TOP INDIAN STARTUPS IN 2023

Top Startups in India

These are the top 25 startups in India

• CRED
• Vernacular.ai
• PharmEasy
• Digit Insurance
• Meesho
• Groww
• Nykaa
• Udaan
• Dream11
• Swiggy
• Instamojo
• PostMan
• Delhivery
• Slice
• InMobi
• Practo
• Boat
• Skyroot Aerospace
• LivSpace
• Ather
• PhonePe
• Licious
• PolicyBazaar
• Razorpay
• Paytm

Upskilling helps you land your dream job in one of the top startups!!!

Top 10 Startups in India	Founder	Headquarters
CRED	Kunal Shah	Bangalore
Vernacular.ai	Sourabh Gupta, Akshay Deshraj, Prateek Gupta and Manoj Sarda	Bangalore
PharmEasy	Siddharth Shah	Mumbai
Digit Insurance	Kamesh Goyal	Bangalore
Meesho	Vidit Atreya, Sanjeev Barnwal	Bangalore
Groww	Lalit Keshre	Bangalore
Nykaa	Falguni Nayar	Mumbai
Udaan	Vaibhav Gupta	Bangalore
Dream11	Harsh Jain	Mumbai
Swiggy	Sriharsha Majety, Nandan Reddy, Rahul Jaimini	Bangalore

1. CRED

Founded in 2018, CRED is a platform where you can pay your credit card bills and get rewarded for it. The platform has created a new model where users get “CRED coins” when they pay their bills through the CRED app. These coins can later be redeemed for buying any product, entering a contest, or joining any workshop. The startup is Bangalore based and provides a range of services like credit and a premium catalogue of products to the customers. The startup believes to incentivise people in order to improve their financial behaviour. 

According to TechCrunch, CRED is the youngest Indian startup to be valued at around $2.2 billion. This 2-year-old startup has more than 6 million customers and about 22% of all credit card holders. As per the founder and CEO, Kunal Shah, the company is targeting affluent customers and has become one of the most talked-about startups.  

Very few companies focus on the high-end base and continue strong growth over the years. CRED is also planning to introduce a feature where CRED coins can be used by over a thousand merchants. The startup is also planning to own an eCommerce store. It is clearly visible that the startup is planning a lot more than just providing reward coins to its customers. 

2. Vernacular.ai

This startup is an AI-First SaaS business aiming to become the leading voice automation and AI platform globally. The company provides Speech recognition and Voice assistants as a service to the banking, Food and Beverage and Hospitality industries. Their services have the least human interference and can handle complex servicing issues as well.  Founded in 2016, the company has raised $5.1 million in funding in the year 2020.

As per Economic Times, Vernacular.ai is preparing to hire 100 people in 2021 which could strengthen its leadership team. While there were retrenchments and pay cuts in the last year, Vernacular.ai has strengthened its workforce by 4 times. The company is heading to become the world’s most appealing Voice AI platform with employees having multifunctional expertise. Recently, the company announced the appointment of Gangadhar Kodandaram as Chief revenue officer (former Microsoft employee) and Ankit Jain as Vice President for product management (An alumnus of Amazon). Their experience and intelligence will definitely take Vernacular.ai to new heights. 

As Voice and Automation are two trending technologies expected to grow massively in the future, Vernacular.ai is also likely to scale up its operations. 

3. PharmEasy

PharmEasy is an online pharmacy and medical store in India which specialises in OTC products, diagnostic tests, and medical instruments. The company was founded in 2015 in Mumbai, Maharashtra and has seen incredible growth since then.  It is an online pharmacy with every product you could ever imagine in an offline medical store. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has become an essential service that has contributed to its growth. The competitors of PharmEasy in India are 1mg and Netmeds. This health tech startup has raised a massive $350 million, becoming the first Epharmacy unicorn in India. The funding has been raised after the merger of PharmEasy with its rival Medlife. PharmEasy has acquired a 100 per cent stake in Medlife, and the latter got a 19.95% stake in the merged entity. Both the companies have joined hands and merged in order to beat off the competition from rival players like Netmeds (Reliance Jio), Flipkart and Amazon Pharmacy who have just entered the pharmacy segment in India. 

