Top Young Entrepreneurs in India Changing the Game

India's entrepreneurial landscape in 2026 is stronger than ever. With over 350 billionaires on the Hurun India Rich List^[1] and more than 200,000 recognised startups, the country has moved far beyond being the world's back office. Young founders are now building original products, from 10-minute grocery delivery platforms to budget hotel aggregation networks, space debris tracking systems, and global cybersecurity enterprises.

What makes the 2026 list remarkable is its diversity. You have 22-year-old billionaires running quick commerce empires alongside first-generation solar panel manufacturers, teenage logistics founders alongside cybersecurity school dropouts. Cities like Surat, Bhavnagar, Chandigarh, and Rayagada are producing unicorns, not just Mumbai and Bengaluru.

This report profiles the young entrepreneurs shaping India's economy in 2026, arranged from youngest to most experienced. It covers their business ideas, the year and age at which they launched their ventures, valuations, net worth, and what makes each of them stand out.

The Mindset of a Young Entrepreneur In India

Today’s young entrepreneurs are reshaping industries with fresh ideas, bold thinking, and a problem-solving mindset to every challenge. What makes them different is their confidence and adaptability. They don’t wait for change they create it.

They find opportunities where others see obstacles and use technology to solve real-world problems. They also balance risk with responsibility, building businesses that aim for both profit and impact.

These entrepreneurs experiment with new platforms and quickly adjust to market changes. Most importantly, they build businesses that reflect their generation’s values like sustainability, inclusivity, and social impact. They create brands that truly connect with today’s consumers. We have also covered stories of top 10 female entrepreneurs in India.

Young Entrepreneurs Of India: Teen Founders (Under 20)

1. Vinusha MK (15), Founder, Four Seasons Pastry

Year Started: 2024 | Age at Founding: 13

Vinusha MK is the youngest entrepreneur on this list. She founded Four Seasons Pastry at around age 13 in 2024, and by 2026, has moved beyond direct product sales into experiential offerings such as baking kits, where customers participate in the creation process. She uses social media not just for marketing but as her primary storefront. At 15, she represents the new generation of founders who are native to the creator economy and build businesses within it from day one.

Differentiator: Pivoted from selling baked goods to selling baking experiences, tapping into the creator economy.

Breakthrough: Built a profitable direct-to-consumer food brand as a teenager using social media as her sole sales channel.

2. Tilak Mehta (19), Founder, Papers N Parcels

Year Started: 2020 | Age at Founding: 13

Tilak Mehta founded Papers N Parcels at age 13 in 2020, creating a low-cost intracity courier service by partnering with Mumbai's Dabbawalas, who are known for their near-perfect delivery accuracy. The idea came to him when he needed to get textbooks delivered across Mumbai and found no affordable same-day option. By 2026, the company has integrated digital tracking systems and expanded beyond Mumbai, competing with established logistics players. Mehta's model solves a uniquely Indian problem last-mile density in congested cities using a uniquely Indian solution. He represents the "frugal innovation" mindset enhanced by modern technology.

Education: Started the company while still in school.

Breakthrough: Leveraged the Dabbawala network to build a scalable, low-cost courier service at age 13, demonstrating that entrepreneurship has no minimum age requirement.

The Successful Entrepreneurs in India: Ages 20–25

3. Kaivalya Vohra (22), Co-founder and CTO, Zepto

Year Started: 2021 | Age at Founding: 18

Kaivalya Vohra, born in 2003 in Bangalore, is the co-founder and CTO of Zepto, India's leading quick commerce platform. He dropped out of Stanford University along with Aadit Palicha to launch Zepto in 2021 at age 18, building a 10-minute grocery delivery model powered by hyper-localised "Dark Store" micro-warehouses. This made Zepto one of the successful startups of India..

Education: Computer Science at Stanford University (dropped out after one year).

Breakthrough: Built a dark store network that made 10-minute grocery delivery operationally viable at scale, becoming a billionaire before turning 22.

4. Advait Thakur (22), CEO, Apex Infosys India

Year Started: 2013 | Age at Founding: 9

Advait Thakur started coding at age 6 and launched his first website at 9 in 2013. He subsequently founded Apex Infosys India, growing it into a multi-million dollar IoT and AI company. In 2026, his primary focus is on agricultural automation through his product Crophle and smart home systems. With over 13 years of building experience by age 22, Thakur's trajectory challenges the traditional education-to-career pipeline, demonstrating that practical skill acquisition can precede and sometimes replace formal education.

