• Ashwin Ajila, Founder & Managing Director

    Ashwin Ajila, Founder & Managing Director

  • It was almost the denouement of the year 2005. An unusual number of sodden tea bags visible on his work-table amidst the hot Arabian summer had only one denotation, AshwinAjila, a Chartered Accountant (CA) from KPMG (Manchester) who started his professional career with the same firm in Bahrain, was intensely muddled with his thoughts. He knew that every passing day at the office denudes the same fact that he doesn’t belong to the tiny cubicles, but needs to pursue his passion for entrepreneurship. But the thoughts about its drastic cost –idling his hard-earned CA qualifications and leaving behind a financially secured career, were well-explainedby the tea bags. Yet, the day ended with Ashwin bravely quitting his job, and within a matter of days, he flew back to India to inscribe his own success anecdote.

  • Ashwin Ajila: From Economic Consultant to Founding India's Largest Virtual University

The 'GREAT' Entrepreneurs

By: Anamika Sahu, Managing Editor

India is moving towards becoming a developed nation with small but persistent steps.

The Growing Importance Of Entrepreneurship In A Country’s Economy

By: Abhijit Ray, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Unitus Capital

An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping

50 Best Entrepreneurs - 2019

Colliers International India 2018 Report: TMT Sector Accounted for 19% and 48% of Grade-A Office Space in Mumbai & Bangalore

By: CEO Insight Team

Colliers, a leading global real estate services and investment management

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Microsoft Announces 'Microsoft-Ashoka Accelerator' its Social Entrepreneur Accelerator in India

By: CEO Insight Team

Microsoft Corporation, the multinational technology company, has announced the rollout

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39 Percent of Cyberattacks in India were Detected on Organisations’ Servers, reveals Sophos’ New Survey

By: CEO Insight Team

Sophos, a global leader in offering networking & security solutions

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Digital Ad Fraud in India Accounted for $1.63 Billion in 2018, says techARC's Survey

By: CEO Insight Team

techARC, a Gurgaon-based Market Research firm, conducted a survey to throw

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Entrepreneurs Turned Intrapreneurs

By: Sunil Nayak, CEO - Corporate Services, Asia Pacific, Sodexo

A decade before I started my own entrepreneurial journey, the term

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The ED -Tech Landscape: An Entrepreneur's View

By: Jairaj Bhattacharya, CEO, ConveGenius Group

EdTech is the portmanteau of the two most talked subjects in the world,

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Thoughts On The Current Startup Ecosystem In India

By: Vikram Gupta, Founder & Managing Partner, IvyCap Ventures Advisors

Indian startup ecosystem has grown substantially over the last five years.

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We Need Your High Encouraging Failure In Entrepreneurship

By: Aditya Jadhav, CFA, SIDBI Venture Capital

Today, India is at the cusp of transformation and serendipitously

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Nuances That The Quality Professional Will Face In The Age Of AI & Industry- 4.0

By: Kris Puthucode, CEO & Principal Consultant, Software Quality Center LLC

Industry-4.0 (and Smart Factory-4.0) are here. Gartner estimates that by 2020,

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Five Leadership Principles To Make Business ‘The New Activist’ For Systemic Change

By: Marianne Haahr, Project Director, Sustainia

We live in a leadership-constrained world; it is one of the scarcest resources of our times.

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Killer Idea Or Kill That Idea: How Do You Know If An Idea Is Worth IT?

By: Rimjhim Ray, Co-Founder, Frapperz

The world is fascinated by idea people. After all, these are the creators, the believers,

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Coworking Works Like Magic!

By: Shouvik Mandal, CEO, Apeejay Real Estate

Mandal brings more than 20 years of professional experience and

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  • 50 Best Entrepreneurs - 2019

