PNN
New Delhi [India], May 5: In an era defined by rapid transformation and relentless innovation, a new generation of leaders is rewriting the playbook for success. These are the minds driving breakthrough ideas, building resilient businesses, and creating brands with purpose and impact. Most Promising Leaders of 2025 puts a spotlight on the individuals who are not only leading their organizations to new heights but are also shaping the future of industries across the globe.
1. Shipra Dawar: Founder of IWill
Shipra Dawar, Founder of IWill is a bold voice reshaping the mental health landscape in India through technology and empathy. Launched in 2017, IWill is a mobile-first digital therapy platform designed to make mental health support accessible, personalized, and stigma-free. Drawing from her own experience with depression, Shipra built IWill to offer outcome-driven therapy by pairing users with professional therapists tailored to their individual needs. Today, the platform reaches over 1.5 million unique visitors monthly, offering virtual sessions to help people manage depression, anxiety, and emotional distress.
With a mission to break cultural taboos around mental wellness, Shipra is championing a new era of affordable and inclusive care. Her leadership is placing mental health at the heart of digital healthcare--and changing lives, one session at a time.
2. Ishaan Bahl: CEO & Owner of 145 Cafe and Bar
A visionary entrepreneur redefining India's casual dining and nightlife scene, Ishaan Bahl has firmly positioned 145 Cafe and Bar as a trendsetter for the next generation. With a deep understanding of youth culture, innovation, and hospitality excellence, Ishaan has built a brand that seamlessly blends vibrant ambience, cutting-edge cuisine, and unforgettable experiences. Under his leadership, 145 has expanded into a cult favorite, synonymous with creativity and consistency. His strategic foresight, passion for design, and commitment to customer engagement continue to set new benchmarks for the industry. As one of the Most Promising Leaders of 2025, Ishaan Bahl represents the bold spirit and entrepreneurial drive powering the brands of tomorrow.
3. Ajay Sood: Founder of Chillaru Resorts
"At Chillaru, we didn't carve into nature -- we grew with it. Here, the forest isn't outside your window; it's part of your room. True luxury whispers through deodar trees, not gold-plated walls."
-- Ajay Sood, Founder, Chillaru Resorts
Craving a getaway where luxury is wrapped in pine-scented air? Welcome to Chillaru Resorts, Kasauli's hidden gem. Founded by Ajay Sood, Chillaru is where tree trunks wander through your suite, a glass-roofed heated pool awaits you in every season, and food tastes like it was slow-cooked by the mountains themselves. Forget cookie-cutter hotels -- here, you live inside nature, not beside it. Chillaru is crafted with heart: local stone, deodar wood, natural spring water, and soul-soothing sustainability. Whether you're sipping cocoa by the pool, feasting under the stars, or hiking the lush forest trails, Chillaru promises stories you'll want to live again and again.
Discover more at www.chillaru.com and follow the journey on Instagram @thechillaru.
4. Arppit Sharrma: AVP - Global Marketing and Digital Transformation at Industrial Motion Inc.
In 2025, Arppit Sharrma emerges as a bold architect of the digital future--where data intelligence meets human-centric design. With 20+ years of leadership across AdTech, MarTech, and enterprise innovation, Arppit is transforming legacy sectors with startup agility.
As the force behind digital transformation at Industrial Motion Inc., he's redefining how manufacturing distribution companies scale through omnichannel commerce, smart automation, and AI-led customer intelligence. He currently advises Lattiq.com (Audience Collaboration and DCR) and DriveMetadata (Full stack marketing solution) on privacy-first data ecosystems, while his past trailblazing work with Oracle, GroupM, and One97 (Paytm)reshaped global GTM strategy. From pioneering India's first deterministic data marketplace to powering clean room adoption, Arppit blends innovation with empathy--turning complexity into opportunity. He doesn't just envision tomorrow--he engineers it.
