The Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list is out, and the prestigious list features Indian entrepreneurs from different sectors as diverse as logistics and fashion. Forbes on Thursday brought out the 9th edition of the “30 Under 30 Asia” list, celebrating the success of young entrepreneurs, leaders, and trailblazers under 30 who are making their mark in the Asia-Pacific region.
Here is the list of the Indians who have made it into the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List:
1. Pavithra Chari
She is a well-trained singer-composer and has carved a niche with her Shadow and Light with Anindo Bose. The partnership between the duo started with the Berklee Indian Ensemble, which earned them a Grammy nomination in 2023. Chari is also a part of the Anirudh Varma Collective, touring the US, and is also a well-endowed Bharatanatyam dancer. Ms. Chari is also known for covering film hits.
2. Arpan Kumar Chandel (King)
Also known as King, the Indian rapper Arpan Kumar Chandel collaborated with Nick Jonas and remixed his hit song ‘Maan Meri Jaan,’ which gained him instant and worldwide recognition. He is also famous for MTV Hustle in 2019 and followed it with a number of albums. His latest hit is ‘New Life,’ which features artists like Nikhita Gandhi and Gucci Mane. King is also the ambassador of Sony Audio and has lately launched his fragrance line, Blanko.
3. Kavan Antani
She co-founded a talent marketplace based in Mumbai named IndieFolio, which facilitates creative professionals with on-demand opportunities. Since its inception in 2014, the platform has been helping connect content creators, video producers, designers, and animators with clients who are looking for talent. IndieFolio has a talent pool of 70,000 individuals, and its major clients include Paytm, Ogilvy, and Domino’s Pizza.
4. Kush Jain
After a volunteering stint at a Bangalore school in 2018 for the visually impaired, Kush Jain experienced firsthand the challenges faced by such differently-abled people and led her to create the ORama AI. One of the products, known as “Smart Glove,” helps the blind and those with reduced vision to learn Braille. The device features an embedded camera and speaker, tracking finger movements and audibly identifying touched Braille dots.
5. Ananya Rao
The advertising agency Dentsu is Ananya Rao’s brainchild and was created by her just after she passed out of university during the extremely trying times of the pandemic. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Cannes Lion award in her first year and is recognized for excellence in advertising. She was also the driving force that earned Dentsu Creative Bangalore the distinction of becoming the first Indian agency to be named Agency of the Year at the Cannes Lions event. Her strengths include her ability to learn and be creative, and she was instrumental in helping the world’s most influential brands succeed in digital spaces.
6. Arth Chowdhary, Deyvant Bhardwaj, and Oshi Kumari
The trio of Arth Chowdhary, Deyvant Bhardwaj, and Oshi Kumari co-founded InsideFPV, an Indian drone setup created in 2020. One of its innovative products is the easy-to-use “plug-and-fly” drone. It is simple to use compared to its compatriots, which are cumbersome, involve complex setup, and require a huge team of operators. The startup is based in Surat and sells drones and parts online.
7. Pranav Manpuria (Flux Auto)
Pranav Manpuria co-founded the Flux Auto startup in 2017, and the company is working on creating autonomous driving software for forklifts and warehouse robots. The startup claims that its software is compatible and easily fits into existing systems of infrastructure.
8. Simran Balar Jain
Simran Balar Jain is best known for talking about taboo subjects such as menstruation and sexuality issues in India. She regularly indulges in these seldom-touched subjects candidly, and her eloquent discussions have garnered 1.3 million Instagram followers. She also created Unbound, an online store offering products like menstrual cups, lubricants, and more designed to promote open and playful conversations about sexuality.
9. Arun Sreyas and Gautham Maheswaran (RACE Energy)
Two university buddies, Arun Sreyas and Gautham Maheswaran, joined hands in 2018 to create RACE Energy, which is headquartered in Hyderabad. The startup has obtained proficiency in creating swappable battery packs tailored for the popular three-wheeled auto-rickshaws in India.
10. Ayush Wadhwa
He created a Bangalore-based digital marketing agency, Owled Media, in 2020 and, as per Forbes, has obtained proficiency in producing videos, augmented reality filters, and games for Disney+, Clinique, and Estee Lauder for their campaigns. Interestingly, Ayush created his first tech video on YouTube on tech-related tips and hacks at the age of 13. Besides his involvement with Owled, he is also a prominent investor and regularly provides funding for various startups. His beneficiaries include the denim manufacturer Freakins and the artisanal kitchenware maker P-TAL.
11. Harshit Jain and Abhik Saha
The duo created OnePlay, a cloud gaming startup in Mumbai in 2019. The gaming platform allows users to play popular games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Palworld across multiple platforms, negating the need for expensive hardware.
12. Anushka Rathod
One of the best-known content creators based in Surat, she deals with a wide range of topics through engaging 30-second Instagram reels. She regularly dabbles in financial subjects and tries to increase financial literacy by simplifying complex financial concepts for a diverse audience. She started her writings during the COVID pandemic and boasts 1.8 million followers on Instagram and YouTube. She regularly partners with renowned brands in the financial and insurance sectors.
13. Kunal Aggarwal
Kunal created Credflow in 2019, which offers cashflow management software for small and medium-sized enterprises. The platform provides a range of services, including analyzing business data, extending credit lines to eligible users, and sending automated payment reminders.
14. Karan Ahuja
Karan earlier worked as a research scientist at Google and later became an assistant professor of computer science at Northwestern University, starting in September 2024. With a PhD in human-computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon University under his belt, he is involved in cutting-edge research on subjects like body-movement sensing for smartwatches and gaze-tracking for smartphone control.
