India’s Top 10 Most Inspiring and Successful Entrepreneurs

India boasts some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, making remarkable contributions across diverse industries such as software, retail, and more. These successful entrepreneurs in India have earned recognition for their innovative strategies and exceptional business acumen, establishing themselves as industry leaders. By breaking barriers and driving change, successful entrepreneurs in India continue to shape the nation’s dynamic and thriving entrepreneurial landscape. Their inspiring stories provide valuable lessons and motivation for aspiring business minds. The growing impact of these successful entrepreneurs in India underscores the country’s rising influence in the global business arena.

Only 11–15% of Indians work in the entrepreneurial sector, and just 5–10% successfully build their ventures, underscoring the need to promote entrepreneurship in India to drive economic growth. Mukesh Ambani, named the favorite business icon by Indian youth in a Statista survey, exemplifies modern entrepreneurial success. However, the legacy of successful entrepreneurs in India began with visionaries like Ghanshyam Das Birla and Dhirubhai Ambani, whose ventures evolved into global multisector giants, inspiring generations and shaping the nation’s entrepreneurial landscape.

As the Indian economy continues to grow, the number of successful entrepreneurs in India is increasing each year. This offers a great opportunity for the nation’s youth and anyone aspiring to start their own business to learn from the best. By studying the journeys of these successful entrepreneurs in India, new entrepreneurs can gain valuable insights and inspiration. Understanding the achievements and strategies of these top figures can provide guidance and motivation. Here is a list of the most well-known and successful entrepreneurs in India and their story, showcasing their contributions and success. Their experiences highlight what it takes to become one of the leading successful entrepreneurs in India.

Top 10 Successful Entrepreneurs in India: Stories of Innovation

Let’s explore the list of some of the most influential entrepreneurs in India.

1. Ritesh Aggarwal
2. Deepinder Goyal
3. Vijay Shekhar Sharma
4. Kunal Shah
5. Sachin Bansal
6. Nithin Kamath
7. Bhavesh Aggarwal
8. Deep Kalra
9. Albinder Dhindsa
10. Aman Gupta

1. Ritesh Aggarwal

The Founder and CEO of Oyo Rooms, Ritesh Agarwal, was born in Bissam, Cuttack, Odisha, in 1993. He started selling SIM cards when he was just 13 years old. He attended a Delhi college after completing his education but left to join the Thiel Fellowship program, which is supported by billionaire internet investor Peter Thiel.

In 2012, Agarwal started Oravel, his first business. Aiming to be the Airbnb of India, the company changed its name to OYO Hotels and Homes in 2013 and is now among the top hotel chains in the globe. In India, the United States, China, Nepal, Japan, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia, OYO has 4,50,00 listings spread across 500 urban areas.

With a current net worth of about $612.1 million, Ritesh is among the most well-known and prosperous businesspeople and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India.

2. Deepinder Goyal

Mr. Deepinder Goyal established food delivery company Zomato in the year in 2008 which was initially known as Foodiebay. He graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in Mathematics and Computing. As a food lover, he was driven towards creating Zomato to deliver food with the tap of a finger.

He is widely recognized as one of the prominent figures in India’s start-up circle and has played a significant role in revolutionizing the food and restaurant industry through Zomato. Goyal’s leadership has propelled Zomato to become one of the leading food delivery platforms not only in India but also globally.

As of recent estimates, Deepinder Goyal’s net worth is reported to be around $750 million, making him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India. Zomato, the company he co-founded, has been valued at several billion dollars, with a significant presence in various countries around the world.

3. Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the founder and CEO of Paytm. He is the son of a teacher from a small city in northern India. He founded indiasite.net in 1997 while he was still a college student. Two years later, he sold it for $1 million.

He founded One97 Communications in the year 2000. The business provided mobile content, such as news, cricket scores, ringtones, exam results, and a wide range of other things.

The mobile wallet Paytm, which debuted in 2011, is owned by One97. Paytm has benefited from India’s 2016 demonetization possibly the most, with 400 million subscribers and 25 million daily transactions.

Sharma persuaded Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway to invest $300 million in Paytm in August 2018.

In November 2021, Paytm began its first public offering (IPO). Sharma also founded Paytm Mall and Paytm Payments Bank. Today he is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India and also India’s second-youngest billionaire with $2.35 billion wealth as per Forbes list of India’s 100 Richest People (2020).

