30 Under 30

The grit, the ideas and the spark in the 2017 Forbes India 30 Under 30 list are signs that not all is wrong with the world.

- Abhilasha Khaitan

SILVER LININGS

Happy news isn’t easy to come by these days. The headlines, for the most part, report or predict doom and gloom. Throw a stone and you’re likely to hit a fascist or a defeatist.

We were looking for shiny, hopeful people. So we didn’t throw stones. Instead, we spread the word. Gently at first, and increasingly with greater vigour. It took us a few months, but we found more than we expected: The many members of the bright, young, optimistic cross-section of the country for whom the glass is half full. And with good reason.

The men and women you’ll meet in the 2017 Forbes India 30 Under 30 list are, simply put, refreshing. And real. They have purpose, grit and, often, charm.

Also, they are worthy additions to Forbes India’s stellar 30 Under 30 alumni which counts Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal, actor Sushant Singh Rajput, Practo’s Shashank ND and Abhinav Lal among its many note worthies.

They form, as always, a diverse set, selected across 14 categories. It is important to note that it is never an exhaustive list, given the geographical spread. But it is representative.

The broad parameters for selection: Extent of disruption created by the nominees, whether they are self-made (not enabled by legacy) and if they aren’t already well-established. The criteria automatically rule out next-generation entrepreneurs and the leading lights of, say, Bollywood and sports.

Instead, it brings the focus on people like Dattu Bhokanal, the 25-year-old who was never meant to be a rower, much less India’s most successful one. After his father, a well-digger, passed away, he joined the Indian Army and that is where he found himself an unexpected profession.