Zerodha's Nithin Kamath (L) and Meesho's Sanjeev Barnwal.
Credit: Instagram, Meesho
Bengaluru: With 48 entrepreneurs, Bengaluru leads The Avendus Wealth – Hurun India Under 40 List 2025, positioning itself as the country's U40 capital.
Of the top 10 youngest entrepreneurs featured in the list, four are from Bengaluru.
Sanjay Byalal Jagannath, 36, of Exponent Energy from Bengaluru tops the list, while Messho's Sanjeev Barnwal; Swapnil Babanlal Jain, 36, Ather Energy; and Enbasekar D, 36, of MediBuddy, all from Bengaluru feature in the top 10.
The U40 List recognises 201 young leaders who are making a significant impact across the Indian industry.
Apurva Sahijwani, MD & CEO, Avendus Wealth Management, said, "India’s under-40 entrepreneurial cohort signals a clear shift in both scale and substance. Collectively, the U40 leaders oversee enterprises valued at $357 billion, nearly one-eleventh of India’s GDP, and employ more than 4.4 lakh professionals, underscoring the economic influence already exercised by this generation."
Notable entrants in the list from Bengaluru include Nandan Reddy (37), Ishan Bansal (37) and Nikhil Kamath (38).
While Bengaluru has been ranked No. 1, with 43 entrepreneurs, Mumbai ranks second, followed by Gurugram with 24 entrants.
With 32 companies, both Bengaluru and Mumbai top the country's U40 Headquarters Hub.
As many as 15 women are highlighted in the list and the average age of the U40 cohort is 38 years.
Software Products & Services dominates as the most represented industry, with 40 entrepreneurs, followed by healthcare with 18, transportation & logistics with 16, and financial services with 15. The U40 entrepreneurs collectively employ over 4,43,000 professionals.
In terms of funding, collectively, these entrepreneurs have raised over $22 billion.
Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder & Chief Researcher, Hurun India, said, “India’s new economic engine is increasingly powered by its young leaders. First-generation founders are clearly at the heart of India’s startup story, with 83 per cent of this year’s U40 honourees having built their companies from the ground up."