PNN
New Delhi [India], January 16: As India marks National Startup Day 2026, the spotlight turns to the leaders and founders shaping the nation's next phase of growth. Across fintech, AI, healthcare, and deep-tech, visionary entrepreneurs are building scalable businesses rooted in innovation, resilience, and global ambition. These leaders are not only creating companies but also strengthening institutions, generating employment, and solving real-world challenges. This special feature highlights the founders and leadership driving India's startup ecosystem forward--transforming ideas into impact and positioning India as a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.
1. Gaurav Goel, Co-Founder & CEO, Toprankers EdTech Solutions
Toprankers is redefining the way Indian students navigate careers beyond conventional engineering and medical pathways. Under the leadership of Gaurav Goel, the company has grown into one of India's most comprehensive career ecosystems, providing multi-brand platforms that guide learners in law, management, design, public service, and other competitive fields. Driven by the belief that education should create clarity, opportunity, and long-term impact, Toprankers integrates technology, mentorship, and data-driven learning to ensure students make informed career choices.
With a strong foundation in scalable learning methodologies and digital solutions, Gaurav has focused on reimagining how students discover opportunities, prepare for competitive exams, and transition successfully into professional life. A Stanford GSB SEED alumnus, he is recognized for his contributions to the edtech sector and for championing student-first institutions. Through Toprankers, Gaurav Goel is not only shaping India's future workforce but also demonstrating how founder-led innovation can drive inclusive educational growth across the country.
2. Hardik Choksi : Founder of MedsCred
Hardik Choksi, a proven entrepreneur with over 20+ years of experience scaling multiple billion-dollar ventures, is now steering MedsCred as Bharat's AI-first healthcare financing backbone. Designed for the realities of New Bharat, MedsCred leverages advanced AI, automation, and deep-tech integrations to unlock instant medical EMI solutions, intelligent claims orchestration, and precision-led credit decisioning for both insured and uninsured patients. By embedding AI across eligibility assessment, risk scoring, claims intelligence, and settlement workflows, MedsCred dramatically compresses turnaround times while safeguarding portfolio quality. Operating as a unified financial orchestration layer, the platform seamlessly connects hospitals, patients, insurers, and lenders into a single, high-trust ecosystem. As healthcare consumption rises and affordability becomes mission-critical, MedsCred is redefining access, resilience, and financial inclusion--ensuring care is never delayed due to cost.
3. Raghavendra Adla - Founder & CEO, Paninian Aerospace
Raghavendra Adla is a first-generation entrepreneur leading a team of 34 talented engineers and senior industry consultants with deep R&D expertise at his deep-tech aerospace venture, Paninian Aerospace.
A proud alumnus of CBIT and Manchester University, Mr. Adla developed his passion for aerospace during his Doctoral Fellowship at Purdue University and founded Paninian Aerospace in 2019 at T-Hub, Hyderabad. Since then, the venture has expanded to a manufacturing unit at Adibatla Aerospace Park and a design center in Whitefield, Bengaluru.
Under his leadership, Paninian Aerospace has achieved a breakthrough in designing and developing cruise missiles and unmanned combat aerial platforms, christened Svayatt ("Autonomous" in Sanskrit), powered by in-house developed jet engines--the first such effort in India's deep-tech sector. With expertise in AI and autonomous systems, including a thesis on agent-based systems, Mr. Adla is now working toward a 3-acre integrated manufacturing and systems integration hub for India's next-generation autonomous aerial systems in Hyderabad.
4. Rishi Sanjay Korde - Founder & CEO, Core De Industries
An IIT-BHU Gold Medalist and Imperial College London alumnus, Rishi Sanjay Korde is the visionary force behind Core De Industries, recently recognized in the Forbes India DGEMS 2025 Select 200. Bridging the gap between deep science and culinary artistry, Rishi is redefining the contract manufacturing landscape in the Food & Beverage sector.
Under his leadership, Core De has emerged as a premier R&D-driven manufacturing partner, empowering ambitious startups and HoReCa brands to launch sophisticated, health-forward products. By moving beyond traditional production to offer "concept-to-commercialization" support, Rishi champions a unique partner-first model. His commitment to sustainable innovation and functional nutrition positions him as a leading "Extrepreneur", driving India's growing global potential in food technology.
5. Sarika Shetty : Co-founder & CEO of RentenPe
Sarika Shetty is the CEO & Co-founder of RentenPe, a fintech startup focused on redefining how rent payments impact financial inclusion in India. With an MBA background and deep experience in building consumer-first digital products, she is leading the creation of India's first Rent Score™, designed to reward timely rent payments and help tenants build formal credit histories. Under her leadership, RentenPe enables transparent, secure, and technology-driven rent transactions between tenants and landlords while unlocking access to better financial opportunities. Sarika's entrepreneurial journey reflects a strong belief in solving real-world problems at scale, particularly for India's large rental population. On National Startup Day, her work stands as an example of how innovation at the intersection of fintech and proptech can drive trust, inclusion, and long-term economic empowerment.
