Meet the Visionaries Powering India’s Business Future in 2025

As India cements its position as a global innovation and economic powerhouse, a new generation of bold thinkers and relentless doers is reshaping the future of business. These visionaries are not just building companies, they are redefining industries, solving pressing challenges, and inspiring a nation with their courage, creativity, and purpose. From disruptive tech founders to social entrepreneurs and sustainability champions, 2025 belongs to the ones who dare to imagine and lead. In this feature, we spotlight the trailblazers who are setting the course for India’s business landscape and possibly the world’s. 

Aditya Kilachand is the Founder & CEO of Avās Wellness, a luxury wellness community in Alibaug. A Boston College graduate in Finance and Marketing, he began his career in hospitality, launching iconic venues like Prive and Tetsuma, which redefined luxury nightlife and dining in India. Over a decade ago, his passion for Alibaug led to real estate development, culminating in Avās. Blending tradition, design, and wellness, Kilachand envisions Avās as a sanctuary for holistic living, built for those seeking balance, beauty, and elevated experiences in a natural setting.

Stuti Dhanuka is the Founder, Director & Chairperson of Ranger Apparel Export, a Bengaluru-based garment export company launched in 1996. Starting with ₹35 lakhs, Ranger now has over 1300 employees and a turnover of ₹120+ crores. Known for its shirt specialisation, Ranger supplies leading European brands including Gant, Hugo Boss, and Reiss. In 2021, Stuti launched Terra Luna, a 100% sustainable brand working with handspun khadi and over 250 artisans in Gujarat. A hands-on leader, she brings expertise across product development, manufacturing, and business strategy, with a focus on artisanal and ethical fashion.

Devangi Nishar Parekh is the Managing Director of Aza Fashions and Founder of Azafashions.com, where she has redefined the way Indian fashion is curated and accessed globally. A Wharton graduate, she blends strategic acumen with a passion for heritage and craftsmanship. In 2024, she launched Araiya by Aza, a fine jewellery brand featuring consciously crafted lab-grown diamonds. Raised in the U.S. and based in India, Devangi brings a global lens to Indian design, driving omnichannel innovation, sustainability, and cultural storytelling across Aza’s expansive multi-designer retail platform.

Pranav Bimbhat is the co-founder of FirstEdge, a new-age sports brand redefining the way India plays fast-growing sports like padel and pickleball. With a background in startup & marketing and a passion for performance-driven innovation, Pranav spotted a clear gap in the market for accessible, high-quality gear tailored to Indian athletes. His strategic thinking and hands-on approach have helped FirstEdge serve to a strong community of players and enthusiasts across the country. Pranav continues to champion homegrown sporting excellence through thoughtful product design and athlete-first brand building.

Namita Kothari is redefining fine jewellery with Akoirah by Augmont, A lab-grown diamond brand rooted in trust, transparency, and timeless design. By blending luxury with accessibility, she is leading a shift in consumer behaviour, making everyday elegance a norm. Under her vision, she plans to expand Akoirah to 100 outlets across cities in India and enter international markets, making lab-grown diamonds a global phenomenon. Backed by Augmont’s legacy, Namita champions conscious consumption and effortless luxury. Her belief: “Luxury should be lived, not locked away,” guides her mission to make diamonds a part of daily self-expression.

Vinod Kumar Sah, Co-founder and CTO of CoTrav, is redefining corporate travel with a tech-enabled concierge model. With 20+ years of IT experience, he’s built a platform that blends automation with personalized service, enabling smooth bookings, multi-role access, and strict compliance . CoTrav helps businesses with multi-role user access for approvers, admins, and employees, ensuring smooth travel approvals and strict compliance management. Advanced analytics help companies track expenses, measure ROI on business trips, and make smarter, data-driven travel decisions.

Vinod’s vision extends beyond digital convenience; he’s creating a scalable, AI-driven ecosystem that optimizes costs, boosts efficiency, and delivers unmatched transparency. By merging technology with a human touch, Vinod positions CoTrav as a trusted partner helping enterprises streamline operations while achieving measurable business outcomes.

Kiran A, Chief Operating Officer, buildAhome is redefining home construction with a tech-enabled, end-to-end approach. Established in 2016 and headquartered in Bengaluru, buildAhome has delivered 660 projects and achieved 200% growth in project volume and turnover. With a team of seasoned experts, buildAhome delivers turnkey solutions that combine innovation, affordability, and sustainability. Strengthening its customer-first approach, buildAhome recently launched a cutting-edge Knowledge Centre in Bengaluru. This pioneering initiative is designed to empower homeowners by demystifying the homebuilding process, fostering trust, and delivering unparalleled clarity through an immersive, tech-driven experience.

buildAhome caters to the evolving needs of environmentally conscious individuals, delivering homes that are smart, efficient, and future-ready. By merging technology with green construction, buildAhome is setting new benchmarks in the residential construction industry.

Sandeep Gulati, MD of Egis South Asia, is a seasoned leader with 30+ years of experience. Since joining Egis in 2017, he has led a strategic, operational, and cultural transformation, tripling the company’s topline and positioning it as a top infrastructure consulting firm with 120 completed and 50 ongoing projects. A Chartered Accountant and former CFO of Alcatel-Lucent, Sandeep focuses on governance, innovation, and delivery excellence. His leadership centers on four pillars: growth, innovation, digitalization, and nation-building. With a team of 3,000 experts, Egis is now a tech-enabled, future-ready partner in sectors like Rail, Roads, Urban, and Water. Known for his people-first approach, Sandeep champions outcome-driven, sustainable growth.

Kuber Pritmani co-founded BillMe (Now RazorpayBillMe) at just 23, a digital invoicing and customer engagement platform that powers over 1,000 retail brands across India leading the company to a successful acquisition by Razorpay,
One of the youngest Indian founders to exit at scale in fintech, he has the rare ability to read both consumers and businesses with precision resulting in BillMe doing 30 crore+ transactions per year across 40,000 touch points. With his unmatched grip on India’s retail pulse, the business ecosystem is curious to see what his next disruptive innovation is.

Taranpreet Singh is a seasoned Retail Strategist, Brand Consultant, and Phygital Transformation Expert with over 2 decades of experience across brands like Apple, TATA Croma, KAZO, ITC Wills Lifestyle & in his own venture. As the Founder of TRS Consultancy and Expansion Masters LLP, he leads businesses through market entry, offline & online retail planning & strategy ,omni-channel scaling, and tech-enabled transformation for brands like Nykaa, Levis, Nike, John Players, Lee Cooper, Kiaasa & many more.

The individuals featured in this list represent more than success stories, they embody the spirit of modern India: ambitious, resilient, and globally minded. As we move deeper into 2025, their journeys remind us that the future is not something we wait for, it’s something we create. By driving innovation, embracing change, and leading with purpose, these visionaries are not just powering businesses, they are powering India’s promise for decades to come.