India is entering an era where entrepreneurship is no longer a one-shot pursuit but a sustained professional arc. A growing cohort of founders is now crafting formidable second innings, drawing on the scars and wisdom of earlier ventures, adjusting to changing consumer expectations, and stepping into categories that demand sharper execution. Their rise signals a quiet reset in the country’s startup culture: the move from building a company to building a lifelong vocation in innovation. Here are the leaders who exemplify this reinvention.

1. Anant Goel: From Milkbasket to Handpickd

Anant Goel is a serial innovator who has cracked the code of how Indians buy their daily necessities. In 2015, he founded Milkbasket, a micro delivery platform that transformed the daily milk buying for urban cities. Under Anant’s leadership, Milkbasket scaled rapidly, growing into one of the country’s most successful hyperlocal logistics models. The company was eventually acquired by Reliance Retail, marking one of India’s standout exits in the grocery-tech space.

In his second innings, Anant launched Handpickd, India’s first zero-stock fresh produce platform. Handpickd moves beyond simple convenience to tackle the deeper issue of quality and trust in fresh commerce. The platform’s biggest differentiator is hyper-personalization, or ‘match-making,’ as coined internally at Handpickd. It gives customers the power to choose the exact quality and quantity, allowing them to specify ripeness levels, size, and even texture for produce. It operates with zero inventory and zero dark stores, which significantly reduces the industry-wide problem of food wastage, ensuring nothing is stored for days. Handpickd recently secured $15 million in new funding, validating its tight curation model and its potential to deliver a new standard of transparency and unmatched purity in the fresh commerce space.

2. Kunal Shah: From FreeCharge to CRED

Kunal Shah’s entrepreneurial journey began with FreeCharge, a pioneering recharge and payments platform that became one of India’s fastest-growing consumer internet businesses. It was eventually acquired by Snapdeal, giving Kunal the freedom to rethink consumer behaviour and financial ecosystems. His second innings, CRED, targets India’s most creditworthy users and turns responsible financial behaviour into a rewarding experience. CRED stands out by combining payments, credit management, rewards, commerce, and fintech services into a premium, design-led ecosystem. Its differentiated play lies in building trust, aspiration, and habit around financial discipline, something rare in mass fintech. Recently, CRED has expanded into lending, travel, vehicles, and wealth tools, strengthening its position as a full-stack lifestyle-finance platform.

3. Sanjeev Bikhchandani: From Naukri.com to an Investment Powerhouse

Sanjeev Bikhchandani first founded Naukri.com, India’s earliest internet success story and the country’s most trusted job portal. After taking the company public and cementing its leadership, he evolved into a startup ecosystem enabler through Info Edge. His second innings isn’t a single company; it’s a portfolio that has shaped India’s startup landscape. Info Edge has backed category leaders like Zomato, Policybazaar, 99acres, and Shiksha, offering not just capital but long-term mentorship and strategic clarity. What sets his second act apart is its multiplier effect: investing in founders who, in turn, reshape Indian internet culture. Recent achievements include Zomato’s successful turnaround and Policybazaar’s steady growth post-IPO. Sanjeev’s second innings demonstrates how a founder can go from building one company to enabling an entire generation of them.

4. Binny Bansal: From Flipkart to OppDoor

As co-founder of Flipkart, Binny Bansal helped build India’s most celebrated e-commerce company, culminating in a historic acquisition by Walmart. After stepping away from Flipkart, Binny chose a quieter but deeply strategic second innings with OppDoor, a cross-border enablement platform that helps Indian brands expand globally. Unlike Flipkart, which focused on domestic consumers, OppDoor handles cataloging, logistics, compliance, warehousing, and marketplace integrations for international markets. The value lies in simplifying exports for thousands of Indian sellers who struggle with global e-commerce complexities. Recently, OppDoor has onboarded several emerging D2C brands and expanded operations across key US and European marketplaces. Binny’s second chapter is more infrastructure-driven, less about scale at any cost and more about empowering Indian businesses to go global with confidence.

5. Mukesh Bansal: From Myntra to Cult.fit

Mukesh Bansal first made his mark with Myntra, India’s leading fashion e-commerce platform, which was ultimately acquired by Flipkart and became the backbone of its fashion vertical. After exiting Myntra, Mukesh turned his attention to health and wellbeing with Cult.fit. His second innings brings together fitness centres, digital workouts, mental health, medical care, and nutrition under one integrated ecosystem. Unlike traditional gyms, Cult.fit blends technology with offline experiences, creating a habit-forming, community-led fitness culture. The brand has expanded aggressively post-pandemic, reopening centres, scaling its digital products, and acquiring local fitness chains. Recent milestones include profitability in key cities and partnerships that broaden its wellness offerings. Mukesh’s second venture reflects his ability to take a fragmented industry and build a lifestyle brand with strong repeat behaviour.

6. Bhavish Aggarwal: From Ola to Krutrim

Bhavish Aggarwal transformed mobility in India with Ola, scaling it into one of the world’s largest ride-hailing platforms while expanding into EVs and manufacturing. After establishing Ola as a household name, Bhavish launched Krutrim, an ambitious second-innings company building India’s first full-stack AI ecosystem. Krutrim develops foundational large language models, indigenous AI chips, cloud infrastructure, and consumer-facing AI tools. What differentiates it is its mission of AI sovereignty ensuring India builds its own AI capabilities rather than depending entirely on global players. Recently, Krutrim unveiled its first LLM tailored for Indian languages and announced progress on its AI hardware roadmap. Bhavish’s second chapter is a shift from consumer mobility to national-scale deep tech, driven by the belief that India must build its own technological backbone.

7. Sachin Bansal: From Flipkart to Navi

After co-founding Flipkart and seeing it evolve into India’s largest online retail success before being acquired by Walmart, Sachin Bansal began his second innings with Navi, a fintech company focused on affordable, accessible financial products. Navi builds everything in-house loans, insurance, and investment products with a clarity-first, low-cost approach that sets it apart from traditional institutions. The company leverages technology to reduce friction in credit and insurance journeys, making it easier for first-time users to trust and adopt financial services. Recent achievements include growing its lending book, expanding health and micro-insurance, and strengthening regulatory compliance after applying for a banking license. Sachin’s second innings is more foundational, aiming to reshape financial access for millions of Indians rather than focusing purely on consumer internet scale.