Startup Nation: 10 Emerging Founders from IIT and IIM Shaping India's Future

VMPL
New Delhi [India], July 22: India's emergence as a global innovation hub is being fueled by a new generation of entrepreneurs--many of whom are graduates of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) & Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). With just a fraction of the country's annual graduates, IIT & IIM alumni are behind more than two dozen unicorns, have raised over $36 billion in venture capital, and have created more than 400,000 jobs globally. According to NASSCOM and Tracxn, nearly one-third of all founders behind India's top 200 high-growth startups hail from IITs & IIMs.
From clean energy and AI to education and industrial transformation, these founders are solving high-impact challenges at scale. Among them, the following ten alumni are building ventures that are helping shape India's economic future and global competitiveness :
1. Madhusudan, Vyuhaa Med Data
Madhusudan, an IIM Bangalore and IIT Madras alumnus, has over 30 years of cross-industry experience and previously co-founded Lucid Software Ltd. in the Non-Destructive Testing industry. He is the co-founder of Vyuhaa Med Data along with Krishna Mohan Reddy (IIT Roorkee) and leads a team of experts dedicated to transform cancer diagnostics in India. Incubated at IIT Hyderabad and supported by ICMR, Vyuhaa is a pioneering digital pathology startup known for CerviAI--India's leading AI platform for cervical cancer screening. Under his leadership, Vyuhaa is extending cutting-edge diagnostic solutions to underserved populations through advanced edge-AI technology.
2. Victor Senapaty, Propelld
Victor, an IIT Madras and FMS Delhi alum, is redefining student financing in India. A National Maths Olympiad winner, he tried his hand at building ventures in education and hyperlocal delivery, then worked in investment banking at Deutsche Bank, UK. Now at Propelld, he's handling risk, collections, supply, and new verticals to make education loans quicker and more accessible. With over $60M in funding and a tech-led approach, Propelld has already helped millions of Indian students cut through financial hurdles and chase higher education dreams.
3. Vamshi Mangu, Thriwin.io
Vamshi Mangu, an IIM Indore alumnus, is the co-founder of Thriwin.io, an AI-powered sales outreach platform to help startups and B2B businesses grow revenue without needing a big sales team. The idea came from a clear gap--small companies, especially those run by non-tech founders, often struggle with lead generation using new age softwares. Founded back in 2016, Thriwin offers AI-powered agents that handle everything from outreach to follow-ups across channels. Based in Hyderabad, it runs on a pay-per-use model and today supports companies across India and the U.S. in scaling growth with minimal overhead and maximum efficiency.
4. Gautam Balijepalli, Kouzina
Gautam is an accomplished entrepreneur and the co-founder & CEO of Kouzina Food Tech, one of India's fastest-growing food-tech companies. An alumnus of IIT Madras and London Business School. Prior to Kouzina, he was the head of strategy and acquisitions at Ola, and has also been a partner at Ojas Ventures.
At Kouzina, Gautam is leading the growth of a pioneering portfolio of digital-first F&B brands, including The Bowl Company, WarmOven, Istah, and KaatiZone. Under his leadership, Kouzina has rapidly expanded, with a presence in over 100 cities and more than 300 outlets across India. Kouzina is transforming the food delivery and quick service restaurant (QSR) landscape in India through a robust network of entrepreneurial partners.
5. Umang Surana, Capabl
Umang Surana, IIT Madras alumnus and founder of Capabl.in, is on a mission to make India an AI powerhouse. Through Capabl--a next-gen platform for AI skilling and certification--he is empowering professionals, students, and educators to thrive in the age of intelligent technology. From classrooms to boardrooms, Capabl's impact spans ministers, CXOs, and young learners alike. Recognised by NITI Aayog and major industry bodies, Capabl is emerging as a key pillar in India's skilling mission. Rooted in deep tech and driven by purpose, it is shaping transparent career paths and advancing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat--unlocking growth, one mind at a time.
6. Rajesh Kumar, Kalvium
Rajesh is an IIM Kozhikode alumnus, co-founder, and CEO of Kalvium, an edtech startup based in Bengaluru. Formed in 2021, Kalvium partners with popular universities like Manipal, SRM, and Christ to deliver a liberal B.Tech CSE program via its proprietary H.E.R.O.S platform. Rajesh has led Kalvium to configure a curriculum that uses cutting-edge AI applications with workplace-integrated learning and associated industry-relevant content to equip learners with applied skills for enhanced career outcomes.
7. Pranav Gangwal, Orbuculum
Pranav Gangwal, an alumnus of IIT Madras and Founder of Orbuculum, is transforming precision healthcare via artificial intelligence, network medicine, and genomics. His work led to recognition by the UN World Health Assembly, as well as several international awards and patents in the field of disease diagnostics. At the forefront of all innovation at Orbuclum is Clevo, an advanced AI health assessment platform able to identify disease--physical and psychological--before an individual experiences symptoms. Clevo was developed for reach and impact as a revolutionary step toward preventive healthcare, with the possibility to influence diagnostic standards worldwide.
8. Puneet Kumar, Flexcel
Puneet, an IIT Kharagpur Alumnus and veteran product leader for brands including OLX, CarWale, and Airtel - is disrupting the way businesses operationalize with Flexcel. As operations grow, the manual tasks, scattered sheets, and consequent errors in Excel eventually slow team productivity. Flexcel transforms Excel -- it brings enterprise-grade automation to the comfort of Excel -- automating repetitive tasks, ensuring data accuracy, automating approval flows, using reminders, and most importantly -- without abandoning Excel.. Flexcel has gained strong traction in Tier 2 and 3 cities, with plans to expand into metro and global markets -- offering seamless, simplified enterprise automation for growing businesses.
9. Puneet Saxena, Edept
Puneet Saxena, an IIT Kanpur and IIM Lucknow alumnus and the Co-founder of Edept, an edtech startup started along with Gaurav Bhatia and Devendra Nagle. Based out of Bengaluru, edept works with universities to provide industry-aligned programs in data analytics, cybersecurity, and management, bridging critical skill gaps and enabling career mobility. Puneet has over 15 years of experience across industries like SaaS, private equity, and global strategy. He is now leading international partnerships, product, and finance at edept.
10. Vikram Labhe, Melooha
Vikram an IIM Bangalore alumnus and is the Founder & CEO of Melooha, an AI-based astrology startup. He has experience leading and scaling large R&D teams in financial trading & blockchain. Vikram leverages Machine Learning, Data Engineering, and accurate timelines of astrological events and positionings to convert astrology-based data into scientific and life-changing insights for his user community. Founded in 2022, Melooha is operating in over 175 countries and has secured $635K in funding from Streak Ventures.
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