More than a decade ago, everyone was talking about how the internet would change the world we live in. Almost everything under the sun will be bought and sold on the net; from learning to playing, the web will be the all-pervasive medium; companies needed to embrace the net not just to grow, but survive... The euphoria and hype around dotcom turned out to be just that.

That was then. But now, it’s all playing out finally — and how. New web-based businesses are being launched by the day. From cloud computing to giving away your kabaadi online, the internet is spawning hundreds of unusual businesses — and personalities. Indeed, the net has democratised enterprise like nothing else.

But that’s only one part of the story. It’s not just the internet, which enables anyone to get started with a business with minimal capital, but access to capital itself which is encouraging entrepreneurship. Banks are passé; it’s not even traditional private equity investors, but an all-new group of angel investors who are nurturing young businesses and business people. There is a growing pool of wealthy professionals who are investing from their personal kitty to fund promising businesses — they not only provide capital but also hand-hold youngsters to accomplish their business goals. Of course, this boom wouldn’t be happening without the creativity, confidence and ambitions of the young in the country. The best part, though, is that grey hair is no longer a prerequisite to make it big into the world of business. Welcome, Entrepreneurs Under 30.