Under 40: Visionaries to Look Forward To

A new generation of ambitious minds is redefining leadership, innovation, and success. With fresh perspectives and bold ideas, these young visionaries are challenging conventions, transforming industries, and creating new possibilities.

From building businesses to driving meaningful change, their journeys reflect the evolving spirit of India's entrepreneurial landscape. What sets them apart is not just their age, but their ability to turn ambition into impact.

Under 40: Visionaries to Look Forward To celebrates individuals whose achievements go beyond personal milestones, inspiring progress and shaping the future with purpose, passion, and perseverance.

Raj Shamani, Entrepreneur, Content Creator & Podcast Host

Raj Shamani's journey from a young entrepreneur in Indore to one of India's leading voices in digital entrepreneurship reflects a remarkable blend of ambition, curiosity, and perseverance. Beginning his entrepreneurial journey at just 16, he developed an early understanding of business, consumer behaviour, and the importance of connecting with people.

Today, Shamani has carved a distinctive identity as an entrepreneur, podcaster, and storyteller. Through Figuring Out, he has created a platform for meaningful conversations with business leaders, innovators, and influential personalities, making entrepreneurial insights accessible to a wider generation. His venture, House of X, further reflects his commitment to helping creators transform their influence into sustainable businesses.

What sets Shamani apart is his ability to translate complex ideas into relatable narratives. By bringing together entrepreneurship, storytelling, and digital influence, he is shaping a new generation's understanding of ambition, business, and success.

Shailesh Singh, Director & Co-Founder

Shailesh Singh is the Chairperson and the Co-Founder of mEDGE.io, and Director and Co-Founder of Starlight Data Solutions Pvt. Ltd. With over 17 years of experience in the technology industry, he brings extensive expertise in business development, strategic partnerships, go-to-market strategy, and enterprise technology solutions.

Throughout his career, Mr. Singh has held leadership positions at organisations including Cellebrite, Radware, and Fortinet, building experience across cybersecurity, enterprise technology, channel management, and business growth. At Starlight Data Solutions, he has contributed to building the company's presence in the cybersecurity and IT solutions landscape. His entrepreneurial journey has further expanded with mEDGE.io, an enterprise technology venture focused on security, automation, digital forensics, and intelligent operations.

Mr. Singh's leadership is driven by strategic thinking, strong customer relationships, and a commitment to innovation. By combining industry experience with an entrepreneurial vision, he aims to help organisations address evolving digital challenges and build a more secure, efficient, and technology-driven future.

Shwetha Shetty, Business Leader

Shwetha Shetty is a growth-driven business leader shaping the future of e-commerce and quick commerce in India. With over 12 years of experience, she has built her career around scaling consumer brands, unlocking growth opportunities, and navigating the evolving digital landscape.

Her professional journey spans Nykaa, SUGAR Cosmetics, Plum Goodness, and Foxtale, giving her a deep understanding of consumer behaviour, business strategy, and digital innovation. As Vice President of E-commerce and Quick Commerce at Foxtale, she led the brand's digital growth agenda, driving revenue, strengthening profitability, and building high-performing teams. Her contributions earned her the Best Performer of the Year - 2025 recognition.

As quick commerce reshapes consumer expectations, Shwetha believes sustainable growth lies in combining strategic vision, agility, and consumer understanding. With a leadership approach rooted in commercial thinking and execution, she represents a new generation of business leaders driving India's digital commerce revolution.

Surjan Yeleti, Founder & COO

Srujan Yeleti is the Founder & COO of Zetexa Global, where he drives strategic innovation and international business expansion. An IIT Madras graduate and seasoned entrepreneur, his career spans renewable energy, telecom and fintech, with over a decade of experience building telecom infrastructure across 16+ countries. In 2024, he co-founded Zetexa with Amit Agarwal, recognising an opportunity to address the connectivity challenges faced by international travellers and students.

