Zepto’s Kaivalya Vohra, Perplexity’s Aravind Srinivas among India’s standout young entrepreneurs this year

The inaugural edition of the U30 list celebrates 79 exceptional founders and business leaders under the age of 30, who are building companies with scale and ambition.

Among them is Mumbai’s Kaivalya Vohra, the 22-year-old co-founder of Zepto, a quick commerce startup that has raised nearly $2 billion in equity and employs over 3,000 people. Vohra stands out as the youngest co-founder this year.

His story, and those of fellow U30 founders, including Aravind Srinivas of Perplexity, signals a defining shift in India’s entrepreneurial landscape: startups are scaling faster, leaders are getting younger, and wealth is increasingly self-made.

“Today’s founders are starting earlier, scaling faster, and bringing a global perspective to everything they do,” says Apurva Sahijwani, MD & CEO of Avendus Wealth Management. “This shift inspired us to create the Uth Series.”

The U30 list spotlights two categories of pioneers: visionary first-generation founders whose ventures are valued at $25 million or more and dynamic next-generation leaders leading family-owned businesses with valuations of at least $50 million.

From seed to stardom

The report is part of the broader ‘Uth Series’ initiative from Avendus and Hurun, which will also later include founders under the ages of 35 and 40.

For now, India’s under-30 founders are under the spotlight. Collectively, these entrepreneurs have overall raised $5.2 billion in equity and $270 million in debt. 66 of 79 honourees are first-generation founders. U30-led companies are also deploying funding strategically, allocating 44% toward product development and expansion.

“With over 64,000 jobs created and more than $5 billionn raised in equity, the economic impact

of these young leaders is extraordinary. But beyond the numbers, it’s their energy, resilience and

digital-first mindset that make them stand out,” says Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder & Chief Researcher, Hurun India.

“The rise of self-made founders is not just a trend—it’s a movement,” he adds. “India’s entrepreneurial identity is being reshaped by young visionaries who aren’t waiting for permission to lead.”

What young founders are building

Software products and services dominate the list with 21 founders. There’s also strong representation from consumer goods (12), financial services (9), healthcare (8), and even aerospace & defence (7).

Pixxel is building hyperspectral imaging satellites, while Perplexity, led by 30-year-old Srinivas, has raised $915 million for its AI-powered search engine.

Some entrepreneurs have already achieved scale traditionally associated with older companies. Svatantra Microfin, founded by Ananyashree Birla, employs over 23,000 people and is India’s second-largest microfinance institution. Generic Aadhaar’s founder Arjun Deshpande is disrupting pharma retail at the age of just 22.

Where they come from

While Mumbai leads with 15 entrepreneurs, there are also founders from smaller cities such as Ranchi, Phagwara and Tiruchirappalli.

Among the states, Maharashtra tops the list with 21 entrants. Rajasthan (with 9 honourees) outpaces Tamil Nadu (6) and Uttar Pradesh (6).

In terms of educational institutions, BITS Pilani tops the list with 8 honorees, followed by IIT Roorkee and Delhi with 6 alumni each. Vrushali Prasade of Pixis and Rishabh Shekhar and Anirudh Singla of Pepper Content are graduates of BITS Pilani.

Notably, 84% of the list comprises first-generation entrepreneurs, suggesting a shift away from family-backed legacy models. Having said that, there are some next-generation leaders of family businesses who are carving their own paths. The list features Sagar Adani (Adani Green Energy) and Anant Ambani (Jio Platforms), who have taken on high-stakes leadership roles in their firms.

India vs the world

When it comes to job creation by self-made individuals, India stands out with an average of 870 jobs created per venture, compared to 250 in China and only 22 in the United Kingdom, demonstrating India’s significant entrepreneurial impact on employment.

With 84% first-generation entrepreneurs, India lags only slightly behind the UK (96%), and is ahead of China (73%).

However, India lags in gender diversity. Only 6 women feature on the list—far behind China (27) and the UK (21). Indian women who have made it the list include Devika Gholap (OptraSCAN) and Romita Mazumdar (Foxtale).

Gholap (28) is the youngest woman in this year’s U30 cohort and is driving innovation in digital pathology, while Mazumdar has created a skincare brand rooted in science-backed formulations tailored specifically for Indian skin types.

Financial and social metrics

The report doesn’t just highlight founders, it also tracks the financial impact of their journeys. Zepto, Perplexity, and BharatPe lead in total equity funding (in that order), while Simple Energy, Pixxel, Zepto, and Saveo have completed significant number of equity rounds.

Venture funding is being allocated wisely: nearly half of all capital raised by U30 startups goes into product development and innovation. Debt funding is also on the rise; for instance, BharatPe raised $229 million in debt to fuel growth.

Social metrics are also being tracked. Srinivas (Perplexity) stands out for his strong digital influence, with 3.8 lakh followers on LinkedIn, indicating that today’s breed of tech founders are both builders and influencers.