Youngsters are the future of humanity; they replace the old bones and continue doing great things on their behalf. India has a deep history of iconic figures in the past, like Chanakya, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Gandhi, and so on. Their deeds left a mark on history, inspiring millions to come, and now new names are getting written down as well.
Indian youth is radiating with skills and abilities, all thanks to the limitations that India has. Whether it be pollution, population, or politicization, each and every cause is now becoming a reason to overcome challenges. In this blog, we will have a look at 10 youth icon of India who overcame their limitations and left a mark in history!
1. Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy (American Politician)
While Vivek may not be considered a “Youth” anymore, still he left a big enough remark that will be remembered for years to come. Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy is an American Entrepreneur and a well-known Politician for his crazy debates that last for hours. He spent his entire 2024 campaigning for Donald J. Trump, who is now the 47th President of the United States. Although he has no ties with India in particular, still his name was enough to resonate with ours and showcase that Indian Youth can achieve anything, even in a foreign land like the USA.
- He is the Co-Leader of the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE.
- Founder of Roviant Science, a pharmaceutical company that wants to introduce new drugs and help small researchers by making their innovation known.
- Author of ‘Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam’, a book on DEI integration in the Federation System that almost destroyed the USA from the inside.
- His strong voice and debating skills can take on anyone, anytime, anywhere.
2. Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google)
Have you heard of Google? Obviously, you did; that's how you ended up here, didn't you? Well, jokes aside, Sundar Pichai is well known among Indian young people as the CEO of Google and Alphabet Inc. Born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, he joined Google in 2004 and has done crazy things over the years. For example,
- Open sourcing of the VP8 video codec in 2010, which is the main codec used in YouTube. (Upgraded to VP9)
- Introduced WebM, a widely used format in the Music Industry.
- Overseeing Android and adding it to the product list of Google on March 13, 2013.
- Received the Padma Bhushan award from the Government of India in the Trade and Industry category.
3. Gukesh Dommaraju (God of Chess)
This was probably the biggest reverse sweep in the history of chess when an 18-year-old nobody dethroned the reigning champion and took away not just one, but two crowns in one single match. Gukesh Dommaraju, aka the God of Chess, is the youngest to ever win the Championship of chess.
He stopped his education in Class IV, at the age of seven, and started focusing on his career in chess. His father also quit his job to support his son in tournaments, and they both eventually ended up in the World Chess Championship held in 2024, carving his name in the history of chess. I'll argue that he is the number one youth icon of India who proves talents can become a weapon if nurtured correctly.
- World's third-best chess player as of March 2025.
- Won a gold medal in the 44th and 45th Chess Olympiads in 2022.
- Defeated Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship and won with a 7½–6½ scoreline.
- Defeated Magnus Carlsen on August 8th, 2022, in the ninth round.
4. Nirav Patel (Founder and CEO of Framework)
Nirav Patel may be an unknown name when it comes to the youth icon of India. He wasn't showcased as some prodigy, nor did he receive any fancy awards. But if you are a fan of Open Source or a subscriber of Linus Tech Tips, well, you are one of the chosen ones! Nirav Patel is the founder of Framework, a new startup in the Consumer Electronics industry that aims to provide sustainable, repairable, and reliable products.
They are known for their massive contribution to the Open Source community, and also they are one of the few who refused the use of Windows and went all out for Linux. He formerly worked at Oculus under Facebook before leaving for his new venture to fix the unstable and unreasonable Computer market dominated by Monopolistic Practices, and Planned Obsolescence.
- Former Head of Hardware at Oculus, which is now renamed to Reality Labs.
- Founded Framework in January 2020.
- Production of Modular Laptops where most things like RAM, storage, and Wi-Fi modules can be uninstalled and replaced by the user.
- Framework Laptops received a 10/10 rating in iFixit’s repairability score.
5. Aman Gupta (Cofounder of Boat Lifestyle)
When it comes to the world of business, there is no better youth icon of India than Aman Gupta, the co-founder of BoAt Lifestyle since 2016. He appeared in many shows over the years, like Kaun Banega Crorepati and The Kapil Sharma Show. But his best icon was shown on the stage of Shark Tank India, where he was the main judge for four seasons. Aman showed us that hard work pays off in the end, and India still has talents hidden inside of it.
- Founded BoAt in 2016 with Sameer Mehta.
- Won National Creator Award for Celebrity Creator in 2024.
- Was a judge for Shark Tank India for 4 seasons.
- Represented India with Prime Minister Modi at the Indo-French CEO forum.
6. Ritesh Agarwal (Founder and CEO of Oyo Rooms)
Undoubtedly, Oyo Rooms had a big role in making sure youths have an undisturbed good night's sleep! Jokes aside, most youngsters know Oyo Hotel for many reasons. Whether it be cheap lodging for a day or two, or cheap lodging for a night or two. Ritesh Agarwal started this in 2011 as Oravel Stays, which became Oyo Rooms in May 2013.
