Zepto co-founder Kaivalya Vohra leads Avendus-Hurun India list of Under-30 entrepreneurs

Kaivalya Vohra, 22-year-old co-founder of Zepto, has topped the inaugural Avendus Wealth Hurun India 2025 Under-30 list of entrepreneurs released on Thursday, alongside co-founder Aadit Palicha. The list features 79 young Indian founders and leaders who are building high-impact ventures and shaping the country’s economic future.

The Under-30 list recognises startup founders under the age of 30 across a range of sectors, from software services and healthcare to logistics and consumer goods. Among those featured are AVR Shree Smaran of AVR Swarna Mahal Jewellers, Arjun Deshpande of Generic Aadhaar, Shiva Sankeshwar of Vijayanand Travels, Rahul Rawat of space tech company Digantara, and Mihir Menda of RMZ Boston.

Other names include co-founders of 10-minute grocery delivery app Swish, Ujjwal Sukheja, Saran S, and Aniket Shah, highlighting sustained investor interest in quick commerce despite operational headwinds.

“This is the inaugural edition of the Uth Series, which will further see Under-35 and Under-40 lists too,” said Apurva Sahijwani, Managing Director & CEO, Avendus Wealth Management. “We begin this initiative with the Under-30 List, which highlights some of the country’s most promising and youngest leaders. These entrepreneurs are building high-impact ventures and challenging conventional paths to success.”

Women entrepreneurs and sectoral mix

Only six women entrepreneurs feature in this edition, including Devanshi Kejriwal, Radhika Ambani, Ananya Birla, Vrushali Prasade, and Romita Mazumdar, working across AI healthcare, edtech, pharmaceuticals, microfinance, marketing tech, and beauty. Devika Gholap, 28, is the youngest woman in the cohort and is “driving innovation in digital pathology via OptraSCAN.”

Software Products & Services emerged as the most represented sector with 21 entrepreneurs, with ventures such as Perplexity, Zupee, and Pixis. Consumer Goods followed with 12 entrepreneurs, while Financial Services contributed 9, including leaders from BharatPe and Svatantra Microfin.

Urban and funding landscape

Mumbai led the city-wise tally with 15 entrepreneurs, reaffirming its position as India’s financial hub. Bengaluru followed with 14 and Gurugram with 7.

According to the report, the entrepreneurs featured have collectively raised more than $5 billion in equity and $270 million in startup debt. Their companies have created over 64,000 jobs, underlining the economic contribution of the youth-led startup ecosystem. Beyond capital raised, the list recognises founders for building ventures with “social relevance, innovation, and sustainable growth.”

“One of the most striking shifts we’ve seen in recent years is the changing face of entrepreneurship in India. Today’s founders are starting earlier, scaling faster and bringing a global perspective to everything they do. In the process, they are transforming industries and expanding India’s presence on the world stage,” Sahijwani said.

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