    Time and again, many individuals in India have taken a leap of faith in their business or product ideas to sail ahead as entrepreneurs wherein some managed to make their mark no matter what hindered them while others just gave up. It is certainly the deep-rooted sense of reaching their goals that is motivating the Indians to propel forward despite the hurdles and pressure both from personal and professional fronts. Most of these entrepreneurs as well as their businesses have not only etched a positive and beneficial impact on the local customers but on the global level too. Right from ground-breaking innovations to technological or scientific inventions, the new and old breed of Indian entrepreneurs and leaders have globally outclassed in many aspects. Moreover, they stand as the pillars of inspirational and motivational wisdom helping individuals pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. From the idea of Oravel Stays to OYO Rooms which is the go-to property today for budget travellers, Ritesh Agarwal has engraved his name as one of the successful and young entrepreneurs. While there are many like Ritesh with big dreams of entrepreneurship since childhood, there are others like Trishneet Arora who were never interested in studies. Yet, Trishneet soared like an eagle at the age of 19 as one of the youngest ‘ethical hackers’ in India besides setting-up his firm TAC Security, a cybersecurity startup. Indubitably, the world of entrepreneurs is a concoction of different people with diverse interests and skills but with one common ambition of making their dreams a true, beautiful reality. Today most individuals get carried away merely by the success stories of these entrepreneurs and miss out on learning about their hardships or failure stories. In fact, there’s a mammoth deal to learn from their failure rather than success stories and how they managed to emerge as the perfect exemplars across their domain of interest. Exploring the background and journey of various entrepreneurs, CEO Insights has composed an informative listing ‘50 Best Entrepreneurs – 2019’. Post a thorough evaluation, an expert panel comprising the industry leaders and CEO Insights Editorial Team has unveiled this listing of front-runners from various industries. The listing sheds light about the best entrepreneurs poised across diverse verticals, their business acumen, innovative ideas, experiences throughout their journey and many more aspects.

