The Hurun Rich List 2025 has once again highlighted India’s dynamic startup and business ecosystem. This year, Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Eternal (formerly Zomato), has emerged as India’s top self-made entrepreneur, overtaking veteran businessman Radhakishan Damani of D-Mart. The list reflects rapid wealth creation in new-age technology companies and underlines the growing dominance of startup-led enterprises in India’s economy.
Deepinder Goyal at the Top
- In the 2025 edition, Deepinder Goyal secured the first position after Eternal’s valuation rose by 27% over the past year to ₹3.2 lakh crore.
- This growth helped him surpass Radhakishan Damani, whose company Avenue Supermarts (DMart) saw a 13% decline in valuation to around ₹3 lakh crore, placing him second on the list.
- Goyal’s rise highlights the growing influence of digital platforms, food delivery, and consumer internet businesses in India’s wealth landscape.
Other Top Entrepreneurs
- The founders of InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo), Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal, made a strong debut in the top three, with their company valued at ₹2.2 lakh crore.
- Their entry underscores the resurgence of the aviation sector and the role of efficient low-cost carriers in India’s travel market.
- Several well-known startup founders, including those from Razorpay, Zerodha, and Dream11, dropped out of the top ten this year, indicating intense competition and valuation fluctuations in the startup ecosystem.
New Entrants and Notable Names
- At the 10th position, Peyush Bansal, founder of Lenskart, made a notable appearance.
- Founded in 2008, Lenskart entered public markets in 2025 with a valuation of ₹70,236 crore, registering a 60% year-on-year increase.
- This reflects strong investor confidence in India’s consumer technology and eyewear segment.
Key Trends Highlighted by the List
- According to Hurun India, entry into the top 200 has become significantly tougher.
- The minimum threshold has increased 1.5 times from about ₹3,000 crore to nearly ₹4,500 crore, indicating accelerated wealth creation.
- The combined valuation of the 200 companies on the list rose by 15% to ₹42 lakh crore (USD 469 billion).
- These companies collectively employ around 8 lakh people, underlining the employment-generating role of startups and young enterprises.
About Hurun Rich List
- The Hurun India Top 200 Self-Made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia focuses on founders of companies established after the year 2000.
- Presented by IDFC First Bank, the list captures the value created by young and fast-growing Indian enterprises rather than inherited wealth.
- Over the years, the Hurun Rich List has become an important indicator of entrepreneurial success, sectoral shifts, and valuation trends in India’s evolving economy.
Question
Q. Who topped Hurun India’s “Top 200 Self-Made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2025” list?
A. Radhakishan Damani
B. Nithin Kamath
C. Deepinder Goyal
D. Peyush Bansal