Background: Began coding at age 6, launched first website and business at age 9.

Breakthrough: Built a revenue-generating AI and IoT company before most people finish college, with over a decade of experience at 22.

5. Aadit Palicha (23), Co-founder and CEO, Zepto

Year Started: 2021 | Age at Founding: 20 (first venture GoPool at age 16 in 2017)

Aadit Palicha, born in 2001 in Mumbai, is the co-founder and CEO of Zepto. Before Zepto, he launched GoPool in Dubai at age 16 in 2017 to solve school commute problems. He joined Stanford for Computer Science but dropped out at 20 to build Zepto with his childhood friend Kaivalya Vohra in 2021. Under his leadership, Zepto has grown to a valuation of $7–8 billion, with the company targeting an IPO between July and September 2026, aiming to raise INR 11,000 Crore.^[2] His net worth stands at INR 5,380 Crore, making him one of India's youngest billionaires.

Education: Computer Science at Stanford University (dropped out).

Breakthrough: Scaled Zepto from a pandemic-era idea to an IPO-ready company processing 129% year-on-year GMV growth, with his first venture launched at age 16.

6. Ujjwal Sukheja (24), Saran S (24), and Aniket Shah (25), Co-founders, Swish

Year Started: ~2023 | Ages at Founding: ~21, ~21, ~22

Ujjwal Sukheja, Saran S, and Aniket Shah co-founded Swish, a vertically integrated 10-minute food delivery platform. Unlike Zepto, which operates as a marketplace for third-party grocery products, Swish owns both the cloud kitchens where food is prepared and the delivery logistics network. This vertical integration allows the company to capture margins on food preparation as well as delivery, resulting in significantly higher gross margins than grocery-based quick commerce. Swish represents the next phase of quick commerce, moving from commodity delivery to value-added services.

Differentiator: Full ownership of the supply chain from kitchen to doorstep.

Breakthrough: Proved that quick commerce can extend beyond groceries into prepared food with better unit economics, all built by founders in their early twenties.

7. Anshita Mehrotra (25), Founder, Fix My Curls

Year Started: ~2020 | Age at Founding: ~19

Anshita Mehrotra identified an underserved market segment curly hair care products designed specifically for Indian women and built Fix My Curls as a direct-to-consumer brand at around age 19 in 2020. In a market dominated by global giants, she created an entirely new product category driven by her own consumer experience. Her venture demonstrates how personal insight into a neglected problem can become the foundation of a scalable business.

Sector: D2C Beauty and Personal Care.

Breakthrough: Created a new product category for curly hair care in India while still a teenager, competing directly with established global brands.

8. Rahul Rawat (25) and Anirudh Sharma (27), Co-founders, Digantara

Year Started: 2018 | Ages at Founding: ~17 and ~19

Rahul Rawat and Anirudh Sharma co-founded [Digantara in 2018 when Rawat was just 17 and Sharma was 19. ](Anirudh Sharma )They are building space domain awareness systems that track orbital debris to protect satellites. As Low Earth Orbit becomes increasingly crowded with mega-constellations in 2026, their technology has become critical infrastructure. Their inclusion in the Hurun U30 list reflects the maturation of India's private space sector, supported by the IN-SPACe privatisation framework that allows startups to collaborate directly with ISRO.

Sector: Space Technology.

Breakthrough: Started building the equivalent of a mapping and tracking system for space debris as teenagers, in a category with few global competitors.

Ages 26–30: Scaling Fast

9. Rohan Gupta (26), Founder, SG Finserve

Year Started: ~2022 | Age at Founding: ~22

Rohan Gupta, based in New Delhi, is the founder of SG Finserve, a technology-enabled Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). At 26, he has entered the billionaire category with a net worth of INR 1,140 Crore. Unlike pure-play payment apps that burn cash to acquire users, SG Finserve uses technology for distribution while relying on strong balance sheet fundamentals and a lending-first business model. His inclusion in the Hurun list signals a market shift toward profitable fintech models built on actual lending revenue.

Location: New Delhi.

