Every business starts with an idea. But to turn that idea into an actual business, you need one important thing - capital. So where do new startups get that initial money from, long before banks or big investors consider them?
The answer is angel investors. These are the people who invest in new startups or businesses in exchange for ownership equity or convertible debt. Companies like Razorpay, Urban Company, Mamaearth, and dozens of other companies you use every day were also once funded by angel investors.
Over the last decade, India's startup industry has grown rapidly, producing hundreds of success stories with experienced entrepreneurs and investors backing the companies. In this blog, we've listed the top 20+ angel investors in India that you should know about in 2026. But before we do that, let’s cover the basics.
Who are Angel Investors?
Angel investors are individuals who invest their own money in early-stage startups in exchange for equity or ownership in the company. Unlike venture capital firms that manage pooled funds, angel investors invest personally. Apart from funding, they often contribute:
Industry knowledge
Strategic guidance
Business mentorship
Customer introductions
One great example of this is the Shark Tank India investors, many of whom are active angel investors known to offer funds to startups along with industry knowledge, mentorship, and customer connections.
Top 20+ Angel Investors in India (2026)
Here is a quick overview of the top 20+ angel investors in India you should know about.
Founder of Myntra (Ex-CEO); Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Cult.fit; Founder
Groww, CRED, Skyroot Aerospace, FirstClub, Truva
Note: This list is prepared as per publicly available sources and reflects our own research based on public visibility, portfolio activity, and media presence as of June 2026, and it's likely to evolve with the change in investment details of the angel investors.
Let’s know about these angel investors in more detail.
1. Ashneer Grover
Ashneer Grover is a leading entrepreneur and investor who has become one of the most talked-about figures in the indian startup industry. He is best known as the co-founder and former Managing Director of BharatPe, the fintech platform that is known to have revolutionized QR-based merchant payments. He became widely popular and received national fame as a judge on Shark Tank India Season 1 for his sharp, no-nonsense approach to the business ideas and the founders. After exiting BharatPe in 2022, he launched Third Unicorn and some other ventures, and also backed startups across fintech, food, logistics, and energy.
Quick facts about Ashneer Grover
Estimated Net Worth: ₹900 crore ($108 million)
Investment Focus: FinTech, Consumer Brands, Logistics, Energy
Leadership roles: Co-Founder & Former Managing Director of BharatPe; Former Head of New Business at Grofers (now Blinkit); Former Vice President at Kotak Mahindra Bank; Former Director – Corporate Development at American Express; Former Vice President at PC Jeweller
2. Anupam Mittal
Anupam Mittal is one of India’s leading entrepreneurs and angel investors, best known as the founder and CEO of Shaadi.com and People Group, and as a leading “shark” on Shark Tank India. Over the years, he has invested in hundreds of early-stage startups across consumer technology, fintech, D2C, and SaaS. His extensive experience as a founder and investor, along with his role on Shark Tank India, has made him one of the country's most influential startup mentors.
Quick facts about Anupam Mittal
Estimated Net Worth: ₹185-200 crore ($22-25 million)
Leadership roles: Founder & CEO of People Group (Shaadi.com, Mauj Mobile, Makaan.com), Ex-Product Manager at MicroStrategy, Co-Founder & Ex-Chairperson of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)
Popularly known as: Founder of Shaadi.com and Shark Tank India Investor
3. Aman Gupta
Aman Gupta is an Indian entrepreneur and is best known as the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of boAt Lifestyle, a leading consumer electronics and wearable brand. He is also a Chartered Accountant by profession. He co-founded boAt with Sameer Mehta in 2016, and both scaled the leading audio accessories brand into a unicorn with a valuation crossing approximately ₹10,800 crore. Besides this, he is also widely recognized as a judge on Shark Tank India and has backed several startups across different seasons. He has recently started a new venture, OFF/BEAT Studios/OffBeat, in the content and creator space.
Quick facts about Aman Gupta
Estimated Net Worth: ₹720 crore (approx. $87 million)
Leadership roles: Co-Founder & CMO of boAt Lifestyle (Imagine Marketing Limited); Shark Tank India Judge (Seasons 1–3); Founder of OFF/Beat Studios
4. Kunal Bahl
Kunal Bahl is best known as the Co-founder of Snapdeal and co-founder of Titan Capital, along with his childhood friend Rohit Bansal. Besides this, he is also one of the leading sharks of the Shark Tank India show. Through Titan Capital and his personal investments, he has backed hundreds of startups across different industries. His experience in building and scaling internet businesses makes him a trusted mentor for young entrepreneurs.
Quick facts about Kunal Bahl
Estimated Net Worth: ₹3,500 crore ($420 million).
