India is witnessing a groundbreaking shift in its economic landscape, driven by a new generation of billionaires who are rewriting the rules of success. The M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 shines a spotlight on ten remarkable individuals, all aged 31 or younger, whose impactful ventures span dynamic sectors from instant delivery and fintech to solar energy and artificial intelligence.
What truly unites these young visionaries isn’t a conventional academic background, but an audacious willingness to challenge norms. Many are notable dropouts from prestigious institutions like Stanford and the IITs, while others pursued business studies in India or abroad, and one even forged his path without completing high school. Their diverse educational journeys vividly reflect a profound generational change in India’s perception of education, achievement, and the embrace of calculated risks in the vibrant startup world.
Kaivalya Vohra
Education
At just 22, Kaivalya Vohra’s early schooling in Mumbai sparked a keen interest in computer engineering and coding. He initially enrolled at Stanford University for Computer Science but boldly chose to leave to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams. His brief but impactful time in Silicon Valley’s startup ecosystem solidified his conviction in India’s burgeoning digital economy as a fertile ground for innovation.
Career Path
In 2021, Vohra co-founded Zepto with Aadit Palicha, transforming a novel concept born during the pandemic into a quick-commerce powerhouse now valued at $5.9 billion. As Zepto’s Chief Technology Officer, he is the driving force behind optimizing logistics through smart, data-driven operations and advanced automation. His remarkable journey from a student developer to one of India’s youngest billionaires powerfully illustrates that technical prowess and impeccable timing can often surpass the need for a traditional academic degree.
Aadit Palicha
Education
Aadit Palicha, 23, distinguished himself at GEMS Modern Academy, Dubai, achieving a flawless 45 in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme—a feat that placed him among the world’s academic elite. He, too, began a Computer Science degree at Stanford University, only to depart midway to dedicate himself entirely to entrepreneurship. His international education and early immersion in startup culture were crucial in honing his analytical and leadership capabilities at a remarkably young age.
Career Path
Alongside Vohra, Palicha spearheaded the creation of Zepto, a company that has revolutionized last-mile delivery in India. Under his leadership as CEO, Zepto’s model is built on unparalleled speed, efficiency, and unwavering customer trust. His inspiring ascent from an academically brilliant student to a daring founder exemplifies a new generation’s readiness to prioritize groundbreaking innovation and societal impact over conventional institutional prestige.
Rohan Gupta
Education
Rohan Gupta, at a mere 26, holds an International Baccalaureate diploma from GEMS Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. While specifics about his university are limited, his academic foundation clearly emphasized core finance and management principles.
Career Path
Gupta currently leads SG Finserve, a financial services firm specializing in supply chain and business financing. He brilliantly combines youthful insights with cutting-edge financial technologies to tackle India’s critical credit and logistics challenges. His story is a testament to entrepreneurs who leverage robust analytical education to drive change, even without hailing from the most traditional elite institutions.
Shashvat Nakrani
Education
Hailing from Bhavnagar, Shashvat Nakrani embarked on a Bachelor’s degree in Textile Technology at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. However, much like many modern trailblazers, he discovered his true calling beyond the confines of his engineering studies, transitioning his focus from textiles to finance during his time at IIT.
Career Path
During his third year, Nakrani made the pivotal decision to drop out and co-found BharatPe, a fintech company that has profoundly transformed digital payments for small merchants across India. Today, BharatPe stands as one of the nation’s most influential financial startups, demonstrating how a solid technical education can empower entrepreneurial problem-solving, even when venturing far beyond one’s initial field of study.
Trishneet Arora
Education
Trishneet Arora’s educational journey is truly extraordinary, completely defying conventional paths. He concluded his formal schooling after Grade 8, choosing instead to become a self-taught ethical hacker. Through relentless online research, active participation in community forums, and hands-on experimentation, he mastered cybersecurity tools and programming languages without a single formal college degree.
Career Path
At the remarkable age of 19, Arora founded TAC Security, which has grown into a global cybersecurity powerhouse serving governments and Fortune 500 companies. He is now internationally recognized for his unparalleled expertise in threat management. Arora’s inspiring rise from a high-school dropout to a leading tech CEO powerfully underscores how India’s dynamic startup ecosystem increasingly values skill, tenacity, and innovative spirit above traditional academic credentials.
