Unacademy, Udaan, CRED top startups in India, finds LinkedIn survey

With these top three unicorns, nearly 60 per cent of the 2021 LinkedIn Top Startups India List are based out of Bengaluru

Learning platform Unacademy holds the top position on the startups list in India, followed by B2B e-commerce platform Udaan, and fintech firm simplifying payments for credit card holders, CRED, according to LinkedIn’s fourth Top Startups List.

With these top three unicorns, and nearly 60 per cent of the 2021 LinkedIn Top Startups India List based out of Bengaluru, the city has reinforced its reputation as the “Silicon Valley of India,” LinkedIn said in a statement.

The survey this year looked at LinkedIn data across four pillars - employee growth; jobseeker interest; member engagement with the company and its employees; and how well these startups pulled talent from the LinkedIn Top Companies list.

Other startups who are in the top ten include edtech firm upGrad, fintech Razorpay, social commerce platform Meesho, space tech startup Skyroot Aerospace, consumer electronics firm boAt, Urban Company and Agnikul Cosmos.

The list is very different from the 2019 survey, where travel tech firm Oyo and fitness start-up Cure.fit  were rated the top two start-ups to work with.

“The 2021 LinkedIn Top Startups list displays the dominance of consumer Internet startups, and showcases how digital transformation is a critical growth lever for companies today. The companies on the list are also at the forefront of what’s next for employees — promoting greater flexibility, deeper engagement, and improved wellness offerings. The pandemic has shifted how we think about our careers and lives, and these companies are leading the way with employment opportunities and innovative plans for how we approach the future of work,” said Ankit Vengurlekar, India managing editor, LinkedIn News.

LinkedIn looked at member actions from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

To be eligible, companies must be privately held, fully independent and headquartered in the country on whose list they appear.

Eligibility requirements for headcount, age and growth differ by country, and exclude all staffing firms, think tanks, non-profits, accelerators, venture capital firms, law firms, IT and management consulting firms, philanthropy and government-owned entities.