Breakthrough: Built a profitable, lending-first NBFC at scale while still in his mid-twenties, proving that fintech doesn't require endless cash burn.

10. Shashvat Nakrani (27), Co-founder, BharatPe

Year Started: 2018 | Age at Founding: 19

Shashvat Nakrani from Bhavnagar, Gujarat, co-founded BharatPe in 2018 at age 19.^[3] An IIT Delhi dropout, he built a payment platform that simplified digital transactions for small merchants through an interoperable QR code system. By 2026, BharatPe has evolved from payments into a lending-focused digital financial services provider for MSMEs, using five years of merchant transaction data to offer credit products. His net worth stands at INR 1,340 Crore. Nakrani's journey from a Tier-2 city to building a national fintech platform is evidence of the broadening geography of Indian entrepreneurship.

Education: IIT Delhi (dropped out at 19 to start BharatPe).

Breakthrough: Transitioned BharatPe from a QR-code payment app into a digital lending platform for the unbanked merchant class, built from Bhavnagar.

11. Devika Gholap (28), Co-founder, OptraSCAN

Year Started: ~2020 | Age at Founding: ~22

Devika Gholap is the youngest woman on the Hurun U30 list. She co-founded OptraSCAN, a digital pathology company that provides affordable, cloud-based analysis of tissue samples. The technology is particularly valuable for cancer diagnostics in resource-limited healthcare settings. Her work reflects a broader trend where female founders in India are disproportionately represented in impact-driven technology sectors such as healthcare and education.

Sector: Healthtech / Digital Pathology.

Breakthrough: Made cloud-based cancer diagnostics affordable and accessible for resource-poor medical facilities, starting in her early twenties.

12. Kajol Bheda (~29), Founder, Scribbld

Year Started: ~2021 | Age at Founding: ~24

Kajol Bheda founded Scribbld,^[4] a strategy-first marketing agency that operates on a global scale. Her company represents the growing formalisation of India's creative services sector and competes with international agencies. Her inclusion on the list reflects the broader recognition of the creative economy as a legitimate and scalable business category in India.

Sector: Creative Services and Marketing.

Breakthrough: Built a globally competitive marketing agency rooted in strategic thinking rather than execution alone, demonstrating that the creative economy can produce scalable ventures.

13. Ananyashree Birla (30), Founder, Svatantra Microfin

Year Started: 2013 | Age at Founding: 17

Ananyashree Birla founded Svatantra Microfin in 2013 at age 17 and has grown it into the largest employer among the Hurun U30 cohort, with over 23,000 employees. The company focuses on financial inclusion for rural women and manages a loan book worth billions. While she comes from the Birla family, Svatantra is a self-built entity scaled through operational discipline. With 13 years of experience by age 30, she bridges the gap between legacy industrial families and modern social-impact entrepreneurship.

Founded: 2013, at age 17. Thirteen years of operational experience by 2026.

Breakthrough: Built the largest employer on the U30 list, focused entirely on rural women's financial inclusion, starting as a 17-year-old.

14. Trishneet Arora (30), Founder, TAC Security

Year Started: 2013 | Age at Founding: ~17

Trishneet Arora, based in Chandigarh, is a school dropout who founded TAC Security in 2013 at around age 17. The company now serves Fortune 500 clients globally. His net worth stands at INR 1,820 Crore. In 2026, as AI-driven cyber threats have escalated, TAC Security's automated vulnerability management systems have become essential for large enterprises. His success demonstrates that globally competitive technology companies can be built from Tier-2 Indian cities without relocating to Bengaluru or Gurugram.

Education: School dropout. Founded TAC Security at 17.

Breakthrough: Built a global cybersecurity enterprise from Chandigarh without finishing school, serving Fortune 500 clients.

Famous Entrepreneurs In India - Above 30

15. Hardik Kothiya (31), Founder, Rayzon Solar

Year Started: ~2017 | Age at Founding: ~22

Hardik Kothiya from Surat, Gujarat, is the founder of Rayzon Solar, a solar panel manufacturing company. Unlike most young entrepreneurs on this list who operate in software or services, Kothiya builds physical hardware and infrastructure. His net worth stands at INR 3,970 Crore. His success reflects both Gujarat's strength in manufacturing and the national push toward renewable energy. His story signals the return of the industrial entrepreneur in India's startup ecosystem.

