that has already replaced 1 lakh kg of plastic waste.

The Forbes India 30 Under 30 list was prepared based on a three-fold research process. The selection was based on interviews by the Forbes India team with sources across relevant categories as well as studies of databases and media coverage, inviting applications from, or nominations of, entrepreneurs and professionals who fit the criteria and spreading the word on social media. 

Nyquest, only Indian company in SET100 List 2025
Nyquest’s co-founder Harsh Mohan expressed happiness over their startup being the only company from India which has made it to the top 100 list. There are only two Asian companies on the list.

“Our patented product, iCON, converts any normal UPS/inverter systems available in the market to a smart solar power system at the lowest cost. Using predictive tech, it optimises solar usage and energy backup, enabling clean, affordable power for homes and businesses while reducing grid dependency. This ensures that normal inverters and batteries already invested can be utilised sustainably, thus creating less e-waste. Our system is available from Rs 36,000 in the market,” Harsh said.

For Riafy, the latest recognition for Joseph Babu, the company’s co-founder and chief marketing officer, comes as another feather in its cap in its relentless pursuit of AI technologies and applications. Joseph has been recognised as a Google Cloud Partner All-Star for 2024—a prestigious honour celebrating top industry leaders driving innovation and business impact through the cloud and AI technologies.

The award was announced by Kevin Ichhpurani, corporate vice president of Global Partner Ecosystem & Channels at Google Cloud, as part of the annual Partner All-Star recognition programme. This accolade highlights professionals who lead with strategic vision, data-driven execution, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver transformative results.

“It is a privilege to receive this recognition from Google Cloud. This award is not just a personal milestone but a testament to Riafy’s commitment to innovation and our mission to shape the future of AI-driven business solutions,” said Joseph.