50 Best Entrepreneurs - 2019

Company Logo Company Management Company Name Company Description
COGENT Abhinav Singh, Managing Director COGENT With more than a decade of experience, Abhinav has stood at the helm at Cogent E-Services, giving direction to its growth, and continuously striving to augment the knowledge base of the company and its people
Online Delybazar Internet Retail Market Abhirup Basak, Co-Founder & CEO Online Delybazar Internet Retail Market Creating revenue models for businesses from an early age, he evolved as a successful entrepreneur by always pursuing something different and not sticking to the routine
Eywa Solutions Achal Patel, Co-Founder & CEO Eywa Solutions An experienced technocrat leveraging thorough experience with diverse cliets to render high-quality solutions, thriving on exemplary operational skills
SmartData Enterprises Ajay Tewari, Founder & CEO SmartData Enterprises A former marine officer who later transformed into a technology entrepreneur with a desire to progressively impact the lives of people
TalkCharge Technologies Ankush Katiyar, Founder & CEO TalkCharge Technologies Having completed his B.Tech - Computer Science from Lovely Professional University, he is an AMCAT Certified Data Processing Specialist who has previously worked with Aon Hewitt and CSC
Vedang Cellular Services Ashish Kapoor, Director & CEO Vedang Cellular Services Outclassing as a true leader, he emphasizes on the empowerment of senior leadership along with the enhancement of new technologies across the telecommunication space
iNurture Education Solutions Ashwin Ajila, Founder & Managing Director iNurture Education Solutions A CA from KPMG Peat Marwick, UK, Ashwin has been instrumental in transforming innovative ideas into successful business endeavors fot iNurture
Pozibility Technologies Ayyamma Prakash Gudnavar, Founder & CEO Pozibility Technologies A tech-savvy entrepreneur working closely with implementation partners, she has close to two decades of VLSI/ASIC design experience, with Netlist to GDS as main focus
Quadrate Multiligual Consultant Bharathi Mohan, CEO Quadrate Multiligual Consultant A graduate in French Literature, Bharathi is passionate about the art of communication and has 12+ years of experience in the language industry, with extreme proficiencyin languages like French and German
Eka Academy Capt. Muthu Krishnan Iyyappan, Managing Director Eka Academy An army officer-turned-entrepreneur and a prime exemplar of determination, dedication and courage, he spearheads strategic direction, growth prospects and profitability for Eka
WoodCraft Events & Entertainment Deepak Chaudhary, Director WoodCraft Events & Entertainment Having churned out an experience of more than two decades within a young age, Deepak is a passionate event management professional who leads from the front. He is quite flexible in terms of delivery, since he has witnessed and been indulged in both the ‘analogue and digital’ era of events
Les Concierges Dipali Sikand, Founder Les Concierges A constant learner who has made a habit out of chasing and conquering the unimaginable and realizing her dreams
Om Sairam Perfect Health Dr. Manishaa, Consultant Om Sairam Perfect Health A recepient of the Best Dietician & Nutritionist in India, 2018 by MCMR , she laid the foundation for Om Sairam Perfect Health in 1995 and has always been its linchpin with an impeccable experience of handling diverse cases
KALOREX Group Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff, MD & CEO KALOREX Group A recipient of several awards including the prestigious Secular India Award from the President of India and the Woman of the Year award by the American Bibliography Society, North Carolina, she is an edupreneur par excellence
Chrysalis High Dr. Sawaldas Jethani, Founder Chairman Chrysalis High Determined to make a difference in education sector, Dr.Sawaldas is Chrysalis’ guiding light who enlightens little minds with stockpile of knowledge through experiential learning module
Sapien biosciences Dr.Jugnu Jain, Co-Founder & CEO Sapien biosciences A molecular geneticist and cell biologist by profession, she has 25+ years of experience working in various biotech companies across U.S. and UK
Caredose Gauri Angrish, Founder & CEO Caredose Focused to redefine medication adherence by integrating cutting-edge technology with medication management, her persistent personality amplifies teamwork and is the key driver in Caredose’s growth
Docquity Indranil Roychowdhury, Co-Founder & CEO Docquity An MBA from the Symbiosis University & University of Chicago Booth, he has 16+ years of Product Management & Sales experience
Century Pharmaceuticals Janak Sheth, Managing Director Century Pharmaceuticals A strong-minded first-generation entrepreneur possessing an unswerving perseverance, nurturing his company with an ever expanding product range
SQUATS Jitendra Chouksey, Founder & Director SQUATS Having worked for more than 7.5 years in IT companies such as IBM and L&T, he is an ISSA Sports Nutrition Specialist who has transformed thousands of peoples' lives in his quest to make a fit, happy and healthy world
Herbal Strategi John Thomas, Founder Herbal Strategi Having completed his M.Sc from Punjay Agricutural University and MBA from School of Management Studies - Cochin, he has been in the herbal products industry for over 25 years
Verifitech India K Raju, Co-Founder, Director & CEO Verifitech India A professional Background Screening & Credit Verification professional who leverages his professional experiences and expertise to craft the services portfolio at Verifitech India
Aakhya India Kavita Datta, Founder & President Aakhya India Having studied Corporate Communication from St. Xavier’s College - Mumbai, she has over 30 years of experience in communications industry and has worked closely with both state & central governments
Piramal Capital & Housing Finance Khushru Jijina, Managing Director Piramal Capital & Housing Finance An exceptional leader with over two decades of experience in the field of Treasury Management, Financial Services, Real Estate etc., Mr. Jijina is credited with the growth of Piramal Capital and Housing Finance that manages manages a loan book of over Rs.52,000 crore.
