Avendus-Hurun U30 Youngest leaders 2025 list: Zepto co-founders take crown; check full list
The list also includes some of the youngest entrepreneurs. According to Apurva Sahijwani, MD and CEO of Avendus Wealth Management the most striking shift in such leadership lists over the years is the age of entrepreneurs. '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 noted.
The list curates two catgories of leaders — visonary first-generation founders valued at $25 million or more, and dynamic next-generation leaders with Wealth of at least $50 million.
Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher of Hurun India added that with the U30 list, they 'aim to shine a spotlight on the most driven and inspiring young leaders of our time'. "These are the founders who are reshaping India's economic future with bold ideas and sheer determination. It's incredible to see the maturity and scale that many of them have achieved even before the age of 30,' he added. Top 10 Avendus-Hurun U30 Entrepreneurs List 2025
Hailing the 'rise of India's youngest visionaries', the list noted that at only 22 years old, Kaivalya Vohra and Aadit Palicha, the co-founders of Zepto take up the top spot alongside AVR Shree Smaran, the Director at AVR Swarna Mahal Jewellers and Arjun Deshpande, the co-founder of Generic Aadhaar.
These founders 'stand out as the youngest leaders in the list, leading innovative ventures across industries, from quick commerce and retail traditional jewellery to affordable healthcare', it added. Top 10 Youngest Entrepreneurs Featured in the U30 List 2025 66 out of 79 entrepreneurs are first-generation founders, spotlighting India's surge of self-made ambition.
Average age on the U30 list is 28, showcasing the youthful leadership driving the future.
Mumbai leads with 15 featured entrepreneurs, reaffirming its dominance as India's financial capital.
Notably, among states, Maharashtra leads the way with 21 entrants, reaffirming its position as the epicentre of emerging leaders.
22-year-old Kaivalya Vohra from Mumbai, co-founder of quick commerce startup Zepto, is the youngest co-founder on the U30 list in 2025.
While 28-year-old Devika Gholap, founder of digital pathology OptraSCAN, is the youngest woman in this year's U30 cohort.
With 8 alumni featured, BITS Pilani leads all undergraduate institutions, followed by IIT Roorkee and IIT Delhi with six each.
And software products and services emerges as the most represented industry, with 21 entrepreneurs, followed by 12 in consumer goods and 9 in financial services.
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