It was known as the go-to pick for students, as most hotels cost a fortune to stay in longer. This was not a new concept, but the implementation was so perfect that it immediately became the next big thing in India. Thanks to that, Ritesh Agarwal has now become a Billionaire in India, won many awards in Entrepreneur World, and become the Youngest Shark in the popular television series Shark Tank India.
- Founded Oravel Stays in 2011 as the Airbnb alternative in India.
- Launched the Oyo Rooms initiative in May 2013, after receiving a $100,000 grant from the Thiel Fellowship in 2012.
- Youngest Shark of Shark Tank India since 2023.
- Attracted SoftBank Group to acquire almost 50% of its share, ultimately becoming the owner of Oyo Rooms in 2016.
7. Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (Badminton World Champion)
The world of sports is blessed with youth icon like PV Sindhu, who showed us how the world of athletics still awards talents with open arms. She reached the ranking of 2nd best badminton player in 2017 and is still the first and only Indian to ever win a Badminton World Championship. Although her prime times are over, her past is enough to make her one of the best Youth Icon of India who achieved everything through raw strength and dedication.
- Only Indian athlete to win the Badminton World Championship.
- Second individual to ever win two consecutive medals from India in the Olympic Games.
- Reached the Top 20s at the age of 17.
- Became the highest-paid female athlete from 2018 and onwards.
8. Arunima Sinha (India's first amputated Mount Everest climber)
Did you know that one accident happens every 2 seconds in India? When taking the World's Biggest Population in the equation, it doesn't look that impossible, and yeah, Arunima Sinha was one of those unfortunate ones. She lost her leg in a tragic train accident where not just one, but 49 trains passed over her. It was a tragic incident that left her amputated for the rest of her life.
But that wasn't enough to keep her locked up in some room forever; after seeing the cancer fight of Yuvraj Singh, she became a martyr and began a journey to Mount Everest, forever changing the tides of history and again proving that no manner of tragedy can stop one if they have the dedication to achieve their goal. She became a lifelong youth icon of India and will remain on our list forever.
- Climbed Mount Everest in 2011, becoming India's first female amputee to do so and the second in the entire world.
- Climbed the six highest peaks of the six continents.
- Wrote ‘Born Again on The Mountain’, her biography, in 2014.
- Received Padma Shri in 2015, the highest civilian award in India.
9. Virat Kohli (Cricketer)
Hardly anyone wouldn't recognize this person in 2025. He shaped the modern cricket world with his feats, controversies, and records that are unbroken to this day. India won many World Cups thanks to him, making cricket the most popular sport in India. Right now, Virat Kohli holds dozens of awards, and we are pretty sure more are yet to come.
- Record holder of most ODI centuries, dethroning the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
- Multi-talented sportsman who showcased his feats across Test, ODI, and T20Is since 2011.
- Won all categories of ICC world championships.
10. Dev Patel (American Actor)
There is no shortage of actors in India, but what about outside of India? Sure, there have been a few names mentioned here and there, but not all managed to stay for longer, except Dev Patel. Yet another success story from the USA, who is now considered one of the best actors of Indian origin. He is best known for Slumdog Millionaire, a movie based on the slums of Mumbai, and the protagonist Jamal Malik. Now he is an actor, a writer, and a producer all at once. Sounds impossible? Well, in that case, this guy achieved that, making sure that he became a youth icon of India.
- Acted as Srinivas Ramanujan in the movie The Man Who Knew Infinity.
- Worked on the television show Skins for 18 episodes in 2006.
- Expanded info director role in 2020 with Minor Realm, his own production company.
- Played as the protagonist in the latest action-adventure film Monkey Man.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the criteria for being a youth icon of India?
Ans. It’s not the requirement, but the definition that matters. In short, if a famous Indian personalities who achieved success through his/her skills, he/she is considered a shining youth icon of India.
Q2. How many youth icon India have?
Ans. India has more than 20 youth icons across many fields. We can assume there are more who are on the verge of a breakthrough, and once they achieve that, the list will grow even more.
Q3. Is it a top 10 list of youth icon of India?
Ans. Our list only includes ten of them, but rest assured this is not based on any hierarchy system. It is a random list and doesn’t try to rank anyone.
Q4. Which youth icon should be my role model?
Ans. It depends on what you want to become. All of them have something to inspire, like PV Sindhu showcasing you don’t have to be from a rich family to reach the world stage. Meanwhile, parental support is showcased in the case of Gukesh. Instead of looking up to one, take inspiration from all.
Q5. I want to do something, but I don't know which path to choose. What should I do?
Ans. Indian young people suffer from career confusion all the time. You should absolutely take inspiration from this list, but if you are still confused, then take career counselling. It will help you find out which path is made for you and you alone.
