India's under-40 founders now command $950B, more than Switzerland's GDP
22 Jan 2026
India's economic landscape is being reshaped by a new wave of entrepreneurs under the age of 40.
According to the Avendus Wealth-Hurun India Uth Series 2025, these founders now lead companies valued at over $950 billion (approximately ₹83 lakh crore).
The figure surpasses Switzerland's gross domestic product (GDP), highlighting their immense contribution to India's growth story.
Young entrepreneurs dominate India's business landscape
Entrepreneurial impact
The Uth Series identifies 436 entrepreneurs in the under-30, under-35, and under-40 categories.
These individuals are driving growth across sectors such as technology, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics consumption, and deep tech.
Their companies employ over 1.2 million people and have a combined valuation of approximately ₹86 lakh crore, more than Switzerland's GDP.
First-generation entrepreneurs lead the way
Generational shift
The average age of entrepreneurs in the Uth Series is 35.
A whopping 80% (349 out of 436) are first-generation founders, marking a major departure from traditional family-run businesses.
Second-generation entrepreneurs make up the largest group among family-business successors with 37 entrants, while older generations have little representation.
Bengaluru emerges as hub for young entrepreneurs
Geographical distribution
Bengaluru is the top city for young entrepreneurship with 109 entrants, followed by Mumbai (87) and New Delhi (45).
Gurugram contributes 36 names while 18 entrepreneurs are based in San Francisco, showing the global reach of Indian-founded companies.
The data also shows a strong representation from India's top technical institutions with IIT Kharagpur leading with 27 entrants.
Gender representation and digital influence among young entrepreneurs
Digital presence
Despite the scale of enterprise creation, gender representation is limited with only 36 women (about 8% of the list). However, many founders have a strong digital presence.
Nikhil Kamath is the most followed entrepreneur on LinkedIn with 1.39 million followers, followed by Ritesh Agarwal (1.32 million) and Ghazal Alagh (over 6.33 lakh).
