India's under-40 founders control $950 Bn-More than Switzerland's GDP

The Rise of India's U40 Power Class: $950 Billion Valuation, 436 Founders

India’s under-40 entrepreneurs now control businesses worth $950 billion, employ 1.2 million people, and are largely self-made, according to the Avendus Wealth–Hurun India Uth Series 2025.

 

What the numbers mean: 

According to the Avendus Wealth–Hurun India Uth Series 2025, companies led by entrepreneurs under the age of 40 now command a combined valuation of over $950 billion (₹83 lakh crore) — more than the entire GDP of Switzerland. Together, they employ 1.2 million people, span 436 founders, and cut across technology, finance, healthcare, consumption, manufacturing and deep tech.

 

Average age: 35

 

80% first-generation founders

 

If this were a country, it would rank among the top 20 economies globally.

 

Who Is Building This Wealth — Inherited or Self-Made?

 

Here’s where the shift is unmistakable.

•  
• Nearly 80% (349 founders) are first-generation entrepreneurs
•  Only 20% come from business families
•  Among family-business leaders, second-generation founders dominate, not older heirs

 

Where Is India’s Young Wealth Being Built?

The Geography of New Money

 

Top cities by number of entrepreneurs:

 

Bengaluru – 109

Mumbai – 87

New Delhi – 45

Gurugram – 36

San Francisco – 18 (yes, global India counts)

 

Bengaluru’s dominance is structural:

 

• Highest VC density
• Deep tech talent
• Strong exit pathways
• Government-backed AI and infrastructure investments

Mumbai, meanwhile, shows strength in U40 leaders, reflecting scale-stage companies, public listings, and mature enterprises.

 

Which Sectors Are Minting the Most Young Wealth?

 

Software Products & Services – 77 founders

Financial Services – 44

Healthcare – 37

Consumer Goods – 34

Logistics & Transportation – 32

 

But here’s the standout:

 

 AI-focused founders (37) alone account for ₹2.55 lakh crore in valuation — making AI one of the fastest wealth compounding engines in the country.

 

How Educated Is India’s New Wealth?

 

IITs still dominate — decisively.

 

Top undergraduate institutions:

 

IIT Kharagpur – 27 founders

IIT Delhi – 26

IIT Madras – 22

IIT Bombay – 20

 

Together, IITs account for a disproportionate share of high-valuation founders — reinforcing the link between elite technical education and scalable wealth creation.

 

Follow the Money: Who Raised the Most Capital?

 India’s Most Funded Young-Led Companies

 

PRISM (OYO) – $3.7 billion

 

Zepto – $1.95 billion

 

Meesho – $ 1.36 billion

 

ShareChat & CARS24 – $1.3 billion each

 

Pattern to notice:

Capital is flowing to consumption infrastructure — quick commerce, fintech rails, logistics, education, and AI platforms — not just brand-led startups.

 

Are These Still Startups — Or Mature Businesses?

Funding Stage Snapshot

 

U30 founders: Mostly Series A & B (early growth)

 

U35 founders: Balanced across growth and late stage

 

U40 founders:

 

50% late-stage

 

33% already listed

 

Translation:

This cohort is moving from venture risk to public-market wealth.

 

Who Employs the Most People?

 

Wealth here isn’t just financial — it’s economic.

 

Top employers led by Uth founders:

 

Reliance Retail – 2.47 lakh employees

 

Shahi Exports – 1 lakh

 

Reliance Jio – 90,000+

 

Apollo Hospitals – 42,000+

 

These are not digital-only companies — they are mass employment engines.

 

Influence Beyond Balance Sheets: Who Shapes Opinion?

LinkedIn’s Most Followed Young Entrepreneurs

 

Nikhil Kamath – 1.39 million

 

Ritesh Agarwal – 1.32 million

 

Ghazal Alagh – 633,000

 

Founder influence is now a capital asset — driving hiring, customer trust, and investor confidence in real time.

 

The Gender Reality Check

 

Out of 436 founders:

 

400 are men

36 are women

That’s just 8% female representation — a gap that narrows slightly at later stages but remains stark.

 

Notable Company Developments Across the Uth Series 2025

 

Leverage Edu, led by founder Akshay Chaturvedi (35), doubled its revenue to over ₹180 crore in FY25, driven by rapid expansion and student diversification beyond visa-challenged markets like Canada.