The investors of PharmEasy are the ones who also invested in the startups like Swiggy and Byju’s. The founders Dharmil Sheth and Dr Dhaval Shah have planned to reach over 100,000 pharmacies in the next 12 months in the new geographical markets of India. 

4. Digit Insurance

Digit Insurance is an insurance company founded in 2016 and claims to simplify insurance products for everyone so that the view of insurance products can change among people. Digital Insurance raised its first funding in the year 2020, in which Indian celebrity couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have also infused their $340K. 

The reason is more than 20 lakh Indian population have bought illness insurance against COVID-19 and other diseases like malaria, chikungunya, dengue, and others. Digit is a Bangalore-based startup which reached its break even in 2020 because of its lower operating costs and excellent business metrics. . The Chairman, Kamesh Goyal confirmed that the company has managed to expand its business by 30% in 2020 when the entire insurance industry was struggling.  Digit has bagged many awards like “ Hottest Startups in India 2019”, “Asia’s Best general Insurance Company of the Year 2019”, “Fintech 250 List” and more. Kamesh Goyal further ensured that the funding raised will be used to grow business and technologies. 

5. Meesho

Founded in 2015 by IIT-Delhi Graduates, Meesho is the reseller platform that is all set to become the big e-commerce distribution channel where the homepreneurs sell products through WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. The company is valued at $2.1 billion after raising funds of $300 million.

Meesho is the ecosystem that enables small businesses to perform on the online platform. This platform has raised $490 million till date, and its investors include Facebook.  Meesho connects sellers with the customers in an online marketplace and offers management of logistics, orders, and payments to the sellers. It is connected with more than 13 million entrepreneurs in Indian cities dealing in grocery, home and kitchen appliances, apparel and more. As Indian social commerce is expected to grow at a rate of 55%-60%, Meesho has a massive potential to upscale retailing to new heights in the future. It is competing with the companies like GlowRoad, Dealshare and CityMall who are also getting attention from the investors. Dealshare which was founded in 2018, has raised $21 million in December 2020. 

Meesho has claimed that it has made deliveries from more than 100000 registered suppliers, generating more than 500 Cr i.e., $68 million in income for the homepreneurs. 

6. Groww

Groww is an investing platform that allows its customers to invest in stocks, ETFs, Mutual funds, IPOs and more using its platform. The platform works on both mobile applications and the web. The company was founded in 2016 by 4 ex-Flipkart employees who noticed how difficult it is to invest in India. This realisation made them start Groww which has more than 15 million users registered till now. According to Groww, more than 60% of the company belongs to smaller cities of India that have never invested before. As per one of the founders, Lalit Keshre, Groww is used across India and not just in metro cities. The users are spread across all the major cities of the nation who are working class, young and want to invest their hard-earned money. 

The company raised $83 million in 2021 and entered into the Unicorn club. This company is looking forward to investing this amount in new products, recruiting new talent, and building education platforms for investors.

7. Nykaa

Nykaa is an online beauty store and a fashion e-commerce platform that was founded in 2012.  The company offers wellness and beauty products to customers at reasonable prices. It is interesting to know that it raised $25 million in March 2020 and is now valued at $1.2 billion. The company’s investors include Bollywood celebrities like Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif.

Falguni Nayar, the platform founder and a former investment banker, has visioned to create a platform with thousands of product options. Now, the company has more than 55 retail stores and fulfils around 1.5 million orders every month. Nykaa has more than 5 million monthly active users and deals with more than 500 brands through its website and the stores. The company has also started its new venture Nykaa Fashion which offers apparel and accessories. It has introduced its own private label for intimate wear named Nykd. According to RedSeer Consulting’s report, India’s online beauty market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9%. This is an opportunity for Nykaa to grow more in the Indian market and expand its business. The company is in a run-up of IPO by 2022 and is expected to raise $3.5 billion in the public market. 

