Indian Entrepreneurs.
India's future is being shaped by a new generation of dynamic achievers who are redefining success through innovation, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to progress. From entrepreneurship and technology to business, marketing, and emerging industries, these visionaries are creating opportunities, challenging conventions, and inspiring meaningful change.
Driven by ambition and guided by purpose, they represent the evolving spirit of a nation ready to embrace new possibilities. Their journeys reflect resilience, creativity, and the courage to transform ideas into impactful ventures. Beyond individual accomplishments, their contributions are influencing industries, empowering communities, and strengthening India's position on the global stage.
This special feature celebrates the remarkable individuals whose vision, determination, and achievements are helping shape a progressive India. Through their stories, we recognise not just milestones achieved, but the ideas, aspirations, and leadership driving the nation towards a brighter, more dynamic future.
Raj Shamani Entrepreneur, Podcaster & Founder
Raj Shamani represents a new generation of Indian entrepreneurs redefining influence through ambition, innovation, and storytelling. Beginning his entrepreneurial journey at just 16, Raj stepped into the family business during a challenging phase, transforming adversity into an opportunity to build something meaningful. His journey from selling dishwashing products to becoming one of India's most recognised digital creators reflects remarkable determination and entrepreneurial instinct.
As the founder and host of Figuring Out, one of India's leading podcasts, Raj has created a platform for insightful conversations with influential entrepreneurs, global leaders, and changemakers. Through his content, he makes business, personal growth, and success accessible to millions of young Indians. A bestselling author and international speaker, Raj continues to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs to think boldly, embrace challenges, and turn ideas into action. His journey exemplifies the evolving spirit of India's creator economy and the power of young leadership in shaping the nation's future.
Apoorva Bajaj Entrepreneur & Co-Founder
Apoorva Bajaj is a technology entrepreneur and Co-Founder & CEO of Edubuk, an AI and Blockchain-powered technology company with global offices in the UAE and Singapore. An IIT (ISM) Dhanbad Branch Topper, IIM Kozhikode Gold Medallist and CFA Charterholder, he previously worked with Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and D.E. Shaw. Under his leadership, Edubuk has raised $50 million in funding and built solutions spanning education, employability and workforce transformation.
Its innovative mobile app delivers job opportunities in under 30 seconds through an engaging, reels-and-shorts-style experience. Its ecosystem includes TruCV, TruJobs, MIIT Screening and blockchain-powered digital credentials. With four patent filings, including one granted, and 50+ global awards and recognitions associated with G20, Dubai Expo, World Economic Forum, GITEX, Harvard and MIT, Apoorva is focused on leveraging emerging technologies to create meaningful global impact.
Mallika Reddy, Entrepreneur
Mallika is a jack of many trades. Her academic training is in Architecture from The University of Southern California and MBA from Central Saint Martins, London. After living across the world, doing multiple creative stints from product and branding to space and even digital experiences Mallika developed a unique toolkit to solve problems using design thinking.
Entrepreneurship is something her heart always craved, she is a third generation entrepreneur from Dr. Reddy's family. And that was when Cancelled Plans was born. Cancelled Plans is a multidisciplinary experimental design studio that takes a material first approach to redirect industrial wastes from our oceans and landfills. Cancelled Plans has now redirected almost a tonne of waste into intentionally designed textiles and products for everyday use. The applications stretch across clothing and accessories to large scale installations and interior decor pieces. In 2025, Mallika launched a second brand - Mallé that is an athleisure clothing brand built on the idea of comfort and creative expression using organic natural fibres that are gentle on the skin and on the planet.
Tanuj Choudhry | Co-founder & COO, HomeLane
Building in India isn't for the faint-hearted. Its diversity, dynamism and inherent chaos make scaling businesses challenging. For Tanuj Choudhry, entrepreneurship is about finding clarity within that chaos, connecting the dots and building simple, scalable solutions to real problems.
An alumnus of St. Stephen's and INSEAD, Tanuj's journey spans McKinsey, Amazon and over a decade building HomeLane. His ambition to simplify home interiors has evolved into a technology-driven enterprise serving over 70,000 homes, strengthened by the strategic merger with DesignCafe in 2024.
Today, he's harnessing AI to make great home design more accessible, affordable and personalized.
For Tanuj, the goal was never just to build a company, but to bring order to one of the most disorganised corners of how India lives.