Sector focus: Consumer, enterprise applications
Notable portfolio: Urban Company, Razorpay, Giva, Shadowfax, Ola Cabs
Leadership roles: Co-founder of Snapdeal and co-founder of Titan Capital
5. Ghazal Alagh
Ghazal Alagh is popularly known as one of India's most successful women entrepreneurs. She is the one who co-founded MamaEarth, along with her husband, Varun Alagh. She is popularly known as the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Honasa Consumer Ltd, which is the parent company of toxin-free personal care brands like Mamaearth, The Derma Co, Aqualogica, BBlunt, and others. She is also widely recognized as a popular judge of Shark Tank India, where she has backed multiple early-stage consumer and beauty brands.
Quick facts about Ghazal Alagh
Estimated Net Worth: ₹150 - ₹ 200 Crores (($18-24 million)
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the visionary behind India’s leading digital payments App, Paytm. He started his entrepreneurial journey in 2000 as the founder, chairman, and CEO of One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm. Rising from a modest background in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, he built Paytm into one of India's most recognizable fintech brands and is leading it as its founder and chairman. Beyond Paytm, he has been an active angel investor, backing startups across fintech, mobility, education, and consumer services.
Quick facts about Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Estimated Net Worth: $1.1-1.3 billion (₹6,500+ crore)
Investment Sectors: FinTech, Digital Payments, Consumer Internet, Financial Services, Commerce
Leadership roles: Founder, Chairman, Managing Director & CEO – One97 Communications Ltd (parent of Paytm); Founder & CEO – Paytm
7. Sachin Bansal
Sachin Bansal is a leading Indian entrepreneur and technology investor. He is popularly recognized as the co-founder, former CEO, and chairman of Flipkart. He exited Flipkart in 2018, and his stake was acquired by Walmart. After exiting Flipkart, he focused on building a tech-led financial services platform, Navi Group, and also became an active investor in India’s startup industry.
Quick facts about Sachin Bansal
Investment focus: FinTech, Mobility, Electric Vehicles (EV), Consumer Technology, SaaS
Notable Investments: Ola, Grey Orange, Ather Energy, SigTuple, IN shorts, Unacademy, and Terminus.
Leadership roles: Co-Founder & Former CEO and Executive Chairman of Flipkart; Founder & Executive Chairman of Navi; Former Senior Software Engineer at Amazon Web Series
8. Kunal Shah
Kunal Shah is best known as the Founder of CRED and co-founder of FreeCharge (sold to Snapdeal for around $400 million). He is widely recognized as one of the most influential angel investors in India, and recently has been named as global head of WhatsApp after Meta invested $900 million into CRED at a $4.5 billion valuation.
Quick facts about Kunal Shah
Estimated Net Worth: ₹4,200–15,000 crore ($500 million to $2 billion)
Focused Investment segments: Fintech, Consumer internet, SaaS, and AI-driven businesses.
Kris Gopalakrishnan is one of India’s most respected technology entrepreneurs and investors. He is popularly known as the co-founder of Infosys. After serving as CEO & Managing Director and later Vice Chairman of Infosys, he has become an active tech investor, philanthropist, and champion of deep-tech research, particularly in brain sciences and aging.
Quick facts about Kris Gopalakrishnan
Estimated Net Worth: ₹28,000 crore ($3.3 billion)
Investment focus: Deep Tech, HealthTech, Enterprise Software, Early-Stage Startups
Notable Portfolio: Ki Mobility, Lenskart, ACKO, HungerBox
Lakshmi Narayanan is a renowned technology industry leader and one of India's most respected angel investors, known for his role in building Cognizant into a global IT services company. He co-founded Cognizant in 1996 and led it as CEO until 2006, later serving as its Vice Chairman. As an active angel investor, he is a key member of The Chennai Angels and has backed a wide range of startups across different sectors.
Quick facts about Lakshmi Narayanan
Estimated Net Worth: ₹125.1 crore ($15 million)
Investment focus: Enterprise Technology, Deep Tech, CleanTech, Consumer, Semiconductors
Leadership roles: Co-Founder & ex-CEO of Cognizant, ex-Vice Chairman of Cognizant, past Chairman of NASSCOM
11. Mohandas Pai
Mohandas Pai (T.V Mohandas Pai) is one of India's leading angel investors and startup mentors, best known for his long tenure as CFO and Board Member at Infosys, where he played a key role in the company's global expansion and NASDAQ listing. After leaving Infosys, he co-founded Aarin Capital and has since become one of the most active early-stage investors in the country.