8. Udaan

A tech-based startup that provides B2B e-commerce solutions was founded in 2016. Started by the former executives of Flipkart, Sujeet Kumar, Vaibhav Gupta and Amod Malviya, the company has gained a network of more than 3 million users in 900 cities. It helps in connecting more than 25000 sellers in India. The company has signed up thousands of brands which also includes Boat Lifestyle, PepsiCo, LG,  ITC, and many other big names. In 2018 and in the shortest period of time, the company has gained a unicorn status. Recently, Udaan has raised $280 million from its existing and new investors. The company has raised overall $1.15 billion as of now and has a value of over $3.1 billion.

As per the Co-founder of Udaan, the pandemic COVID-19 has fast-tracked the growth of the digital-led evolution of the unorganised Indian trade retail industry. This is an opportunity for Udaan to remain in the leading position of e-commerce platforms in the country.

As per Entracker, Udaan is trying to penetrate into B2C markets through a new app called Pickily.  The app is live on the Google Play Store offering the FMCG products across different locations in Bangalore.  With this venture, the company will be able to compete with the companies in the same segment as Big Basket, Swiggy Stores, Flipkart and more. 

9. DREAM 11

Founded in 2008, DREAM 11 is an online fantasy sports platform that now has more than 10 crore users in India. Based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, the company was founded by two young cofounders, Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth. DREAM 11 has raised $400 million just before the commencement of IPL 2021. One of the investors is TCV which has also backed the giants like Airbnb and Netflix. DREAM 11 is also India’s first Unicorn start-up as the company’s valuation is now escalated to $5 billion. The company has grown at a CAGR of 230 per cent in the last 3 years. 

Dream 11 is the first and leading fantasy gaming platform in India. It has attracted a lot of young users who are crazy about games. It took three years for the company to hit the mark of 1 million users and post that it crossed 3 million mark in less than 2 months. The company had around 75 million users before pandemic COVID-19 started in India and now reached 100 million users. As per the reports of Deloitte, the fantasy Sports in India has grown by nearly 200% that is a catalyst for the growth of the company. 

10. Swiggy

Who doesn’t know Swiggy? Imagine you are working on a Monday and craving for a cheesecake post lunch. Swiggy has made that easy for you to satiate your cravings even while sitting at home. The largest food delivery platform in India, Swiggy is serving in 27 cities and has partnered with more than 40,000 restaurants. Headquartered in Bangalore, the company has recently raised funding of $800 million and is now valued at nearly $5 billion.

The company’s target market has also grown to 50 million over the period, which is like a lifetime opportunity for Swiggy. The food delivery services started just with 5 delivery boys and 25 restaurant partners in 2014 when Zomato was already there in the market. However, in less than 4 years, the company got itself in the unicorn category of startups and is giving tough competition to Zomato. The company’s success is built on its splendid customer experience value chain. 

The company has always been customer-obsessed, which makes it stand out among other startups. When other food delivery startups like TinyOwl and FoodPanda were struggling, Swiggy made its way by standing out from the rest of the crowd.  That is why it is one of the most successful startups in India. 

11. Instamojo

As the “simplest payment solution,” Instamojo has reduced entrance hurdles, such as technical expertise and upfront expenses, and has given small enterprises access to distribution channels on the web and mobile through various up-selling and cross-selling e-commerce tools and features.

12. PostMan

PostMan is an API platform for creating and utilising APIs and to help you design better APIs faster, Postman improves collaboration and simplifies every stage of the API lifecycle.

13. Delhivery

Delhivery is a supply chain management firm founded by Bhavesh Manglani and a team that specializes in transportation, warehousing, freight, and order fulfilment.

14. Slice

Slice is a FIntech startup backed by Tiger Global Management, Moore Strategic Ventures, Insight Partners, and GMO VenturePartners which has contributed $50 million in a Series C round of funding. The business claimed that it will utilise the funding to assist the growth of its new UPI product line. Slice has so far raised a total of $270 million in investment.

15. InMobi

InMobi became the first unicorn startup firm in India in 2011. It has 22 offices spread across 12 nations and 5 continents, with about 1,500 individuals working there. Soft Bank, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Ram Shriram’s Sherpalo Ventures are the company’s backers. The Native Ads platform from InMobi enables mobile publishers and app developers to offer their end customers an engaging, in-context native ad experience.

16. Practo

Practo is a health tech startup founded in 2008 by Abhinav Lal. This healthcare startup helps consumers to find the best doctors, book instant appointments, and make better health decisions.