Aayshya Jhunjhunwala Co-Founder, Be Neude
Aayshya Jhunjhunwala is the Founder of Be Neude, a science-led Indian skincare brand reimagining the potential of milk through advanced skincare innovation. With a Master's degree in Psychology from the UK and an entrepreneurial journey spanning diverse industries, Aayshya brings a distinctive perspective to building consumer brands.
Driven by the belief that Indian skincare needs solutions designed specifically for Indian skin, climate and concerns, she is building Be Neude at the intersection of science, innovation and efficacy. The brand's proprietary approach to milk-based skincare focuses on harnessing its molecular potential through advanced formulations and clinically backed results.
Under her leadership, Be Neude has secured seed investment from Peak XV Partners. Her vision is to build an Indian skincare brand that challenges conventional thinking and puts Indian innovation on the global beauty map.
Mohd Arshad Suhail Siddiqui - Business Leader & Entrepreneur
Mohd Arshad Suhail Siddiqui - Business Leader & Entrepreneur with over 28 years of leadership experience across FMCG, Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, OTC, Diagnostics and Healthcare, Mohd Arshad Suhail Siddiqui is a seasoned business leader known for driving business transformation, building brands and creating scalable sales and distribution networks.
His professional journey spans leading organisations including Balsara, SmithKline Beecham, Amway, Dr. Morepen, ITC, Hamdard Laboratories, SRL Diagnostics and Rasna, where he held senior leadership positions, including President & CEO of Rasna Beverages. He spearheaded Rasna's entry into the ready-to-drink beverage segment, transforming its business portfolio.
An entrepreneur at heart, he currently leads an omni-channel sales and distribution enterprise, empowering established brands and emerging businesses through integrated market access and execution capabilities. His leadership philosophy combines strategic vision, entrepreneurial thinking and a relentless focus on execution and results.
Sameer Rajani - Founder & CEO, DeoDap
Sameer Rajani is a first-generation entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of DeoDap, a Rajkot-based e-commerce company established in 2014. Beginning his career in event management, he returned to Rajkot and transformed a small family trading business into a growing value-commerce ecosystem.
Under his leadership, DeoDap has fulfilled over 1 crore orders, connecting manufacturers, resellers, and customers through wholesale, dropshipping, and direct-to-consumer channels. His innovative group-buying model has helped small businesses access affordable products while supporting India's manufacturing ecosystem.
Sameer participated in the Forbes India D2C LevelUp Conclave in March 2025 and was featured on Flipkart Seller Hub's One in a Billion podcast in February 2026.
Passionate about artificial intelligence, operational efficiency, and affordable commerce, he believes technology should enhance human judgment. Guided by his philosophy, "The Only VIP Is Price," Sameer continues building an accessible, customer-focused e-commerce ecosystem for Bharat.
Anmol Mahajan Managing Director of Metco Sports Private Limited
Anmol Mahajan is the Managing Director of Metco Sports Private Limited, Meerut, leading one of India's prominent sports, fitness, and sports flooring and infrastructure brands, including Metco, KITAKI, and Euro Courts. A PGPM graduate of IBS Gurgaon with a B.A. from Delhi University and international business training at King's College London, he began as Production Manager before heading the company in 2017.
His experience spans Google AdWords, startup marketing, and market research, and he has designed India's first table tennis robot concept. He has contributed to the Government of Uttar Pradesh's Invest UP sports industry round table and the 2023 IIA G20 MSME Business Conclave, and METCO products are efficiently used by other renowned institutions. Thus commonly referred as a prominent Leader of the Sports Industry in India.
Nikhil Kamath Entrepreneur, Investor & Co-founder, Zerodha
Nikhil Kamath is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist redefining India's entrepreneurial landscape through innovation, investment, and unconventional thinking. As the co-founder of Zerodha, one of India's leading stockbroking platforms, he has contributed to transforming the country's financial ecosystem by making investing more accessible. Beyond Zerodha, Nikhil co-founded True Beacon, an investment management firm, and Gruhas, a venture capital platform investing in emerging businesses and technologies.
His entrepreneurial vision extends to empowering India's next generation of founders through the WTFund, which provides young entrepreneurs with access to capital and opportunities without equity dilution. An advocate of curiosity, independent thinking, and meaningful impact, Nikhil is also committed to philanthropy and environmental sustainability. His contributions reflect a broader vision of building businesses that create lasting value while encouraging innovation and responsible growth. Through his ventures and initiatives, Nikhil continues to inspire young entrepreneurs to challenge conventional paths and shape India's evolving economic future.