Quick facts about Mohandas Pai
Investment focus: Consumer, Enterprise Applications, FinTech, DeepTech, Life Sciences, Education
Leadership roles: Co-Founder & Chairman of Aarin Capital, ex-CFO & Board Member of Infosys, Chairman of Manipal Global Education, Co-Founder of Akshaya Patra
Popularly known as "Padma Shri Awardee" and one of India's most influential startup mentors.
12. Binny Bansal
Binny Bansal is also one of India's leading entrepreneurs and an angel investor who is known to help startups scale their operations and mentor the founders through his dynamic business experience. He is best known as the co-founder of Flipkart, India's largest e-commerce platform. After making an exit from Flipkart, he has built a diverse portfolio as an entrepreneur and active angel investor, backing startups across multiple sectors in India. He is also the co-founder of xto10x Technologies, a platform that helps startups scale their operations effectively.
Quick facts about Binny Bansal
Estimated Net worth: ₹11,661 crore ( $1.4 billion)
Leadership roles: Ex Co-Founder & Group CEO at Flipkart
13. Amit Gupta
Amit Gupta is a well-recognized tech entrepreneur and angel investor. He is best known for his leadership roles as the Co-founder & CEO of Yulu, India’s leading shared electric micro-mobility platform, and as a Co-founder of InMobi, one of India’s first profitable internet unicorns. Known for his execution expertise in mobile advertising and urban micro-mobility, his dynamic experience led him back to mentor several early-stage startups as an angel investor.
Leadership roles: Co-Founder and Board Member at InMobi, Co-Founder, CEO, and Board Member at Yulu.
14. Rohit Bansal
Rohit Bansal is known as an indian entrepreneur, co-founder of Snapdeal, and co-founder of venture capital firm Titan Capital. He co-founded Snapdeal in 2010 with his school friend Kunal Bahl, and the company became one of India’s largest online marketplaces. He was born in Punjab and completed his secondary education at Delhi Public School (DPS), New Delhi, before earning his bachelor's degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.
Other Roles: Group Head of Communications at Reliance Industries
15. Girish Mathrubootham
Girish Mathrubootham is an entrepreneur and angel investor who is popularly known as the Founder of Freshworks, India's first SaaS company to be listed on the NASDAQ. He built a global software company and also positioned himself as an active angel investor, backing several SaaS and AI startups while mentoring founders through Together Fund.
Leadership roles: Founder & Executive Chairman, Freshworks Inc., Co-Founder, Together Fund
Notable Portfolio: Multiple early-stage companies, including Chargebee, Yulu, Raise, PickYourTrail, Scripbox, Go Bumpr, Zarget, Unacademy
16. Alok Mittal
Alok Mittal is best known as the Co-founder and CEO of Indifi, India’s leading full-stack platform that enables debt financing for small businesses. Besides acing this leadership role at Indifi, he is also an active angel investor, co-founder of Indian Angel Network, and on the board of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Delhi. Before Indifi, Alok set up and ran Canaan Partners’ venture investment business. He also co-founded JobsAhead.com, a leading web-based recruitment business in India.
Quick facts about Alok Mittal
Estimated Net Worth: ₹280 crore ($33 million to $35 million)
Leadership roles: Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Indifi, Co-Founder of JobsAhead.com, Former Managing Director at Canaan Partners India, Founding Member of Indian Angel Network (IAN)
17. Arjun Vaidya
Arjun Vaidya is the Founder of Dr. Vaidya's, a leading direct-to-consumer Ayurveda brand, which was acquired by the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. After exiting his long-legacy-led Ayurvedic business, he became an active early-stage investor, backing innovative consumer brands and technology startups across India. He now co-leads V3 Ventures (Verlinvest’s India platform) and invests personally in early-stage consumer startups.
Quick Facts about Arjun Vaidya
Investment focus: D2C Brands, Consumer Tech, Retail, Lifestyle, Food & Beverage. Notable Portfolio: GoKwik, TrulyMadly, Vaaree, Dil Foods, The Hosteller, Mykare Health
Leadership roles: Ex-Founder and CEO at Dr. Vaidya's, Co-Founder and Investment Partner at V3 Ventures
18. Sandeep Tondon
Sandeep Tandon is a well-known Indian entrepreneur and angel investor, best recognized as the co-founder of FreeCharge, one of India's earliest and fastest-growing mobile payments platforms. He co-founded this venture alongside Kunal Shah. Following FreeCharge's acquisition by Snapdeal in 2015, he has built a diversified portfolio as an active angel investor and mentor, backing startups across fintech, healthtech, and digital transformation.