Location: Surat, Gujarat.

Breakthrough: Built a manufacturing-led green energy business from a Tier-2 city, in a landscape dominated by software startups.

16. Ritesh Agarwal (32), Founder and CEO, OYO Rooms

Year Started: 2013 | Age at Founding: 19 (first venture Oravel Stays at age 18 in 2012)

Ritesh Agarwal, born in November 1993 in Bissam Cuttack, Odisha, is the founder and CEO of OYO Rooms, India's largest budget hotel chain. At age 17, he dropped out of college and moved to Delhi, where he first launched Oravel Stays in 2012 at age 18 before pivoting to OYO Rooms in 2013 at age 19. He became one of the youngest recipients of the Thiel Fellowship, receiving $100,000 from Peter Thiel's foundation to pursue his venture instead of formal education. OYO grew from standardising a handful of budget hotels in Gurgaon to operating across 80+ countries at its peak, with a valuation that touched $10 billion. By 2026, after navigating the post-pandemic consolidation and restructuring, OYO has stabilised its operations with a sharper focus on profitability and sustainable growth. Agarwal's journey, from a small town in Odisha to building a global hospitality brand as a teenager, remains one of the most referenced entrepreneurship stories in India.

Education: College dropout. Thiel Fellow (2013).

Breakthrough: Built India's largest budget hotel aggregator starting at 19, from a small town in Odisha, scaling globally before turning 25.

17. Nikhil Kamath (~40), Co-founder, Zerodha

Year Started: 2010 | Age at Founding: ~24 (started trading at age 17)

Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, holds a net worth of approximately $3.1 billion. His journey from a school dropout working at a call centre at age 17 to India's youngest self-made billionaire remains the benchmark for bootstrapped entrepreneurship. He co-founded Zerodha in 2010 at age 24 with his brother Nithin Kamath, disrupting India's brokerage industry with a zero-commission trading model. In 2026, his influence extends beyond Zerodha through WTFund, a non-dilutive grant programme that provides capital to entrepreneurs under 25 without taking any equity. This initiative gives young founders room to experiment without the immediate pressure of VC metrics and return expectations.

Background: School dropout, former call centre employee, started trading at 17, co-founded India's largest discount brokerage at 24.

Breakthrough: Created WTFund, providing no-strings-attached capital to the next generation of founders, while continuing to lead India's most profitable brokerage.

18. Byju Raveendran (~46), Founder, BYJU'S (Think and Learn Pvt Ltd)

Year Started: 2011 | Age at Founding: ~31 (started teaching competitively in the early 2000s)

Byju Raveendran, born in 1980 in Azhikode, Kerala, is the founder of BYJU'S, once India's most valuable startup. A former engineer, he began his entrepreneurial journey by teaching friends to prepare for CAT and other competitive exams in the early 2000s. His classes grew so popular that he was filling auditoriums with thousands of students. He formally founded Think and Learn Pvt Ltd in 2011 at age 31 and launched the BYJU'S learning app in 2015. The company grew explosively, becoming India's most valued startup at a peak valuation of $22 billion, backed by investors including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Sequoia Capital, and Tiger Global. At its height, BYJU'S served over 150 million registered students and acquired companies like Aakash Educational Services and WhiteHat Jr.

However, BYJU'S also stands as one of India's most significant cautionary tales. From 2022 onwards, the company faced severe challenges: mounting losses exceeding INR 8,000 Crore, mass layoffs affecting thousands of employees, disputes with investors and board members, regulatory scrutiny over financial reporting, and NCLT insolvency proceedings initiated in 2024. By 2026, Raveendran's personal net worth has declined dramatically from its peak.

His story is included here not only for the unprecedented scale of what he built but for the lessons it offers every entrepreneur on this list: that hypergrowth without proportional focus on governance, unit economics, and sustainable operations can unravel even the most promising ventures. Building big and building right are not the same thing.

Education: B.Tech in Engineering, self-taught educator.

Rise: Built India's most valuable edtech company from scratch, making quality education accessible to over 150 million students through technology.

Lesson: Demonstrated that rapid scaling without corresponding financial discipline and corporate governance can reverse years of value creation a critical reminder for every founder in the 2026 ecosystem.