 

Simple Energy, led by co-founders Shreshth Mishra (29) and Suhas Rajkumar Kolewad (29), became India’s first company to manufacture heavy, rare-earth-free EV motors, pioneering a sustainable alternative to conventional EV motor technology.

 

Physics Wallah, co-founded by Alakh Pandey (33) and Prateek Maheshwari (37), debuted on the stock market with a 33% listing gain, while Groww, co-founded by Ishan Bansal (37), opened with a 12% premium, reflecting strong investor interest in digital-first platforms.

 

Razorpay, co-founded by Harshil Mathur (34) and Shashank Kumar (35), completed a strategic reverse flip, merging its US parent into the Indian entity after securing approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The move strengthens its commitment to India as its global headquarters as it gears up for a future public listing.

 

Mamaearth, co-founded by Ghazal Alagh (36), kicked off 2025 with a strategic partnership with Zepto, pledging to plant a tree for every product purchased through the platform, directly linking quick-commerce delivery with its “Goodness Inside” sustainability philosophy.

 

In 2025, Jindal Stainless, led by Managing Director Abhyuday Jindal (36), commissioned Odisha’s largest captive industrial solar plant at its Jajpur unit, reducing the company’s corporate carbon footprint by approximately 15% in FY25.

 

Ola Electric, founded by Bhavish Aggarwal (40), leveraged its new battery production capability by launching Ola Shakti in October 2025 — India’s first residential battery energy storage system using the Bharat 4680 cell — expanding beyond two-wheelers into the home energy and solar storage market.

 

Under the leadership of Vidhi Shanghvi (38), Sun Pharmaceutical strengthened its specialty pipeline by acquiring US-based targeted oncology treatment company Checkpoint Therapeutics for USD 355 million in March 2025, adding a commercial-stage immuno-oncology asset.

 

Several companies, including BharatPe, founded by Shashvat Nakrani (26), and Capillary Technologies, co-founded by Anant Choubey (39) and Aneesh Reddy Boddu (40), reported first-time profitability in FY25, signalling growing financial discipline and ecosystem maturity.

 

Other key points: 

Companies founded by Avendus Wealth – Hurun India Uth Series 2025 entrepreneurs collectively command a valuation exceeding USD 950 billion (₹83 lakh crore), surpassing the GDP of Switzerland.

 

The Avendus Wealth – Hurun India Uth Series companies collectively employ over 1.2 million people.

 

With a workforce of 247,782, Reliance Retail, led by the U35 entrant Isha Ambani (33), ranks as the largest employer in the Uth Series 2025.

 

With 349 entrants, accounting for nearly 80% of the 436 entrants, first-generation entrepreneurs dominate the Avendus Wealth – Hurun India Uth Series 2025.

 

With 37 entrants, the second generation emerges as the strongest contributor among family business leaders, outpacing all older generations.

 

The Uth Series 2025 features 36 women, with the average age across both men and women at 35.

 

IIT Kharagpur led with the highest representation of entrants (27) in the Avendus Wealth – Hurun India Uth Series 2025, ahead of IIT Delhi (26) and IIT Madras (22).

 

The Avendus Wealth – Hurun India Uth Series 2025 celebrates India’s 436 most dynamic leaders across the Under 30, Under 35 and Under 40 categories, recognising those shaping the future of Indian enterprise.

 

The consolidated series highlights a diverse group of innovators and business leaders, including first-generation entrepreneurs building high-growth ventures and next-generation leaders driving the evolution of family-owned enterprises.

 

Built on distinct criteria for each age group, the Uth Series offers a unified platform spotlighting India’s most influential young talent and their growing impact on the country’s business landscape. The cut-off date for the U30 category was 20 March 2025, while the cut-off date for the U35 and U40 categories was 01 September 2025.

 

Software Products & Services dominates as the most represented industry, contributing 77 entrants, followed by Financial Services (44) and Healthcare (37).

 

The Uth Series 2025 entrepreneurs are leading India’s AI race, with 37 entrants in the sector and a cumulative valuation of ₹2.55 lakh crore.

 

Bengaluru emerges as India’s undisputed “Uth entrepreneurial” capital, contributing 109 entrants, followed by Mumbai (87) and New Delhi (45).

 

Nikhil Kamath is India’s most followed Uth entrepreneur on LinkedIn with 1.39 million followers, closely followed by Ritesh Agarwal at 1.32 million followers.