Today, Zetexa operates as a licensed telecom operator across three countries, offering an integrated platform that enables banks, fintechs, airlines and travel brands to deliver connectivity and travel services under their own brands. With over 2 million eSIMs sold across 200+ countries, Zetexa also powers FC Barcelona's Barça Mobile. Its portfolio includes ZetSIM, a travel eSIM platform, and Unlimit Mobile, which enables students to secure mobile connectivity before departure.

Ankit Mehrotra, Co-Founder, The Medical Travel Company

Ankit Mehrotra is a serial entrepreneur, CFA charterholder and TEDx speaker with a track record of building and scaling consumer businesses. After beginning his career in investment banking at BNP Paribas in London, he co-founded Dineout, which grew into India's largest Restaurant Tech platform before being acquired by Swiggy in 2022 for $200M.

Today, alongside co-founder Sahil Jain, Ankit is building The Medical Travel Company (TMTC), with a vision to transform how people access healthcare across borders. Building on Prime Minister Modi's "Heal in India" vision, TMTC is a full-stack Healthcare Concierge connecting international patients across geographies, particularly from the UK, with India's leading hospitals through trusted clinical partnerships, personalised concierge services and comprehensive aftercare. Having raised $4.5 million in seed funding, Ankit is focused on making global healthcare more accessible, seamless and patient-centric.

Arifa Shah | Founder, Umbrashield

At a time when sun protection is largely associated with skincare, Arifa Shah is rethinking how people protect themselves. As a torchbearer of wearable UV protection in India, she founded Umbrashield to bring together sun protection, fashion and everyday functionality.

The homegrown brand offers a premium collection of UV-protective apparel and accessories, including UV jackets, scarves and visors, designed for modern lifestyles. Its USP lies in integrating physical sun protection into everyday dressing, giving people another way to manage sun exposure without relying solely on skincare routines and repeated sunscreen application.

For Arifa, innovation goes beyond creating products; it is about changing how people think about protection. Her philosophy brings together looking good and feeling good, with designs that balance style, comfort and purpose. Building a new category as a startup comes with challenges, particularly in consumer education. Yet, her vision remains clear: to make wearable sun protection an intuitive, desirable part of everyday life.

Archana Mahajan, Associate Director, Brand & Marketing

Archana Mahajan is Associate Director, Brand & Marketing at Beco, one of India's home grown fastest-growing home care brands. A content-first marketer with over 12 years of experience, she has built her career at the meeting point of consumer insight, content and cultural relevance. At SUGAR Cosmetics, she played a key role in building the brand's online presence and share of voice, helping it become India's No. 1 homegrown consumer brand on Instagram in 2022.

At Beco, she's building brand strategy, tonality, integrated communication content and has conceptualised and built challenger campaigns such as War on What's Hidden. Her approach begins with a simple question: what if there's another way? Rather than relying on big media budgets or category conventions, she builds brands through sharp consumer insight, a distinctive voice and communication that speaks to people, not at them. For Archana, the best brands aren't built by following the rulebook or replicating what works for others. They're built by finding an authentic voice, daring to be themselves, and staying more obsessed with the consumer than with the market or competition

Insight Over Spend: Archana Mahajan on Challenger Brand Building

Nikhil Kamath Co-founder of Zerodha & Entrepreneur

An unconventional career, a sharp investment instinct, and an appetite for questioning established norms define Nikhil Kamath's entrepreneurial journey. From beginning his career in equity trading to co-founding Zerodha alongside his brother Nithin, he has helped transform India's financial landscape while building a distinct identity as an investor and entrepreneur.

His ventures extend beyond financial markets. Through True Beacon, he explores alternative investment strategies, while Gruhas backs emerging businesses and innovative ideas. As the host of WTF Is, Kamath brings entrepreneurs, global leaders, and influential personalities into conversations exploring ambition, innovation, and unconventional thinking.

With initiatives such as WTFund supporting young founders, his focus increasingly extends to enabling the next generation of entrepreneurs. For Kamath, curiosity remains a powerful driver of progress, shaping a journey that continues to challenge conventions and explore possibilities beyond traditional business boundaries.