Indian startups are leading the way in the startup arena by creating ripples that have a strong effect in India and across the globe. Like the most notable startups from Pune, other cities in India like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai are emerging as the top hubs of entrepreneurial minds.
Moreover, sustaining a business at a time as volatile and unpredictable as a global pandemic is nothing less than a herculean task. But with a sense of competence, a positive outlook, and webbing together innovative solutions to work around the complexities, these businesses have hit the ground running, and there’s no looking back for them now.
This article aims to introduce you to the top 10 startups in India that made waves and came out stronger after a period of economic turmoil that was caused by the pandemic. These startups are as follows:
1. Unacademy
Founded by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini, and Hemesh Singh in 2015, this startup’s main goal is to help students crack competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, CAT, IITJEE, and the list goes on. A company that started as just a YouTube channel in 2010 is India’s largest online learning app today, with a valuation of $3.44 billion.
The startup aims to democratize good quality education among students regardless of their background.
2. Udaan
For shop owners who encompass the entire wholesaling and retailing segment of the market, connecting with others in the distribution channel is quite challenging. But Amod Malviya, Vaibhav Gupta, and Sujeet Kumar sought to tackle this issue with their startup- Udaan.
Founded in Bengaluru in 2016 and valued at over $3 billion, Udaan allows for B2B trading and has a total of 30,000 sellers spread across 900 cities today.
3. CRED
CRED is widely known across India for its unconventional advertisements featuring the Indian cricket team. It lets its members make timely credit card payments through its app and in return, the members get exclusive offers and other benefits.
CRED is a fintech company based in Bangalore and was founded in 2018 by Kunal Shah. Today, it’s valued at $2,2 billion.
4. upGrad
upGrad is South Asia’s largest higher education e-learning platform headquartered in Mumbai. Founded by Ronnie Screwvala, Mayank Kumar, Phalgun Kompalli, and Ravijot Chugh in 2015, upGrad provides professionals a platform to continuously upskill themselves without having to quit their jobs.
The company collaborates with IIT Madras, Jindal Global Law School, NMIMS Global Access, Deakin University, and many more top universities. In 2021, upGrad hit a valuation of $1.2 billion.
5. Razorpay
Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar founded Razorpay founded Razorpay back in 2014. It allows for a seamless checkout experience for businesses who want to add payments to their website or app. It’s currently the only payment gateway in India that facilitates businesses to accept, process, and disburse payments with its product suite.
The company is close to hitting a $4 billion valuation very soon.
6. Meesho
Meesho is a social e-commerce company that lets one resell their products using WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram with zero investment. IIT Delhi graduates Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwalfounded the company in 2015.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, Meesho’s valued at $2.1 billion.
7. Skyroot Aerospace
Founded in the city of Hyderabad, Skyroot Aerospace envisions a time where space travel from the earth can be as affordable as an air flight. To this end, the founders (Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka) and their team, consisting of ISRO’s rocket designing arm, strive to construct technologies for reliable access to space.
In May 2021, the company raised $11 million and is currently running tests on a cryogenic engine fueled by natural gas.
8. boAt
Founded in New Delhi in 2016, Boat is India’s very own consumer electronics brand. Its product lineup comprises earphones, headphones, stereos, travel chargers, speakers, and much more. Its product’s superb audio quality and robust build has not only caught the attention of India’s audio market, but it has also emerged as the fifth largest wearables brand in the world.
Currently, the company is valued at $1.4 billion.
9. Urban Company
Urban Company took the home and grooming solutions sector by storm. It sustained its business when a pandemic was doing the rounds by offering reliable, safe, and affordable services from repairs to grooming and cleaning.
The founders of Urban Company are Varun Khaitan, Raghav Chandra, and Abhiraj Singh Bhal. Currently, its valuation hit $2.1 billion.
10. AgniKul Cosmos
Founded in Chennai in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, Satyanaryan Chakravarthy, and Janardhana Raju, Agnikul Cosmos is an Indian aerospace manufacturer. They are in the process of creating India’s first private small satellite launch vehicle called Agnibaan.
Over four rounds, they have raised a total of $14.58 million in funding.
