Outlook Start-Up Desk
India is the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem, hosting 73 unicorns in 2025, according to the ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Unicorn and Future Unicorn Report 2025, released on September 11. The top 10 include names like Zerodha, Razorpay, Lenskart, and Meesho among others.
Founded in 2010 by brothers Nithin Kamath and Nikhil Kamath, Bengaluru-based Zerodha is India’s most valuable unicorn with a $8.2 billion valuation. It has revolutionised retail investing with low-cost trading and user-friendly online platforms.
Founded in 2014 by Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar, Bengaluru-based Razorpay has grown into a $7.5 billion fintech unicorn, leading India’s digital payments space and enabling businesses across industries to process transactions seamlessly.
Founded in 2010 by Peyush Bansal, Amit Chaudhary, Neha Bansal, Sumeet Kapahi, and Ramneek Khurana, Gurugram-based Lenskart is valued at $7.5 billion. With 17,600 employees, it has built a strong presence in eyewear retail and online platforms.
Bengaluru-based Groww, founded in 2016 by Harsh Jain, Ishan Bansal, Lalit Keshre, and Neeraj Singh, has reached a $7 billion valuation. The fintech platform reported 119% revenue growth, highlighting rapid expansion in India’s investment services market.
Founded in 2021 by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, quick-commerce start-up Zepto became a unicorn within two years. Valued at $5.9 billion, it has posted 120% revenue growth and is rapidly scaling its instant grocery delivery network across India.
Founded in 2007 by Abhay Singhal, Mohit Saxena, Naveen Tewari, and Piyush Shah, Bengaluru-based InMobi is valued at $5 billion and recognised worldwide as a leading player in mobile advertising and monetisation.
Established in 2015 by Asish Mohapatra, Ruchi Kalra, Vasant Sridhar, Bhuvan Gupta, and Nitin Jain, Gurugram-based OfBusiness holds a $5 billion valuation. With 17,000 employees, it operates as a major B2B enterprise services marketplace.
Icertis, founded in 2009 by Monish Darda and Samir Bodas, has evolved into a leading global Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company. Headquartered in Bellevue with strong operations in India, it carries a $5 billion valuation.
Launched in 2013 by Ritesh Agarwal, Gurugram-headquartered PRISM (OYO) has reached a $5 billion valuation. Backed by $3.7 billion in funding across several rounds, it stands among India’s most well-financed unicorns in hospitality.
Bengaluru-based e-commerce platform Meesho, founded in 2015 by Sanjeev Barnwal and Vidit Aatrey, is valued at $3.9 billion. With 5,000 employees, it supports small sellers and entrepreneurs across India while generating significant employment.