17. Boat

The boat is an Indian Startup founded by Aman Gupta in 2016. This Indian firm has been successful in attracting clients with its stylish and affordable electronic goods.

18. Skyroot Aerospace

Skyroot Aerospace is India’s first private space launch startup formed in July 2018 by former Indian Space Research Organisation scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana, and Naga Bharath Daka. This startup provides a commercial launch service and is already helping in building the Vikram series of rockets to carry small satellites into space.

19. LivSpace

LivSpace is an interior design startup founded in 2014 by Anuj Srivastava Ramakant Sharma. This is the fifth unicorn startup in India which offers restoration and interior design services in India.

20. Ather

With its headquarters in Bangalore, Ather Energy is an Indian manufacturer of electric vehicles. In 2013, Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain started it. According to reports, Ather Energy, which has successfully sold 3677 units, is the fourth-best-selling two-wheeler EV in India in the first half of 2021.

21. PhonePe

PhonePe is a popular digital payments and financial services platform in India. It was launched in 2016 and is now one of the leading mobile payment apps in India. PhonePe allows users to transfer money, pay bills, recharge mobile phones, buy insurance and invest in mutual funds, among other financial services. The app uses Unified Payments Interface (UPI) technology to enable transactions between bank accounts. PhonePe also offers a range of cashback offers and discounts to its users on various transactions. The app is available for download on both iOS and Android platforms.

22. Licious

Licious is a food tech company that operates an online meat and seafood delivery platform in India. Founded in 2015, Licious allows customers to order fresh and hygienic meat and seafood products through its mobile app or website. The company sources its products directly from farmers and fishermen, and uses a combination of technology and expert quality checks to ensure that the products are of high quality and safe for consumption. Licious offers a wide range of products, including chicken, mutton, seafood, and ready-to-cook products, and provides convenient delivery options to customers across major cities in India. The company has also implemented strict hygiene and safety protocols to ensure that its products are handled and delivered safely, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

23. PolicyBazaar

Policybazaar is an Indian online insurance aggregator and financial technology company. Founded in 2008, the company offers a digital platform that enables customers to compare and purchase insurance policies across various categories, including health, life, motor, travel, and home insurance. Policybazaar partners with leading insurance companies in India to offer customers a wide range of insurance products with competitive pricing and features. The company’s platform uses data analytics and artificial intelligence to provide personalized insurance recommendations to customers based on their individual needs and preferences. Policybazaar has also expanded its services to include loans and credit cards, and offers customers the option to apply for these financial products through its platform. The company has been recognized for its innovative business model and has won several awards for its contribution to the Indian fintech industry.

24. Razorpay

Razorpay is an Indian payment gateway company that provides payment solutions to businesses and organizations of various sizes. Founded in 2014, Razorpay enables businesses to accept and manage online payments through its platform. The company offers a range of payment services including payment gateway, subscription billing, payment links, and smart collect. Razorpay also provides a suite of developer-friendly APIs and SDKs that enable businesses to customize and integrate payment solutions into their websites and mobile apps. The company uses a secure and reliable platform that complies with the latest industry standards and regulations to ensure that all transactions are safe and secure. Razorpay serves a wide range of industries including e-commerce, healthcare, education, and hospitality, and has received several awards for its innovation and contribution to the Indian fintech industry.

25. Paytm

Paytm is an Indian financial technology company that provides a wide range of digital payment and financial services to its customers. Founded in 2010, the company initially started as a mobile wallet service and has since expanded to become a one-stop solution for various financial needs. Paytm offers services like mobile recharges, bill payments, ticket booking, money transfer, and online shopping through its platform. The company has also launched Paytm Payments Bank, a digital bank that provides banking services such as savings account, debit card, and mobile banking to its customers. Paytm has a wide network of merchant partners and provides a unified payment solution that enables customers to pay for products and services at various merchants using their Paytm wallet or other payment methods. The company has implemented various security measures to ensure that all transactions on its platform are secure and safe. Paytm has emerged as one of the leading players in the Indian digital payments space, and has won several awards for its innovative business model and contribution to the fintech industry.