4. Kunal Shah

CRED, the second-fastest-growing unicorn start-up in India with its headquarters in Bangalore, Karnataka, was founded by Kunal Shah. Through an internet app, CRED offers services for credit card payments and offers numerous prizes. CRED offers a variety of goods including CRED Pay, CRED Cash, CRED Rent Pay, CRED Travel Store, and CRED Store, and has a consistent growth rate.

Paisaback, a company that offers cash-back promotions services to shops, was Kunal’s first venture. One of India’s most creative company models, Freecharge, was co-founded by Kunal Shah. In 2015, he sold Freecharge to Snapdeal for $2400 crore, after which he founded CRED. He has a brilliant business mind and an estimated net worth of Rs.5985 crores, making him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India.

5. Sachin Bansal

The great online retailer Flipkart, which is renowned for its top-notch delivery services and availability of a broad selection of goods, was founded by Sachin Bansal. Sachin Bansal, a native of Chandigarh, Haryana, and founded his internet company with his friend Binny Bansal after working at Amazon Web Service.

He is one of India’s top 10 businesspeople and also one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India. His estimated net worth is Rs 8848 crores. Flipkart makes shopping simple by letting us buy products from the comfort of our homes and by offering a vast selection of goods. The company headquarters is in Banglore, Karnataka. After 11 years with the company, Sachin Bansal resigned from his position after Flipkart was acquired by Walmart in 2018.

6. Nithin Kamath

Nithin Kamath is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zerodha. He began trading stocks when he was introduced to the markets by his friends at just 17.

Established in 2007, Zerodha spearheaded the discount broking model in India, allowing its users to trade stocks at a lot cheaper cost than the opposition.

Zerodha, which has never raised funding, has over 7 million users. Of these, 5 million are active users. Active users are those traders who have exchanged somewhere around once a year.

Nithin Kamath’s net assets have swelled to $1.9 billion, making him the third biggest stock broker in the country, just after ICICI and HDFC. He is also one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India.

7. Bhavesh Aggarwal

Bhavesh Aggarwal is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India, he is known as the Co-founder of OLA Cabs. He was born in Rajasthan and comes from an engineering background. Bhavesh started working on developing OLA Cabs alongside his friend Ankit Bhati. They both got the idea of starting this app when they struggled to find a taxi in Mumbai and realized there was a huge gap in the market for a reliable ride-hailing service. Since then, Ola has grown exceptionally and is now present in over 250 cities in India, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, with more than 2 million drivers on its platform.

The success of OLA Cabs made Bhavesh one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India and has garnered him several awards including the Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence in 2017. He is also a member of the prestigious Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO).

8. Deep Kalra

Deep Kalra and his venture MakeMyTrip are known for turning people’s traveling dreams into reality in just a few simple clicks. This makes him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India, born in Hyderabad and coming from a corporate background Kalra started his venture of MakeMyTrip alongside Co-founders Rajesh Magow and Keyur Joshi in 2000.

Deep Kalra got the idea of starting this business when he was working in the USA and struggled to find any reliable source to book tickets to get back to India. This made him realize that there was a need for an online travel platform to book flights and hotels easily.

That’s how Kalra created MakeMyTrip, a platform that provides an end-to-end solution for travelers. The platform helps people book flights and hotels but also provides information about tourist attractions, local customs, and culture. And today MakeMyTrip is valued around $2.58B.

9. Albinder Dhindsa

Today Grofers (Blinkit) has become a go-to place for every household for their grocery shopping all thanks to the Indian businessman Albinder Dhindsa. Albinder was born in Panipat, Haryana completed his education at IIT. After completing his education he worked for Zomato, the food delivery platform, and left it in 2013 to start Grofers alongside Co-founder Saurabh Kumar.

Dhindsa and Kumar got the idea of starting Grofers while working for Zomato, where they observed that the online food delivery market was becoming crowded and competitive. This made them realize that there is huge potential in the market for online grocery delivery, particularly in India where many people still prefer to shop for groceries in person. This led them to create an online platform that could offer a wider range of products and simplify the grocery shopping experience for customers. Today, Albinder Dhindsa is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India.

10. Aman Gupta

You might know him from Shark Tank India, or might have one electronic device from his company Boat. Yes, the next person on the list of most successful entrepreneurs in India is Aman Gupta. Gupta is the founder of the Indian consumer electronics brand, Boat. He is an Indian entrepreneur with a passion for technology and innovation, and his vision has transformed Boat into a leading player in the audio and lifestyle products segment.