Arrowhead Consulting Koyalgeet Kaur, CEO Arrowhead Consulting With a vast experience of over 20 years, she has served in multiple leadership positions with domestic as well as international businesses
Airpay Payment Services Kunal Jhunjhunwala, Managing Director & Principal Founder Airpay Payment Services With lateral thinking and constant learning as his fortes, he outshines as the epitome of a young serial entrepreneur
Divami Design Labs Naveen Puttagunta, Founder & CEO Divami Design Labs Having 25+ years of experience in UX, databases and availability domains, he knits together UI/UX requirements with the latest technologies and designs solutions at par excellence
ZuviusLifesciences Nimish G Thakkar, Chairman & Managing Director ZuviusLifesciences A willful & progressive entrepreneur,who built anempire from ground up with his passion, never-back-down attitude and unquenchable thirst for learning
OfBusiness Nitin Jain, Co-Founder OfBusiness A passionate entrepreneur who reminds us that business success is not just about sustaining, but about creating value by constantly innovating and scaling up
Prospera Transpora Prateek P. Jalan, Founder & CEO Prospera Transpora A logistics industry expert well-known for his calculative business strategies through constant innovation
Specsmakers Opticians Pratik Shah, CEO Specsmakers Opticians An MBA in Finance & Marketing from Spears School of Business, Oklahoma State University, his experise lies in the areas of Negotiation, Customer Service, Coaching, Sales, and Retail
Artwaley Priyal Gautam Ostwal, Founder & CEO Artwaley One of the youngest & emerging entrepreneurs in the sphere of arts, she laid the foundation for Artwaley to contribute her prowess for the reinforcement of her community while funnelling her passion to create value for the society
Zensciences Rahul Koul, Co-Founder Zensciences An ex-Wipro employee who possesses decades of experience in demand generation with a track record of strong execution prowess
OMSOFTWARE Raj Kamal,,Founder & CEO OMSOFTWARE An experienced IT professional who amalgamates his skills, IT expertise and vast business acumen to devise strategic business solutions for OMSOFTWARE’s growth and drive company’s presence globally
Radma Research and Consulting Rajiv Sharma, Founder & CEO Radma Research and Consulting Having 20 years of experience in ICT, BFSI, Oil & Gas, Retail and Automotive verticals, he has been played in Radma’ssuccess story
Hey Deedee Revathi Roy, Co-Founder, MD & CEO Hey Deedee A recepient of the prestigious NITI Aayog’s ‘Women Transforming India Award’ in 2016, she holds a Masters in Economics from St. Xaviers College and commenced her entrepreneurship journey by pioneering Asia’s first women-operated cab service in 2007
SHEROES Sairee Chahal, Founder & CEO SHEROES A Post Graduate from IMT Ghaziabad and holding a degree in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, she has many accolades to her name such as Devi Award, Femina Achievers Award, Editor’s choice for L’Oreal Femina Women’s Award, and others
M K Caterers Saket Kesarwani, Founder & Director M K Caterers Saket is a seasoned food catering industry professional who has served as ex-Chef in many five star hotels like Mughal Sheraton, Trident Oberoi, Taj palace, Holiday Inn, Taj Mahal and others
Sqrrl Fintech Samant Sikka, Chief Dreamer & Founder Sqrrl Fintech With a huge entrepreneurial exposure of building businesses & teams from the scratch, he currently outshines as the epitome of an entrepreneur in the Fintech space of India
Koovers Sandeep Begur, Co-Founder & CEO Koovers Holding a Bachelore in Engineering degree from the University of Mysore, he has 20+ years of experience in Automobile Spares industry
Silver Monkey Bangalore Santosh Sangolikar, CEO Silver Monkey Bangalore Dwelling creativity in great detail, Santosh gives life to unique ideas and steers multiple events with immense enthusiasm. He drives strategic consultation and distils complexities into spellbound yet simple creative ideas
Quale Infotech Siddhartha Singh, CEO Quale Infotech Aptly defining how good nature nurtures business success, this self-established entrepreneur cherishes integrity and perseverance to accomplish business goals
Akarmaxs Tech Sneha Rakesh , Managing Director Akarmaxs Tech A Masters graduate in Engineering with proven excellence in playing diverse roles such as Customer Support Executive, Technical Support Consultant and Software Engineer with hands-on experience across back- & front-end of technology
INCITE Interact Sowmya Nanjundaiah, CEO INCITE Interact Holding a PG Diplomo - Marketing Management from Mount Carmet College and MBA from University of Massachusetts, she also co-founded Mantra Analytics - an analytical solutions firm
WheelsEMI Srinivas Kantheti, Co-Founder & MD WheelsEMI A BE - Electrical from Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, he started his career with Siemens in 1983 and since then held diverse leadership roles across varius industry verticals
Fipola Retail (India) Sushil Kanugolu, MD & CEO Fipola Retail (India) Continuing the rich legacy in seafood industry, he gives us major goals on how entrepreneurial DNA kindles passion for business right from childhood days
SyMetric Uma Janapareddy, Founder & CEO SyMetric A dynamic individual with an illustrious career handling diverse business ventures across Clinical Research, Life Sciences, Fashion and Social Enterprise, orchestrating the overall direction and product strategy for SyMetric Systems
The Chocolate Room Vikas Punjabi, Co-Founder & MD The Chocolate Room An iron-willed entrepreneur, Vikas with his astute entrepreneurial skills carves-out effective business strategies to escalate TCR’s growth graph
FABDIZ Vineet Sharma, Founder & Director FABDIZ A Project Manager by profession and a graduate civil engineer, Vineet brings-in two decades of his management experience working with various MNCs and International corporates. His strength in management & team leadership drives the vision for FABDIZ