Hurun, a global research company, published the list of Top-10 ‘Self-Made’ Entrepreneurs of India n 2025, partnering with India’s IDFC First Bank. Zomato’s Founder Deepinder Goyal tops the List.
The year 2025 marks a significant milestone for India’s startup ecosystem. These self-made visionaries have moved beyond mere business building—they have fundamentally reshaped how over a billion people eat, travel, shop, and see the world.
These entrepreneurs didn’t inherit empires; they built them from scratch using code, grit, and an unwavering belief in the Indian consumer.
Deepinder Goyal (Zomato)
Deepinder Goyal’s journey began at IIT Delhi, where he graduated in 2005 with a degree in Mathematics and Computing. While working as a consultant at Bain & Company, he noticed his colleagues struggling to find restaurant menus, leading him to start “Foodiebay,” which was later rebranded as Zomato. Today, Zomato is a household name, and Goyal has become a central figure in popular culture as a judge on Shark Tank India.
Beyond his professional success, Deepinder is known for his passion for poetry and an impressive high-end car collection. He recently made headlines by marrying Mexican model and entrepreneur Grecia Munoz, often sharing glimpses of his personal life and a rigorous workplace culture with his followers.
Radhakishan Damani (DMart)
Radhakishan Damani is a rare example of a college dropout who built a retail empire. He left the University of Mumbai after just one year of B.Com to join his family’s stockbroking business. A legendary investor first, Damani made a fortune by short-selling stocks during the Harshad Mehta era before pivoting to physical retail at the age of 45.
He opened the first DMart store in 2002, focusing on a low-cost, high-volume model that remains unbeatable. Known for his simplicity and signature “white-and-white” attire, Damani lives a low-profile life despite being one of India’s richest individuals. He is often credited with having the “Midas touch,” successfully navigating both the digital stock market and the brick-and-mortar retail world.
Rahul Bhatia & Rakesh Gangwal (IndiGo)
The duo behind India’s most successful airline, IndiGo, represents a fusion of local execution and global strategy. Rahul Bhatia, a University of Waterloo alumnus, provided the operational roots in India, while Rakesh Gangwal, an IIT Kanpur and Wharton graduate, brought his experience as the former CEO of US Airways. Together, they pioneered the “sale-and-leaseback” model, allowing IndiGo to maintain a young, fuel-efficient fleet without heavy debt.
Although the founders faced a public boardroom rift in recent years over corporate governance, their creation remains the dominant force in Indian skies. As of 2025, IndiGo controls over 60% of the domestic market, proving that operational efficiency and punctuality can win over a price-sensitive population.
Abhay Soi (Max Healthcare)
Abhay Soi is widely recognized as a “turnaround specialist” in the Indian healthcare sector. Educated at St. Stephen’s College and later earning an MBA from the European University in Belgium, he started his career in financial restructuring. He forayed into healthcare by acquiring Radiant Life Care, eventually steering it to take over the much larger Max Healthcare.
Under his leadership, Max Healthcare has expanded into a massive network of 22 facilities with over 5,000 beds. Soi is also notable for being one of India’s highest individual taxpayers, reflecting the immense scale of his successful exits and the profitability of his value-based healthcare model.
Sriharsha Majety & Nandan Reddy (Swiggy)
The founders of Swiggy are both alumni of BITS Pilani, where their entrepreneurial bond began. Sriharsha Majety, who also holds a PGDM from IIM Calcutta, famously spent three months cycling 3,500km across Europe to gain perspective before launching his first venture, “Bundl,” which eventually pivoted to become the food-delivery giant Swiggy.
Co-founder Nandan Reddy, an M.Sc Physics graduate, has been the “innovation engine,” driving the company’s expansion into quick-commerce through Instamart. Their ability to scale Swiggy into a decacorn while navigating fierce competition has made them icons for young, tech-focused entrepreneurs across the country.
