These leaders are not only building businesses but also creating meaningful impact in the communities they serve. Through this edition, we acknowledge their vision, leadership, and contribution to India’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape.
Dreamtime Learning
Founder Name: Lina Ashar
Lina Ashar is a pioneering educationist who has consistently challenged the status quo in learning. After moving from Australia to Mumbai in 1991, she founded Kangaroo Kids and Billabong High introducing India to learner-centric, globally benchmarked education. With schools in 17 Indian cities, Dubai, and the Maldives, her vision continues to grow. In 2023, she launched Dreamtime Learning, a bold initiative to revolutionize education through technology making impactful, relevant learning accessible to 1 billion learners worldwide. – www.dreamtimelearning.com
Aeobiome
Founder Name: Jayavardhini
Aeobiome isn’t just another health startup — it’s India’s health gamechanger. We’re the first to launch the country’s patent-pending, clinically-backed postbiotic formulations, putting India on the global map of next-gen preventive care. Built in innovation and designed for the world, jayavardhini ‘s ideas is to blends deep science, real outcomes, with AI-powered personalization and doctor-led insights. Aeobiome is engineering the future of wellness. Leading the future of personalised medicine
AtaviX
Founder Name: Karishma Bharti
Karishma founded AtaviX with a vision to reimagine the future of business through the lens of human behavior and AI. AtaviX is a behavior-first strategy consulting firm that helps enterprises & startups turn cognitive insights into scalable growth systems. From decision intelligence to digital transformation, their solutions blend behavioral science, data, and strategy. Certified under Startup India initiative, AtaviX is shaping the next decade of intuitive, people-centric organizations in partnership with visionary business leaders. – www.atavix.co
POKONUT
Founder Names:Tulika Pant Karnatak
Tulika Pant, CMO and Co-founder of POKONUT, turned a personal parenting challenge into a purpose-driven skincare brand. When her son developed skin rashes despite using “natural” products, she turned to her grandmother’s Ayurvedic wisdom—reviving age-old remedies with a modern touch. Today, POKONUT blends premium, plant-based ingredients with time-tested science to create skincare that’s clean, effective, and rooted in tradition. With a focus on transparency, sustainability, and results, POKONUT is making Ayurveda relevant for modern, conscious families.
Modern Surya
Founder Names: Vishesha Chaturvedi
Vishesha, co-founder of Modern Surya and an MBA in Sustainability from TERI – also a part of IIM B & Goldman Sachs 10K Women program, is championing clean energy adoption in India’s commercial, industrial, and agricultural sectors. Her venture delivers rooftop solar solutions that reduce carbon footprint and operational costs covering everything from system design to EPC and PPA financing. With a focus on SDG 7, Modern Surya is also advancing solar adoption under the PM-KUSUM Yojana and developing innovative Agrivoltaics to empower farmers through sustainable power.- www.modernsurya.co.in
Dastur Bharat
Founder Names: Reetika Arora
Reetika Arora, founder of Dastur Bharat, brings handcrafted Indian perfumery to the forefront with a focus on luxury, nostalgia, and purity. Her brand offers long-lasting, skin-safe fragrances that are elegant, expressive, and accessible. Rooted in Indian craftsmanship and blended with a modern aesthetic, each scent is designed to evoke emotion and make everyday luxury a personal ritual. At Dastur Bharat, fragrance is more than a product—it’s an experience that stays with you. – www.dasturbharat.com
The Misfits
Founder Names: Aditi Jhala
Aditi Jhala is reshaping food sustainability by giving ‘imperfect’ fruits and vegetables a second chance. Her brand upcycles surplus and “imperfect” produce into delicious, healthy & nutritious plant-based spreads, dips, and munchies – proving that taste beats appearance. It’s a quirky yet impactful mission that champions zero-waste living and respects natural resources. In a market chasing perfection, Aditi’s venture stands out for its bold storytelling, climate-conscious approach, and unapologetic embrace of the “freaks of nature.” Following SDG 12, her brand has rescued 232 kgs of veggies from landfill, saved 12,000 liters of water and reduced 90 kgs of greenhouse gas emissions. A true blend of innovation and purpose.
The founders in this edition represent the spirit of modern entrepreneurship: resilient, responsible, and forward-looking. Their ventures stand as examples of how business can be a force for change and value creation.
