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Mumbai tops, BITS leads, Zepto shines: Inside India's Under-30 power list
Mumbai leads with 15 honorees, BITS Pilani tops the academic charts, and service-led ventures dominate with 61% of the cohort. First-generation founders make up 66 of the 79 names on the list, signaling a generational shift toward self-made wealth.
Zepto's 22-year-old co-founders Kaivalya Vohra and Aadit Palicha top the youth leaderboard, while Svatantra Microfin stands as the largest employer with over 23,000 people.
The list, a part of the Avendus–Hurun Uth Series, is both a celebration of bold ambition and a blueprint for India's next-gen innovation hubs.
The Avendus Wealth – Hurun India U30 List 2025 spotlights 10 standout entrepreneurs aged 25 and under, proving that age is no barrier to impact.
Zepto co-founders Kaivalya Vohra and Aadit Palicha, both 22, lead the pack with their rapid grocery delivery unicorn. Joining them is Arjun Deshpande (22), who founded Generic Aadhaar to provide affordable medicines nationwide. In Tamil Nadu, AVR Shree Smaran (22) is modernizing his family's jewellery business.
Three co-founders of Swish—Ujjwal Sukheja, Saran S, and Aniket Shah—are reshaping India's fashion-tech space from across Bengaluru, Tiruchirappalli, and Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, Rahul Rawat (25) of Digantara is making waves in SpaceTech, and Shiva Sankeshwar (23) is revamping intercity travel with Vijayanand Travels. Mihir Menda (25) leads global real estate strategy at RMZ Boston.
Mumbai, India's financial nerve centre, leads the U30 chart with 15 entrepreneurs, but this list proves innovation isn't confined to metros. Visionaries from cities like Thane, Ranchi, Salem, Hubballi, and Tiruchirappalli have carved out national success stories in sectors as diverse as healthtech, logistics, and content creation.
Among them is Kaivalya Vohra, co-founder of Zepto, who at just 22 is the youngest on the list. Alongside his co-founder Aadit Palicha, Vohra has turned a quick commerce dream into a billion-dollar blitzkrieg, all before the age many are still finishing college.
Then there's Arjun Deshpande from Thane, who founded Generic Aadhaar at 16. Now 22, he leads a network delivering affordable medicines across India, democratising access to healthcare.
Service Economy Rising: Youth Backing Businesses That Scale Fast
A majority 61% of the listed ventures are service-led—spanning software, fintech, healthtech, and flexible workspaces. Software products and services led the pack with 21 entrepreneurs, followed by consumer goods (12) and financial services (9).
Many are tapping India's twin tailwinds: a massive domestic market and a global appetite for Indian engineering and design. Startups founded by U30 entrepreneurs collectively employ 64,175 people—with microfinance firm Svatantra Microfin alone contributing 23,289 jobs.
Capital Raised, and Smartly Deployed
This year's U30 cohort has raised a staggering $5.2 billion in equity and $270 million in debt, a clear sign that global and domestic investors are backing young Indian founders.
What's more interesting is how the funds are being used. About 44% of all capital raised has been allocated toward product development and expansion, highlighting a maturity of thought in scaling businesses sustainably rather than just chasing vanity metrics.
Self-Made Surge: 66 of 79 Are First-Gen Entrepreneurs
The 2025 list features 66 first-generation entrepreneurs, cementing the narrative that where you come from matters less than what you build.
'India's startup ecosystem is no longer about who you know; it's about what you create,' said Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher at Hurun India. 'The U30 List is a tribute to India's audacious new wave—builders who are rewriting the playbook, often before turning 30.'
BITS Pilani Is the New Entrepreneurial Hotbed
In the talent sweepstakes, BITS Pilani outperformed IITs. With 8 alumni featured, it beat IIT Roorkee and IIT Delhi (6 each), spotlighting an evolving mix of institutes powering India's innovation engine. Notable names include Harikrishna Ramesh Valiyath and Vrushali Prasade of Pixis, and Rishabh Shekhar and Anirudh Singla of Pepper Content.
Women Are Making Big Moves Too
While the list remains male-dominated, rising women entrepreneurs are making their mark. Devika Gholap (28) is pioneering AI-driven diagnostics through OptraSCAN, a digital pathology company with global aspirations. Her inclusion represents a welcome push towards gender parity in India's startup space.
Spotlight on Social and Economic Impact
From Digantara's space tech innovation to Swish's expansion in semi-urban India, the list features businesses that are not just profit-centric but also socially relevant.
Another standout is Shashvat Nakrani, co-founder of BharatPe, who has now invested in 19+ companies.
Here are the key details:
Kaivalya Vohra (22) from Mumbai is the youngest co-founder this year, credited with the rapid rise of quick commerce startup Zepto.
Mumbai leads with 15 featured entrepreneurs, reaffirming its status as India's financial capital.
The average age of the U30 entrepreneurs is 28, reflecting the youthful leadership shaping India's business future.
Devika Gholap (28) is the youngest woman on the list, driving innovation in digital pathology through OptraSCAN.
BITS Pilani tops the educational institutions with 8 alumni featured, followed by IIT Roorkee and IIT Delhi with 6 each.
Software products and services is the most represented industry with 21 entrepreneurs, followed by 12 in consumer goods and 9 in financial services.
Service-led companies dominate, making up 61% of the featured entrepreneurs.
Ananyashree Birla (30) brings the longest entrepreneurial track record in the list, with 13 years in business.
The Avendus Wealth – Hurun India U30 List 2025 recognises 79 exceptional young leaders under 30 reshaping Indian enterprise.
The list features visionary first-generation founders (valued at USD 25 mn+) and next-gen family business leaders (valued at USD 50 mn+).
This U30 list is part of the broader Avendus Wealth – Hurun India Uth Series 2025, which also includes entrepreneurs under 35 and under 40.
Aravind Srinivas of Perplexity has the highest LinkedIn following among U30 entrepreneurs, at 3.8 lakh.
The 79 U30 entrepreneurs collectively employ 64,175 people, reflecting their large-scale operational impact.
Svatantra Microfin, led by Ananyashree Birla, is the largest employer in the cohort with 23,289 employees.
Collectively, these entrepreneurs have raised USD 5.2 billion in equity and USD 270 million in debt, showcasing startup ecosystem vitality.
U30-led companies are strategically deploying capital, with 44% of funds going toward product development and expansion.
Shashvat Nakrani, Co-founder & COO of BharatPe, has invested in 19+ companies, highlighting his growing role as a young investor.
66 out of 79 entrepreneurs are first-generation founders, signaling the rise of self-made ambition in India.
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