Aman got the idea of starting Boat from his own struggle to find affordable and quality audio products in the Indian market. He also noticed the increased use of smartphones among young people in India, but there were very few good options for headphones and other audio products that were compatible with their mobile devices. That’s how he started Boat alongside other two co-founders and made took Boat from nothing to a $70 million company and a household name in India.

Also Read:- Top 10 richest person in India

Meet the Top 10 Successful Women Entrepreneurs in India

India is home to many successful women entrepreneurs who have made significant impacts across various businesses and industries. These successful entrepreneurs in India have built impressive careers and are leading in diverse fields, from technology to retail. Their achievements showcase the growing presence and influence of women in the business world. As successful entrepreneurs in India, they serve as role models for aspiring women who want to start their own businesses. The success stories of these women highlight their determination and skill, contributing to the rich tapestry of successful entrepreneurs in India. Their contributions are a testament to the vibrant and dynamic entrepreneurial spirit in the country.

These women have all achieved remarkable success in their respective fields and have become influential figures among successful entrepreneurs in India. Their accomplishments have not only advanced their industries but have also inspired many other women to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. As successful entrepreneurs in India, they demonstrate what is possible with hard work and determination. Their success stories highlight the diverse paths that successful entrepreneurs in India can take. By leading the way, these women encourage others to pursue their own business goals. Their impact continues to shape the landscape of successful entrepreneurs in India, showing that women can thrive in the business world.

1. Vandana Luthra
2. Falguni Nayar
3. Radhika Ghai Agarwal
4. Khushboo Jain
5. Vineeta Singh
6. Shradha Sharma
7. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
8. Suchi Mukherjee
9. Ghazal Alagh
10. Pranshu Patni

1. Vandana Luthra

An entrepreneur from India named Vandana Luthra founded VLCC Health Care Ltd, a beauty and wellness conglomerate with operations in Asia, the GCC, and Africa. She also serves as the chair of the B&WSSC, a project that offers training in accordance with the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana programs.

In 2014, she was chosen to serve as the organization’s inaugural chairperson. This provides skill training for the beauty industry and is supported by the Indian government. Her net worth is Rs.1300 crores.

2. Falguni Nayar

Falguni Nayar is a women entrepreneur who has made a name for herself in the Indian business world. She is the founder and CEO of India’s leading online beauty retailer, Nykaa.com.

In 2012, Nayar launched Nykaa.com, which has become the go-to destination for beauty products in India. The company offers a wide range of products from over 500 brands and has a team of over 1000 experts who provide advice and guidance to customers.

Nayar has been honored with several awards for her entrepreneurial achievements, including the Business Today ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award and the Economic Times “Woman of the Year” award. She was also named one of Fortune’s ’50 Most Powerful Women in Business’ in 2018.

3. Radhika Ghai Agarwal

Radhika Ghai Agarwal is an Indian businesswoman and entrepreneur. She is the co-founder and CEO of ShopClues, an online marketplace. She is also a board member of the Indian School of Business.

Ghai Agarwal was born in Delhi and raised in Jaipur. She graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi with a degree in electrical engineering. After working in the software industry for a few years, she co-founded ShopClues with her husband in 2011. The company was started to create a one-stop online shopping destination for Indian consumers.

ShopClues has grown to become one of the leading e-commerce platforms in India. It has over 10 million registered users and more than 1 lakh sellers. The company has raised over $300 million in funding from investors such as Tiger Global, Nexus Venture Partners, and Helion Venture Partners. It is also an online marketplace with a net worth of $ 1.1 billion.

4. Khushboo Jain

Khushboo Jain is a women entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of the online fashion retailer, Voonik. She started her career as a software engineer but after a few years, she realized her true passion was in fashion and retail.

She quit her job and started Voonik with the aim of providing affordable and stylish fashion to women. Today, Voonik is one of the leading online fashion retailers in India and Khushboo is one of the most successful women entrepreneurs in the country.

Jain is the founder of Impactguru. It is a one-of-a-kind business model and a crowdfunding platform. It is known for funding NGOs, start-ups, and individuals.

5. Vineeta Singh

Vineeta Singh is a prominent woman entrepreneur who has made a significant impact in the business world. She is the founder and CEO of a successful online retail company Sugar Cosmetics. Her leadership and vision have helped her build a strong and thriving business. Vineeta’s achievements highlight her success as an entrepreneur and her role in the growing online retail industry. Her story is an inspiring example of entrepreneurship and business success.

