Forbes has unveiled its 10th annual ’30 Under 30 Asia’ list, highlighting the most promising young entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators in the region, all of whom are under the age of 30. The Class of 2025 is notably influenced by technology, particularly artificial intelligence, which significantly impacts how these individuals are shaping the future landscape. This year, the list features 300 remarkable individuals across 10 essential categories, including AI, Consumer & Enterprise Tech, Finance, Social Impact, Retail and Ecommerce, and The Arts. India leads the way with 94 honorees, the highest representation from any country in the Asia-Pacific region. Among the notable figures this year are chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju, Bollywood actress Ananya Panday, and sustainable fashion entrepreneur Jinali Mody. Some of the distinguished Indian changemakers recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2025 list include: Sheetal Devi, 17, a Paralympian who is the first armless archer to win gold at the Asian Para Games; Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, a Chess Grandmaster and the youngest Indian to defeat world champion Magnus Carlsen; Anuv Jain, 29, a singer-songwriter celebrated for hits like Husn and Baarishein; Ishaan Khatter, 29, an actor known for his versatile performances in films such as Beyond the Clouds (2017) and Dhadak (2018); Ananya Panday, 26, a Bollywood star and the inaugural Indian face of Chanel; and Anshita Mehrotra, 25, the founder of Fix My Curls, who is pioneering curly hair care products specifically designed for Indian hair types.
Jinali Mody, the founder of Banofi Leather, is innovatively transforming banana crop waste into eco-friendly leather alternatives. Mukul Chhabra, at the age of 27, established ScrapUncle, which facilitates the collection of scrap materials directly from homes through a technology-driven approach. Krishna Gupta, also 27, is a co-founder of AamDhanE, an initiative aimed at enhancing financial literacy and investment readiness in rural India. Vaibhav Kaushik, another 27-year-old co-founder of Nawgati Tech, is focused on minimizing wait times at fuel pumps through the application of artificial intelligence. Karttikeya Mangalam, aged 28 and co-founder of SigIQ.ai, is dedicated to assisting factories in monitoring the health of their machinery using AI technology. Kshitiz Sanghi, 29, co-founder of Voosh, is working on automating cloud kitchens to improve efficiency. Manu Chopra, also 29, co-founder of Karya, is committed to ethically sourcing AI training data from rural regions of India. Hunny Bhagchandani, the 29-year-old founder of Torchit, is developing affordable assistive technology for individuals with visual impairments. Arghya Bhattacharya, 26, co-founder of Adalat AI, is creating AI solutions to simplify the complexities of India’s legal system. Lastly, Manu Nair and Prashant Sharma, co-founders of Ethereal Exploration Guild, represent India’s efforts in space technology, focusing on making space exploration more accessible and affordable. Following India, Australia had 32 individuals recognized, while China had 30, Japan 25, and South Korea 23, with Singapore and Indonesia each contributing 19 honorees.
