Hurun's India Under 35s List Has Many First Time Entrepreneurs, Startup Founders

As India solidifies its position as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, a new wave of young entrepreneurs are fuelling the nation's rise. These young entrepreneurs are not only transforming the Indian industry but also driving innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of the economy.

The recently released 2024 Hurun India Under 35s list includes sons and daughters of traditionally rich corporates; at the same time, it also has first time entrepreneurs and startups like Alakh Pandey, founder of edtech startup Physics Wallah, Nishanth KS of Pocket FM, Vidit Aatrey of Meesho, Tarun Mehta of Ather Energy, and Ghazal Alagh of Mamaearth.

The 2024 Hurun India Under 35s list believes that each of the Under-35 entrepreneurs has built businesses valued at around USD 10 million. Whereas the more seasoned Under-35 cohort has ventures valued at about USD 50 million, with some reaching valuations of up to 100 times that amount.

Among the notable names in the list are Isha Ambani, the non-executive director of Reliance Retail, Reliance Jio Infocomm chairman Akash Ambani, Encore Healthcare director, Anjali Merchant are new generation of corporate India.

At the top of the list is Ankush Sachdeva, 31, co-founder of ShareChat. New Delhi-based Sachdeva represents the new wave of digital entrepreneurs in India, having created a platform that caters specifically to regional language users. With a user base of millions, ShareChat has carved out its niche in India's competitive social media space.

Standing alongside him is Neetish Sarda, 31, founder of Smartworks, who has secured the spot in the list as the founder of the rapidly growing company in the real estate and co-working sectors.

The list also features Alakh Pandey, 32, founder of the wildly popular educational platform Physics Wallah, which is a prominent name in online learning in India. Pandey is a first-generation entrepreneur who built Physics Wallah from scratch. He transformed the startup into one of the most recognised and successful brands in the edtech space. Physics Wallah success is attributed to its affordable courses and high-quality education.

Another prominent name in the list is Ghazal Alagh, 35, co-founder of Mamaearth, a skincare brand which is acknowledged as the fastest-growing brand in natural and toxin-free products.

In the ecommerce space, Rishi Raj Rathore of Arzooo and Raghav Bagai of Sociowash are prominent names.

While Rathore has redefined the retail sector by helping small stores compete with e-commerce giants, Bagai has made Sociowash a go-to digital marketing agency for brands looking to build strong social media presence and brand identity.
Delhi-based Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh, both 33, of edtech Unacademy are also in the list. Started with a goal of providing quality education to all, Unacademy has grown into one of India's largest learning platforms.

With entrepreneurs from 41 Indian cities first-generation founders making up a staggering 82 per cent of Hurun's list. Bengaluru and Mumbai lead the overall list with 29 and 26 entrepreneurs, respectively belonging to these two cities. (ANI)