Quick Summary
Successful entrepreneurs in India have revolutionized industries like software and retail with innovative strategies and business acumen. Their contributions inspire aspiring entrepreneurs and enhance India’s global influence, shaping the nation’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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.
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.
India has always been a land of opportunities, but it is also known for its unique challenges. From navigating complex regulations to overcoming cultural barriers, the journey of successful entrepreneurs in India is often filled with obstacles. However, what sets them apart is their ability to turn these challenges into stepping stones for success.
Here are a few reasons why Indian entrepreneurs stand out globally:
Now, let’s explore the stories of 20 remarkable successful entrepreneurs in India who have left an indelible mark on the business landscape.
Let’s explore the list of top young entrepreneurs in India:
Now let’s know about these biggest entrepreneurs in India one-by-one in detail:
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.
Ritesh Agarwal net worth is about $612.1 million, Ritesh is among the top 10 successful big entrepreneurs in India.
Mr Deepinder Goyal, one of the famous entrepreneurs in India, established food delivery company Zomato in the year in 2008. It 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 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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Recommended Read :- Top 10 richest person 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.
Now let’s know about the top 10 successful women in India one-by-one in detail:
A women 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.
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.
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.
Radhika Ghai Agarwal, a successful entrepreneur in India, was born in Delhi and raised in Jaipur. An IIT Delhi graduate in electrical engineering, she worked in the software industry before co-founding ShopClues with her husband in 2011.
ShopClues, co-founded by Radhika Ghai, a trailblazer among successful women entrepreneurs in India, has grown into a leading e-commerce platform. Serving over 10 million users and hosting 1 lakh+ sellers, the company has secured $300 million in funding from investors like Tiger Global and Nexus Venture Partners. With a net worth of $1.1 billion, ShopClues has revolutionized online shopping for Indian consumers.
Khushboo Jain is a women entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of the online Crowdfunding business, ImpactGuru. 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 ImpactGuru with the aim of providing healthcare support to the poor peoples. Today, ImpactGuru is one of the leading online Crowdfunding platform in India and Khushboo is one of the most successful women entrepreneurs in the country.
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 Singh, the founder of Sugar Cosmetics, is a shining example of successful women entrepreneurs in India. With a net worth of $10 million, she inspires women aspiring to start their own businesses and achieve their dreams. Her journey showcases determination, innovation, and leadership in the beauty industry.
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.
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.
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 Mukherjee, one of successful entrepreneurs in India, was born and raised in the country, with extensive experience in technology and finance.
In 2012, she founded Limeroad, an e-commerce platform catering specifically to women’s fashion needs. Inspired by her own challenges in finding suitable clothes and limited time for physical shopping, Suchi envisioned an online app enabling women entrepreneurs to curate wardrobes through scrapbooks and personalized AI recommendations.
Today, Limeroad stands as one of India’s most successful e-commerce platforms, valued at $690 million and redefining online fashion for Indian women.
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.
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.
Becoming a successful entrepreneur isn’t easy, but it’s certainly achievable with the right mindset and strategy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you embark on your entrepreneurial journey:
Passion drives perseverance. Ask yourself: What am I passionate about? What problems do I want to solve? Aligning your business idea with your interests increases your chances of staying motivated.
Before launching, research your target audience, competitors, and market trends. Tools like Google Trends and Statista can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior.
Networking is vital for growth. Attend industry events, join entrepreneurial forums, and connect with mentors who can guide you. Learning from other successful entrepreneurs in India can accelerate your progress.
A well-thought-out business plan acts as a roadmap. Outline your mission, vision, revenue model, marketing strategy, and financial projections. Investors will look for clarity and feasibility.
Explore various funding options, including bootstrapping, angel investors, venture capitalists, crowdfunding, or government grants. Choose what aligns best with your goals and stage of development.
Ideas are worthless without execution. Build a minimum viable product (MVP), test it with real users, gather feedback, and iterate. Continuous improvement is key to scaling successfully.
The business environment is dynamic. Be ready to adapt to changing market conditions, technological advancements, and customer preferences. Flexibility separates thriving businesses from failing ones.
While each entrepreneur has a unique story, there are certain traits they all share:
If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, here are some actionable lessons you can learn from these trailblazers:
While the stories of successful entrepreneurs in India are inspiring, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges they faced along the way. Understanding these obstacles can help aspiring entrepreneurs prepare better:
The journeys of top 20 successful entrepreneurs in India teach us that success is a combination of passion, persistence, and purpose. From Ratan Tata’s ethical leadership to Falguni Nayar’s late-blooming brilliance, these stories inspire us to dream bigger and work harder.
By understanding their strategies, embracing their lessons, and addressing the challenges they faced, you too can carve your path toward becoming one of the successful entrepreneurs in India . Remember, every challenge is an opportunity in disguise, and every failure brings you closer to success.
So, take that first step today. Start small, stay consistent, and never stop believing in yourself. After all, the next chapter of India’s entrepreneurial saga could feature YOU!
India’s most successful entrepreneur is often considered to be Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and largest shareholder of Reliance Industries. His business acumen and leadership have made Reliance Industries one of the largest conglomerates in India, with interests in petrochemicals, refining, oil, telecommunications, and retail.
The top 10 business in India are:
1. Reliance Industries
2. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
3. HDFC Bank
4. ICICI Bank
5. Infosys
6. State Bank of India (SBI)
7. Bharti Airtel
8. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)
9. Bajaj Finance
10. Larsen & Toubro (L&T)
Top 10 entrepreneurs include Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Larry Page (Google), Richard Branson (Virgin), Steve Jobs (Apple), Oprah Winfrey (OWN), and Jack Ma (Alibaba).
Aryan Nangia is a notable 17-year-old entrepreneur in India. He founded LaunchPad, an initiative focused on upskilling youth in areas like AI, design thinking, and business fundamentals. His work has empowered students globally to tackle real-world challenges.
One of the youngest successful entrepreneurs in India is Ritesh Agarwal, the founder and CEO of OYO Rooms. He started his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 17 and has since built OYO into a global hospitality chain.
India has several young entrepreneurs making an impact at just 12 years old. Notable names include Advait Thakur, founder of Apex Infosys, Zain Eqbal, featured in 100 Inspiring Entrepreneurs of India 2023, and Harshini Reddy, creator of Learn2Earn. Their innovations in tech, education, and business showcase the power of young minds in shaping the future.
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Chegg India does not ask for money to offer any opportunity with the company. We request you to be vigilant before sharing your personal and financial information with any third party. Beware of fraudulent activities claiming affiliation with our company and promising monetary rewards or benefits. Chegg India shall not be responsible for any losses resulting from such activities.