5. Capt. Indraani Singh: From Cockpit to Karigar - Flying High, Landing Impact
From aviation pioneer to purpose-led changemaker, Capt. Indraani Singh has charted a new course--uplifting women, reviving heritage crafts, and redefining sustainability. At the helm of Indha, she seamlessly blends AI-driven design with traditional artistry to transform fabric waste, recycled paper, and discarded tech--including CPUs and tablets--into functional, handcrafted products.
Her grassroots model empowers women as creators and entrepreneurs, while in-house recycling units for textiles and paper make Indha a real-time model of circular economy. Singh's vision inspires both corporates and consumers to rethink consumption and adopt sustainability as a daily practice.
"At Indha, we're proving that the true future of innovation lies in conscious, inclusive creation." - Capt. Indraani Singh
More than a brand, Indha is preserving craft heritage, sustainability and creating livelihoods with dignity and vision.
6. Shweta Gupta: Founder & CEO of FYVA
At the helm of FYVA, Shweta Gupta is pioneering a new wave of conscious fashion--where sustainability, quality, and affordability converge. By transforming export quality surplus into coveted collections, FYVA promotes circularity at scale, reducing landfill waste while delivering exceptional value to consumers.
Shweta's vision goes beyond style; it's about reshaping how fashion is consumed. With strategic partnerships across India and Bangladesh, FYVA ensures a steady supply of high-grade apparel that's both exclusive and environmentally responsible. Her data-driven, personalized platform deepens customer engagement, making ethical fashion both accessible and aspirational.
Guided by the ethos of Global Styles. Local Access. Fair Prices., Shweta continues to lead with purpose--building a future where smart shopping and sustainability are seamlessly intertwined.
7. Mehak Kumar: Founding Member of Federation of Digital Health Sciences (FDHS)
"The future of healthcare is digital, inclusive, and limitless. At FDHS, we are merging AI, AR, VR, MR, and 3D innovations to create a new era where every individual -- no matter their geography -- has access to smart, personalized healthcare. India's digital health revolution is just the beginning; our ambition is to shape a world where technology breaks barriers and builds healthier, stronger communities everywhere.", Mehak Kumar, Founding Member, Federation of Digital Health Sciences.
As a pioneering health-tech entrepreneur, Mehak Kumar founded FDHS to revolutionize healthcare education, infrastructure, and workforce training in India. Supported by national missions like Ayushman Bharat and NITI Aayog, she leads groundbreaking initiatives including AI-powered health kiosks and immersive digital training ecosystems. Her mission extends beyond India -- to inspire a global shift toward equitable, technology-driven healthcare, placing people and innovation at the heart of every solution.
8. Vikram Singh Parmar: The Visionary Behind India's Most Integrated Holistic Healthcare Platform - Sushain
In India's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, Vikram Singh Parmar is emerging as a transformative force. As the founder of Sushain Wellness and Wholeness Private Limited, he is reimagining how holistic care is delivered in the digital age. Recognized among the Most Promising Leaders of 2025, Vikram's platform, Sushain, seamlessly integrates Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani, and Yoga to offer tech-powered, root-cause-based treatments. What distinguishes Sushain is its fusion of ancient healing with AI-driven innovation--enabling targeted solutions for infertility, menopause, diabetes reversal, and more. With over 2,000 certified practitioners and 20,000+ curated wellness products, Sushain is revolutionizing access to traditional care through digital consultations, personalized protocols, and evidence-based programs. Vikram's mission goes beyond business--he's building a movement toward preventive wellness that's both accessible and clinically sound. In doing so, he is not only preserving India's rich medical heritage but redefining it for a global, modern audience.
9. Vikas Mahesh Aroraa: Founder & CEO of EassyLife
EassyLife Honoured as "Best Brand of the Year in E-commerce - Services" by CNBC TV18 EassyLife is proud to announce that Mr. Vikas Mahesh Aroraa, Founder & CEO of EassyLife, has been felicitated by CNBC TV18 with the prestigious "Best Brand of the Year in E-commerce - Services" award. The award was presented by renowned actress Sonali Bendre, recognizing EassyLife's innovation and excellence in the services sector.
