Born in rural Tamil Nadu, Sridhar Vembu built Zoho into a Rs 8,700 crore global software firm with 80M users and 15,000 staff. By avoiding venture capital and creating offices in villages, he proved local talent can deliver world-class innovation

K. Pandiarajan, who worked in his grandfather’s match factory after school in his village, co-founded Ma Foi and later CIEL HR Services. Both companies crossed Rs 1,000 crore turnover, making it an extraordinary feat for an Indian entrepreneur

Richa Jain launched Paperdom in 2012 with Rs 25 lakh, turning textile waste into eco-friendly paper and stationery. From struggling to find buyers in the early days, she has built it into a Rs 20 crore venture while bravely battling breast cancer

At 16, Sathish Kumar left school and built Milky Mist from scratch. From learning paneer by trial and error to scaling it into a Rs 2300 crore turnover dairy giant, he has come a long way, yet he remains simple as the brand now prepares for an IPO

Mayank Singh and Ayush Saxena founded Tooused in 2023 to recycle clothes, shoes, and electronics. In under two years, the Gurgaon startup grew has scaled to Rs 2.8 crore, and is now on track for Rs 4.5 crore, while cutting CO2 and saving landfills

Three friends quit their corporate jobs to launch Hosachiguru, a company that turns dry lands into fertile farms. With 1,500 co-farmers and 27 projects, the venture reconnects people with nature, supporting small farmers and conserving biodiversity