6. Sumit Ranjan: Co-founder & CTO of Emvo
"The demo era is over," says Sumit Ranjan, Co-founder & CTO of Emvo. "In 2026, enterprise AI will be judged by decision ownership, data control, and measurable impact."
Based on insights from 100+ enterprise leaders, Emvo's 2026 architecture rests on four pillars: sovereign control with full AI stack ownership, on-prem deployment, and zero data egress; authentic agency with agents operating at over 98% accuracy in regulated conversations; seamless integration through an API-first design that plugs into CRM and ERP systems in weeks; and provable impact, with outcomes tied to efficiency, revenue, and risk rather than API usage.
Ranjan emphasizes, "Generic intelligence is a liability in compliance-heavy industries. We embed governance and business logic directly into fine-tuned models. A 7B model fine-tuned on bank data outperforms generic 70B models on accuracy, latency, and security, running fully behind the firewall."
As an OWASP Agentic AI contributor, Ranjan positions Emvo as foundational infrastructure enterprises can trust for real operations.
7. Syed S. Ahmed: Founder & CEO of TechInvention Lifecare Limited
Syed Ahmed is the visionary Founder Director and CEO of TechInvention Lifecare Limited, a pioneering force committed to advancing global health equity through innovative biopharmaceutical solutions. With a profound passion for fostering systemic change, Syed co-founded TechInvention to address critical healthcare gaps in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), focusing on diagnostics, vaccines, and novel biotherapeutics. As the Vice President of the Emerging Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers Network, he plays a pivotal role in strengthening biopharmaceutical manufacturing in emerging markets. A prolific innovator, Syed holds co-inventorship in over 15 patents and has contributed to numerous scientific abstracts presented at prestigious global forums. Under his dynamic leadership, TechInvention has achieved remarkable growth, earning recognition in Forbes India 200 and securing industry-leading certifications. Additionally, Syed spearheads the establishment of the Global Collaborative Centre for Medical Countermeasures (GCMC) in India, a state-of-the-art EU-GMP-compliant facility that supports end-to-end vaccine and biotherapeutic development and transfer for LMICs. His work exemplifies an unwavering commitment to making essential healthcare accessible to all while integrating sustainability and climate change solutions.
8. Umesh Kumar: Founder of SunCrypto
Umesh Kumar is the visionary founder behind SunCrypto, one of India's fastest-growing fintech startups, redefining how Indians invest in virtual digital assets (VDA). Founded with a mission to make cryptocurrency simple, secure, and accessible, SunCrypto has quickly emerged as one of the top three crypto exchanges in India, serving over 25 lakh users and managing $50 million in assets. Launched as a bootstrapped platform in 2021, the company focuses on eliminating complexity for Indian investors through a seamless INR trading interface. Umesh prioritizes trust and safety, implementing Ledger-backed cold wallet security and insurance coverage of up to $150 million to ensure strong protection of user funds. With access to over 600 tokens and investment options starting at just ₹100, SunCrypto has successfully democratized crypto investing, particularly for first-time and retail investors. From humble beginnings to building a ₹500 crore fintech brand, Umesh Kumar's leadership exemplifies vision-driven entrepreneurship and his contribution to India's rapidly evolving digital economy.
9. Vaibhav Aggarwal: Managing Director & CEO of India Next Capital
At the intersection of institutional rigor and entrepreneurial agility stands Vaibhav Aggarwal, Managing Director & CEO of India Next Capital. With a deal sheet exceeding a billion USD, Vaibhav has quietly established himself as the definitive architect for India's most complex liquidity events. Forged in the high-performance cultures of industry stalwarts like Bain, Cushman, and ICICI, Vaibhav brings a level of sophisticated advisory that is often missing in the mid-market. He founded India Next Capital to dismantle the inefficiencies of traditional banking, offering bespoke access to structured credit, acquisition finance, and pre-IPO liquidity. While the market chases trends, Vaibhav chases value. He specializes in engineering the financial runways that allow visionary founders to scale without compromise. In a landscape crowded with generalists, Vaibhav is a specialist in the art of the possible, making him the silent partner behind some of the nation's most formidable growth stories.
10. Vishal Salgotra: Founder & CEO of Edgefleet.AI
Vishal Salgotra is an entrepreneur and technologist working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, robotics, and real-world systems. He is currently building and scaling AI-driven platforms across domains such as industrial automation, sports technology, and agritech, with a focus on practical deployment rather than lab-only innovation. An MIT Sloan alumnus, Vishal brings a strong blend of strategic thinking and execution experience, having previously led and grown large teams across global markets. His work emphasizes scalable architecture, data-driven decision-making, and the responsible use of technology to solve complex operational problems. Beyond startups, he actively mentors young engineers and founders, collaborates with academic institutions, and contributes to building technology ecosystems in India. Known for his hands-on approach and clarity of thought, Vishal continues to focus on creating systems that are useful, efficient, and grounded in real-world impact.
Disclaimer: This listicle has been provided by Nandish Communication.
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