EassyLife is an AI-driven, tech-enabled services delivery platform that offers a comprehensive range of solutions through a single, user-friendly app. From home care, pest control, and appliance repair to PEC, blood tests, car care, pet services, poojas, photography, and many more.., EassyLife caters to a wide spectrum of everyday needs.
With a vibrant and intuitive interface, the app ensures a seamless experience for users, enabling real-time bookings with just a few taps. This recognition marks a significant milestone in EassyLife's journey to redefine convenience and service accessibility in the digital age.
10. Aniket Kulkarni: Co-founder of Kamayakya
Aniket Kulkarni is a dynamic entrepreneur and visionary leader with over a decade of experience in building and running successful businesses across sectors, including sports, e-commerce, and investing. Starting his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 20, Aniket is today the co-founder of KamayaKya, a bootstrapped, multi-cap, SEBI-registered Research Analyst firm specializing in discovering hidden gems in the smallcap, microcap, and SME markets.
KamayaKya provides thoughtfully curated investment solutions, including stock baskets offered through platforms like smallcase - consistently ranking in the top 5 based on one-year returns. Additionally, KamayaKya delivers in-depth individual stock recommendations based on value investing philosophy, utilising comprehensive ground-level verification (scuttlebutt) through its website. This meticulous, hands-on approach increases the probability of identifying profitable opportunities and achieving better investment outcomes.
Aniket's passion for fundamental research, combined with his knack for innovative product development and compelling sales expertise, continues to position KamayaKya as a trusted and reliable partner for investors seeking quality research and investment services.
11. Ankit Kansal: Founder & MD of Axon Developers
Ankit Kansal is a visionary whose ventures are redefining multiple industries. As the Founder & MD of Axon Developers, he is steering a new era in real estate marked by innovation, quality, and customer-centricity.
With a sharp focus on second homes and experiential living, Ankit is reimagining how people perceive real estate, lifestyle living and investments. Axon's projects reflect thoughtful design, long-term value, and emotional connection, which makes them destinations.
Ankit is also the force behind various other companies such as 360 Realtors, one of India's leading real estate consulting firms; Skye Hospitality; Rosemoore India, a premium home fragrance brand; Indsource International, a globally reputed buying agency and many more
What sets Ankit apart is his integrated approach while keeping customer experience and long-term value at the core.
With a keen eye on the future and an unwavering drive to innovate, Ankit Kansal is shaping the next generation of brands.
12. Alpana Soni: Founder of Mealogy Foods
Alpana Soni, Founder of Mealogy Foods, is redefining wellness through a blend of science, compassion, and creativity. With over 8 years as a clinical dietitian and content strategist, Alpana brings more than advice -- she delivers transformative wellness experiences. Her career spans critical care nutrition, leading national dietitian teams, crafting health content, authoring books, and developing innovative nutrition products. Whether guiding a kidney patient's recovery or shaping a health brand's message, her work is deeply personal and impactful. Alpana bridges Ayurveda and modern science, combining deep listening with clinical insight to craft solutions that heal beyond the plate. Her signature approach--rooted in empathy, precision, and purpose--makes her a true architect of lasting wellness. For Alpana, health isn't prescribed. It's lived, felt, and carefully created.
13. Upendra Gulipilli and Krishna Mantravadi: Co-founders of Frontlines
Upendra Gulipilli and Krishna Mantravadi, co-founders of Frontlines Edutech Private Limited, are transforming the educational landscape for students across the Telugu states. With a strong vision to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world skills, they established Frontlines to provide quality, affordable, and accessible education in regional languages. Upendra brings years of experience from the IT industry, while Krishna, an engineer with global exposure, contributes a broad perspective. Together, they've built a platform that simplifies complex concepts through regional storytelling, memes, and relatable content. Their courses in data science, full-stack development, and career readiness are specially designed for students from tier-2 and tier-3 towns.
Through community-driven learning, expert mentorship, and consistent guidance, Frontlines has impacted over 30,000 students so far. Recognized as the "Emerging Startup of the Year 2023" in Career Advancement, the company continues to empower and upskill youth, turning small-town dreams into big success stories.
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