Vineeta is a role model for other women who are looking to start their own businesses. She is an inspiration to all women who want to achieve their dreams. She is the founder of Sugar Cosmetics. Her net worth is $ 10 million.

6. Shradha Sharma

Shradha Sharma is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India and is the founder of the company YourStory. Her background is in journalism, where she worked for leading media organizations like CNBC TV18 and The Times of India.

Shardha’s company YourStory is a digital platform that is focused on telling stories of entrepreneurs and startups in India, the platform is known for its commitment to inclusivity and has helped several entrepreneurs and startups spread their company’s name and make them known to people.

Do you know how Shradha got the idea of YourStory, she got the idea while she was working as a journalist for The Times of India. She realized that there was a lack of start-up and entrepreneur coverage in the Indian media, so she created a platform that could fill that gap. And today her company YourStory is worth $3.4 million.

7. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Kiran Mazumdar is known as a brand herself in the field of biotechnology and is an inspiring woman entrepreneur in India for other women. Born to a middle-class family in Bengaluru Kiran Shah is the Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon Limited, a biotechnology company that specializes in the development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, and bio-similar.

Kiran got the idea of starting Biocon Limited when she was working as a trainee in a company in Australia. When she came back to India and started her research, during that time she saw a gap in the Indian market for affordable healthcare solutions. She saw an opportunity to use biotechnology to develop low-cost drugs and decided to start her own company. Today under her guidance, Biocon Limited has become an over $4 billion company, proving Shaw one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India.

8. Suchi Mukherjee

If you do online shopping then you might have heard about Limeroad, the online women’s shopping platform founded by one of the well-known female entrepreneurs in India Suchi Mukherjee. Suchi was born and raised in India and has valuable experience in the technology and finance industry. But 2012, Mukherjee founded Limeroad with the dream of creating an e-commerce platform specifically for women’s fashion needs.

Suchi got the idea of starting Limeroad from her own struggles to find the right clothes for herself and having a lack of time to visit physical shops. That’s why she thought of starting an online app that helps women curate their own wardrobe by creating scratch books and using AI to give each shopper a personalized shopping experience. Today the platform has become one of the most successful e-commerce companies in India and a $690 million company.

9. Ghazal Alagh

Ghazal Alagh is the co-founder of Mamaearth. Mamaearth is a fast-growing Indian personal care brand that focuses on natural, toxin-free, and sustainable products for babies, kids, and adults. Ghazal Alagh started Mamaearth with her husband, Varun Alagh, in 2016 when they realized that there were very few options available for natural and safe baby products in the Indian market.

She thought about starting Mamaearth when she became a mother herself while searching for good baby products for her child, she found that the majority of products in the market were filled with toxics and harmed her child. That’s how she decided to start Mamaearth with her husband and made products with natural ingredients, and today they have made it a $1.48 billion company making Ghazal one of the best Indian entrepreneurs.

10. Pranshu Patni

If you have tried to learn English online, then you might have come across the English teaching app “Hello English”. Pranshu Patni one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India is the co-founder of Hello English. Patni was born and raised in Rajasthan, India; she completed her education at IIT and worked as a software engineer for some time and then decided to start her own business.

Patni got the idea of starting Hello English after her father faced the problem of the language barrier in a foreign country, this experience led Patni to realize the importance of language learning. That’s how she thought of creating an affordable language learning app that would be accessible to anyone, regardless of their socio-economic background. To make this dream turn reality Patni met with a team of developers and language experts and after extensive research and coding Hello English was launched in 2014 since then it has been downloaded over 50 million times and has raised around $6.5 million dollars till now.

What makes Indian entrepreneurs unique?

India has always been a land of young entrepreneurs with young people entering businesses with innovation and technologies. Moreover, many businesspeople went on to expand their brands worldwide and succeeded in it. India has one of the youngest populations in the world and many of these young individuals are looking for employment. The government has been concentrating on providing youth with employment options. One of the strategies used by the Indian government to provide job possibilities is entrepreneurship. Hence, the market for fresh ideas and innovations in the Indian economy broadens with the increase in market size. It’s always good to read about the success stories of entrepreneurs in India and take inspiration from them to start your own business.

Frequently Asked Questions

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