Avendus Wealth and Hurun India Launch 2026 Under 30 List Celebrating 102 Exceptional Young Entrepreneurs
Mumbai, July 1, 2026: Marking the second year of their partnership, Avendus Wealth and Hurun India have officially launched the 2026 edition of the Avendus Wealth – Hurun India Uth Series. The series kicks off with the release of the U30 List, which recognizes 102 exceptional young leaders aged 30 and under who are building and scaling businesses that drive meaningful economic impact across India. The cohort reflects a 28% increase from the 80 entrepreneurs featured on the list in 2025, bringing together first-generation founders building ventures valued at USD 25 million or more and next-generation leaders driving family-owned businesses valued at USD 50 million or more, Avendus Wealth and Hurun India said in a press release.
The collective footprint of this year’s U30 cohort highlights significant growth and diversification in India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, with the cumulative valuation of the represented companies standing at INR 2.9 lakh crore. The average age of the entrants is 28, and first-generation entrepreneurs account for 84% of the cohort, up slightly from 83% last year. Notably, deeptech and hardtech sectors have taken center stage, accounting for 1 in 4 entrants on the list. This includes 27 founders spanning Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (8), Electric Vehicles & Auto Components (7), SpaceTech (6), Aerospace & Defence (4), and Cybersecurity (2). At just 20 years old, Onkar Singh Batra of Palo Alto-based SpaceTech startup Apolink and Dhravya Shah of San Francisco-based AI startup Supermemory are the youngest entrants this year. Meanwhile, Anjali Sardana (23) of Pronto and Shreya Mittal (23) of Cava Athleisure feature as the youngest women in the cohort.
Geographically, Bengaluru has claimed the top spot as the leading hub for U30 talent, growing its representation threefold to 21 entrants from just 7 in 2025. Mumbai follows in second place with 16 entrants, while Gurugram ranks third with 12. Non-metro cities also showcased strong entrepreneurial momentum, accounting for 40 of the featured founders. In the academic space, BITS Pilani cemented its position as the top undergraduate alma mater for the second consecutive year, with its alumni representation growing from 7 to 11. Investor confidence remains robust, with the top 10 U30-led companies collectively raising over USD 3.5 billion, spearheaded by quick-commerce platform Zepto at USD 2.3 billion and fintech firm BharatPe at USD 6500 million. Collectively, these young entrepreneurs employ more than 75,000 people across India.
