Zepto co-founders Kaivalya Vohra, Aadit Palicha top Avendus Wealth–Hurun India’s under-30 list

(L-R) Kaivalya Vohra and Aadit Palicha of Zepto

Grocery and food delivery startup Zepto co-founders Kaivalya Vohra and Aadit Palicha, both 22, top the under-30 list of the Avendus Wealth Hurun India Uth Series 2025, which recognises 79 young leaders making a significant impact on the Indian economy.

Other entrepreneurs to feature on the list, which was released on July 17, include AVR Shree Smaran of AVR Swarna Mahal Jewellers, Arjun Deshpande of Generic Aadhaar, Shiva Sankeshwar of Vijayanand Travels, Rahul Rawat of Digantara and Mihir Menda for RMZ Boston.

“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,” Apurva Sahijwani, MD & CEO, Avendus Wealth Management, said.

Co-founders of another 10-minute delivery app Swish, Ujjwal Sukheja, Saran S and Aniket Shah, too, are on the list.

Devika Gholap (28) is the youngest woman in the U30 cohort and is driving innovation in digital pathology via OptraSCAN.

Among cities, Mumbai leads with 15 entrepreneurs, reaffirming its dominance as India’s financial capital.

This is the inaugural edition of the Uth Series, which will further see Under-35 and Under-40 lists too.

“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,” Sahijwani added.

The list has six women leaders — Gholap, Devanshi Kejriwal, Radhika Ambani, Ananyashree Birla, Vrushali Prasade and Romita Mazumdar. Aged between 28 and 30, they making “remarkable strides” across industries such as AI healthcare, EdTech, pharma, microfinance, MarTech and beauty, the report said.

“The U30 cohort is proof that India’s startup ecosystem is maturing – not just in valuation, but in vision,” Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder & Chief Researcher, Hurun India, said. With $270 million raised in startup debt and strategic fund allocation focused heavily on innovation and expansion, these young leaders are making deliberate choices that prioritise longterm impact.

“From Svatantra Microfin’s massive employment footprint to Perplexity’s 40-strong investor backing, this generation is redefining what it means to scale – where social relevance and sustainable growth are just as important as financial success,” he said.

With over 64,000 jobs created and more than $5 billion raised in equity, the “economic impact of these young leaders is extraordinary”, Junaid said.

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