Ananya Panday, Ishaan Khatter named in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list

India leads the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2025 list with 94 entries, including actors Ananya Panday and Ishaan Khatter, along with innovators across tech and social impact

Several Indian professionals have been included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2025 list, which recognises 300 individuals under the age of 30 from across the Asia-Pacific region. The 10th edition of the list highlights contributions across fields including technology, entertainment, healthcare, social impact and manufacturing.  India recorded the highest representation with 94 entries, followed by Australia (32), China (30), Japan (25) and South Korea (23). 

  From India, actor Ananya Panday was included for her work in the entertainment industry and her recent appointment as Chanel’s first Indian brand ambassador. She began her film career in 2019 and has since appeared in both commercial and independent projects.

 

 

Ishaan Khatter, also named to the list, was recognised for his acting roles in films such as Beyond the Clouds and the series A Suitable Boy. He has worked across mainstream and independent productions.

 

Musician Anuv Jain was selected for his contributions to independent music in India. Known for tracks like Baarishein and Alag Aasmaan, Jain gained popularity through digital music platforms.

 

Indian entrepreneurs featured on the list include:

 

Manu Nair and Prashant Sharma, co-founders of Ethereal Exploration Guild, a spacetech startup working on space technologies developed in India

 

Jinali Mody, founder of Banofi Leather, a company producing alternative leather using banana crop waste

 

Anshita Mehrotra, founder of Fix My Curls, a brand focused on curly hair care products for the Indian market

 

Manu Chopra, co-founder of Karya, a nonprofit providing fair-wage data labelling jobs to rural workers, while supporting artificial intelligence development

 

The list spans ten categories, including AI, Healthcare & Science, Consumer & Enterprise Technology, Entertainment & Sports, Finance & Venture Capital, Industry, Manufacturing & Energy, Retail & Ecommerce, Social Impact, Social Media, Marketing & Advertising, and The Arts.

 

Rana Wehbe Watson, Editorial Director at Forbes Asia and Editor of Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, said, “In this landmark 10th edition of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, we celebrate a decade of exceptional talent and innovation by highlighting a new generation of entrepreneurs and young leaders who exemplify resilience and creativity as they battle tougher business conditions.”