19. Anish Basu Roy and Sagar Bhalotia - TagZ Foods

The founders, Anish and Sagar, noticed that there weren’t many healthy snacks in India. Most snacks were fried, which isn’t the healthiest option. So, they came up with the idea of making baked chips.

Their idea got attention from Judges of Shark Tank India, and sharks like Ashneer Grover and Aman Gupta decided to invest in their startup. Now, their brand, TagZ Foods, is available in stores all over India, giving people a healthier snack choice.

20. Prafull Billore - MBA Chaiwala

Prafull Billore, also known as MBA Chaiwala, began with just a small tea stall and Rs. 8,000. Slowly, he turned that small stall into a successful chain of tea shops. He used social media to reach more people, which helped him become a well-known name.

Youngest Billionaires in India (Hurun India Rich List 2025)

3 Key takeaways from their journeys

The stories of different young founders above show us the power of being strong, creative, and leading well. Here are three key lessons to learn from them:

1. Age is just a mindset

Young entrepreneurs’ fresh ideas help them see opportunities others might miss, and their deep understanding of their generation’s needs leads to solutions that really work. From new delivery apps to creative retail ideas, these founders show that knowing your market is more important than your age or years of experience.

2. Start small, think big

These entrepreneurs began with small, manageable steps before scaling up. They tested their startup ideas quickly whether by serving one neighbourhood, offering a single product, or reaching a few customers. They tracked their progress, gathered feedback, and made improvements. This approach helped them refine their business before expanding further.

3. Digital-first approach

These founders used technology and social media to drive their business growth. By tapping into online platforms, they connected with their audience and built strong digital communities.

Many started as online-only stores or services, using platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to increase brand visibility and attract loyal followers. Their digital presence not only boosted sales but also created a direct line of communication with their customers, helping them grow faster and reach a wider audience.

How to start your entrepreneurial journey as a young innovator

The most successful entrepreneurs don’t wait for the “perfect” moment; they take action, test their ideas, and adapt quickly based on real-world feedback. Here’s how you can begin your journey with clarity and purpose.

1. Spot problems and find opportunities

Every successful business starts with a problem waiting to be solved. Train yourself to see these gaps whether it’s an everyday inconvenience or a broken system. The most promising ideas often come from listening closely to what people need, especially when you study the problems in India startups must solve and how deeply they impact consumers and businesses alike.

Look beyond the idea: talk to potential customers. What frustrates them? What solutions would they pay for? The best business ideas solve real problems, not just interesting ones

2. Build skills and test your ideas

A strong business needs more than just a good concept it needs skills and experience. Learn the basics of managing money, understanding customers, and marketing your idea.

Don’t wait for the perfect time; start small. Try freelance projects, side hustles, or mini-business experiments to test your ideas with real customers. These small steps help you learn fast, fail safely, and find out what works without spending a fortune.

3. Test, improve, and grow

No product is perfect from day one. The key is to launch, gather feedback, and improve. Start with a simple version of your product or service just enough to show customers what you offer. Get their feedback, listen to their pain points, and refine your solution.

Meanwhile, build your online presence where your customers are on LinkedIn, Instagram, or relevant industry forums. Strong visibility helps you reach new customers and grow your brand.

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FAQs

1. What is a young entrepreneur?

Young entrepreneurs are typically someone under 35 who start and run their own business. In India, many successful founders start even before turning 20.

2. Who is the 17-year-old entrepreneur in India?

Prafful Billore, known as MBA Chaiwala, started his business at 17. With excellent marketing and service, he changed his small tea stall into a nationwide brand.

3. Who is India's youngest entrepreneur?

Kaivalya Vohra is one of India’s youngest entrepreneurs. He co-founded Zepto, a quick commerce delivery app.

4. Who is the 13-year-old business owner in India?

Tilak Mehta is recognised as one of India's youngest entrepreneurs. He founded Papers N Parcels at age 13, creating a successful courier service in Mumbai using the city's dabbawala network.

1. 350 billionaires on the Hurun India Rich List - Link ↑
2. aiming to raise INR 11,000 Crore. - Link ↑
3. co-founded BharatPe in 2018 at age 19. - Link ↑
4. Kajol Bheda founded Scribbld, - Link ↑