Aravind Srinivas
Education
Aravind Srinivas is a true academic prodigy. He earned an impressive dual degree (B.Tech + M.Tech) in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras before pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His doctoral research delved deep into machine learning and natural language processing, laying a crucial academic bedrock for his subsequent pioneering work in AI.
Career Path
After collaborating with leading researchers in Silicon Valley, Srinivas co-founded Perplexity AI, an innovative AI-powered search and knowledge platform. This company has rapidly become one of the fastest-growing tech firms worldwide. His journey exemplifies how rigorous academic research can seamlessly translate into large-scale commercial innovation, effectively bridging India’s exceptional technical talent with global leadership in artificial intelligence.
Ritesh Agarwal
Education
Born in Bundi, Rajasthan, Ritesh Agarwal attended St. John’s Senior Secondary School before enrolling at the Indian School of Business & Finance (ISBF), Delhi. However, his burgeoning entrepreneurial drive led him to drop out shortly after being awarded the prestigious Thiel Fellowship—a program specifically designed to support young innovators in pursuing their ideas outside traditional academic structures.
Career Path
At just 19, Agarwal founded OYO (now rebranded as Prism), a venture that revolutionized India’s highly fragmented budget hotel industry. Benefitting from early mentorship and invaluable global exposure through the Thiel Fellowship, Agarwal successfully transformed OYO into one of India’s most recognizable hospitality brands. His career trajectory clearly demonstrates how targeted mentorship and strategic funding can often be a powerful alternative to years of conventional schooling.
Hardik Kothiya
Education
Hardik Kothiya, 31, earned a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) from Shri Swami Atmanand Saraswati Institute of Technology, affiliated with Gujarat University. His academic coursework focused intently on construction design and energy systems, providing him with a robust foundation for his later groundbreaking ventures in renewable infrastructure.
Career Path
Kothiya co-founded Rayzon Solar, which has since grown into one of India’s foremost solar panel manufacturers. His technical education proved indispensable in deeply understanding the intricacies of manufacturing, materials science, and scalability within the clean energy sector—a critical industry at the forefront of India’s ambitious green transition.
Aditya Kumar Halwasia
Education
Aditya Kumar Halwasia completed a Bachelor’s in Commerce from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, followed by a Master’s in Global Finance from Fordham University, New York. His comprehensive education seamlessly blended traditional commerce principles with advanced modern financial analytics, meticulously preparing him for a leadership role in capital-intensive industries.
Career Path
As a key executive at Cupid Ltd., Halwasia has played a crucial role in significantly expanding the company’s global presence and strengthening its investor relations. His unique exposure to both Indian and Western financial systems perfectly illustrates how globalization is actively shaping a new breed of Indian entrepreneurs who are adept in both local and international markets.
Harsha Reddy Ponguleti
Education
Harsha Reddy Ponguleti, 31, pursued a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies, Pune, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Warwick (WMG), UK. His academic focus on management innovation and sophisticated real estate systems provided him with a powerful combination of strategic insight and practical operational expertise.
Career Path
Reddy currently leads Raghava Constructions India, skillfully guiding major infrastructure projects throughout South India. His international education exposed him to best-in-class global management practices, which he has successfully integrated into India’s rapidly evolving real estate industry.
A Generation Rewriting the Rules
These ten remarkable young billionaires collectively embody a transformative new era in Indian entrepreneurship. Their journeys are a testament to a generation that deeply values learning, yet remains fearlessly prepared to step beyond conventional classrooms when innovation calls. From the hallowed halls of Stanford to the gritty realities of street-smart startups, their diverse paths unequivocally demonstrate that success in today’s dynamic economy is less about where one acquires knowledge and more about the ingenious ways that knowledge is applied.
They represent a profound shift in mindset: while formal education undeniably retains its value, agility, visionary innovation, and impeccable timing now hold equal, if not greater, significance. As India’s youth gaze towards the future, these compelling stories illuminate a universal truth that transcends mere academic degrees: it is not the institution that solely defines the entrepreneur, but rather the unyielding initiative and persistent drive that truly sustain and define their extraordinary journey.