Falguni Nayar & Adwaita Nayar (Nykaa)
Falguni Nayar shattered the glass ceiling by launching Nykaa at the age of 50, after a distinguished 20-year career as an investment banker. A graduate of IIM Ahmedabad, she used her own savings to start the beauty retail platform, which became a unicorn and went public with a blockbuster IPO.
Her daughter, Adwaita Nayar, an alumna of Yale and Harvard Business School, joined the family business to lead “Nykaa Fashion.” Together, they have built a lifestyle empire that successfully blends content and commerce, making Falguni one of India’s wealthiest self-made female billionaires.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Paytm)
Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s story is one of the most inspiring “rags-to-riches” tales in India. Born to a schoolteacher in Aligarh, he attended a Hindi-medium school and was so precocious that he enrolled in the Delhi College of Engineering at just 15 years old. He founded Paytm in 2010, initially as a simple mobile recharge platform.
Paytm became a household name during India’s 2016 demonetization, revolutionizing digital payments through QR codes. Despite recent regulatory hurdles, Sharma remains a central figure in the fintech world, known for his relentless energy and a “never-say-die” spirit that has inspired thousands of tier-2 city dreamers.
Deep Kalra & Rajesh Magow (MakeMyTrip)
Deep Kalra, an alumnus of St. Stephen’s and IIM Ahmedabad, founded MakeMyTrip in 2000 after realizing the internet’s potential to empower consumers. He built India’s premier online travel portal despite the early 2000s dot-com bubble burst, showing remarkable resilience.
Rajesh Magow, who served as the CFO and later became the Group CEO, has been instrumental in the company’s massive expansion. Kalra now serves as the Chief Mentor and is a founder of Ashoka University, focusing his efforts on education and mentoring the next generation of Indian startups.
Yashish Dahiya & Alok Bansal (Policybazaar)
Yashish Dahiya, an IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad graduate with an MBA from INSEAD, co-founded Policybazaar to bring transparency to a confusing insurance market. Dahiya is also an elite athlete who has completed multiple Ironman triathlons, reflecting the discipline he brings to the boardroom.
His co-founder, Alok Bansal, who studied at IIM Calcutta, brought the financial precision needed to scale the platform. Together, they transformed Policybazaar into the country’s largest insurance aggregator, eventually taking the company public through PB Fintech in 2021.
The Lenskart Powerhouse: Peyush, Amit, Neha, & Sumeet
The success of Lenskart is a masterclass in co-founder synergy. Peyush Bansal, an electrical engineer from McGill University and IIM Bangalore alum, provided the initial vision after a stint at Microsoft. He was joined early by Amit Chaudhary, a BIT Mesra computer science graduate from Kolkata, who became the architect of Lenskart’s aggressive offline expansion, transforming it into an omnichannel giant with over 2,000 stores.
Neha Bansal, a Chartered Accountant and Gargi College (DU) alumna, brought a “numbers-first” and compliance-heavy mindset to the team. As a co-founder, she heads Merchandising and Legal functions and chairs the Lenskart Foundation, which focuses on eradicating refractive blindness. Interestingly, Neha and Peyush are also partners in life, having married in 2011 while building the brand together.
The team is rounded out by Sumeet Kapahi, a University of Delhi alumnus and veteran of global brands like Ray-Ban and Luxottica. As the Global Head of Sourcing, Sumeet’s deep industry ties allowed Lenskart to manufacture high-quality eyewear at a fraction of the cost. A lighthearted but famous anecdote from the company’s 2025 IPO filing revealed that Sumeet had actually misplaced his original degree certificate from DU, a quirky detail that went viral but did nothing to dampen his reputation as one of the sharpest supply chain minds in the industry.
Key Takeaways
- India’s startup ecosystem in 2025 is characterized by entrepreneurs who have profoundly impacted daily life across the nation.
- Founders often leverage diverse educational backgrounds and prior industry experience to build their ventures.
- Success is driven by a combination of innovative business models, operational efficiency, and a deep understanding of the Indian consumer.
- Many prominent founders are recognized for their unique personal passions and commitment to social impact alongside business growth.
- The stories highlight resilience, grit, and the ability to pivot and scale in competitive markets.
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