Key Leadership roles: Ex-Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer at Freecharge, Managing Director at Tandon Group, Chairman of Syrma SGS Technology
19. Rajan Anandan
Rajan Anandan is one of India's most influential technology executives and venture investors, best known for leading Google India & Southeast Asia before joining Sequoia Capital India, now Peak XV Partners, as Managing Director. He also leads Surge, Peak XV's early-stage scale-up program for founders across India and Southeast Asia. With a career spanning Google, Microsoft, Dell, and McKinsey, he brings deep operating and market expertise as a prolific angel investor with a portfolio of 80+ startups.
Quick facts about Rajan Anandan
Estimated Net Worth: ₹430-870 Crores ($50 million and $100 million)
Notable Portfolio: Unacademy, Druva, Bira 91, Moglix, TravelKhana, Dunzo, Smytten
Leadership roles: Managing Director, Peak XV Partners & Surge, Former Vice President & Managing Director, Google India & Southeast Asia, Former Managing Director, Microsoft India, Former Country General Manager, Dell India
20. Sanjay Mehta
Sanjay Mehta is a Venture Investor, Founder, and Partner at 100X.VC, India's first Fund to invest in early-stage startups using iSAFE - India SAFE Notes, and aims to invest in 100 start-ups in a year. 100X.VC invested in 80 innovative startups since December 2019. He also runs a family office fund called Mehta Ventures and has investments in more than 130 startups across India and the U.S. His engaging insights on mentorship and the startup ecosystem make him a valuable mentor for young founders.
Quick facts about Sanjay Mehta
Investment focus: Early-stage Tech, FinTech, SaaS, HealthTech, EdTech, Consumer Internet
Leadership roles: Founder & Partner at 100X.VC; Principal at Mehta Ventures Family Office
Popularly known as: Founder of 100X.VC and Super Angel Investor
21. Sanjay Sharma
Sanjay Sharma is a leading entrepreneur, angel investor, and banking professional, best known as the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aye Finance. He has over three decades of experience in consumer banking and financial services, having held leadership positions at HSBC, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Max Life Insurance before founding Aye Finance. Alongside building one of India's leading MSME lending platforms, he actively mentors and invests in startups focused on financial inclusion and technology.
Leadership roles: Co-Founder, Managing Director & CEO of Aye Finance; Former leadership roles at HSBC, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Max Life Insurance.
Popularly known as: Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aye Finance.
22. Jitendra Gupta
Jitendra Gupta is a leading indian fintech entrepreneur and one of the most active "super angels. He co-founded Citrus Pay, one of India's leading digital payments companies, which was sold to PayU for approximately $130 million in 2016. He later founded LazyPay and now leads Jupiter, a mobile-first digital banking platform for millennials, while simultaneously running an extensive angel investing portfolio.
Notable Portfolio: CRED, MPL, Bira 91, Khatabook, Ridlr, JoeHukum.
Leadership roles: Founder & CEO of Jupiter, Co-Founder of Citrus Pay (acquired by PayU), ex-Managing Director of PayU India, Founder of LazyPay
23. Ramakant Sharma
Ramakant Sharma is a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur and one of India's leading angel investors, best known as the co-founder of Livspace, which is India's leading tech-enabled home interior and renovation platform. Before building Livspace, he held leadership positions at Myntra and founded Violetbag.com.
Leadership roles: Co-founder & CEO – Livspace; Former Co-founder & CTO -Violetbag.com (Zing Ecommerce); Former Operating Partner at Jungle Ventures; Former Vice President of Engineering, and core team member at Myntra.
24. Gokul Rajaram
Gokul Rajaram is a highly influential entrepreneur, also known as one of Silicon Valley's most respected product leaders. He has worked with companies such as Google, Facebook, Square, and DoorDash while also becoming an active angel investor. He has invested in numerous startups across India and globally, particularly those building scalable technology products. His experience in product development and global scaling makes him a valuable mentor for founders.
Quick facts about Gokul Rajaram
Estimated Net worth: ₹4,815.7 crore ($ 500 million)
Leadership roles: Former Senior product/ads leadership at Google, Square, DoorDash, and Facebook.
Popularly known as: "Godfather of Google AdSense”
Co-Founder: Venture Capital Firm - Marathon Management Partners
25. Mukesh Bansal
Mukesh Bansal is a well-known angel investor who is best known as the founder of Myntra, India's leading fashion e-commerce platform, which was acquired by Flipkart in 2014 for around $330 million. He also co-founded one of India's largest health and fitness platforms, Cult.fit, with Ankit Nagori. Through his family office, MerakiLabs, he has been an active angel investor backing many startups across consumer, deep tech, spacetech, and fintech sectors.
Quick facts about Mukesh Bansal
Estimated Net worth: Rs 4,200 crore to Rs 5,800 crore ($500 million - 700 million)
Investment focus: Consumer, Deep Tech, FinTech, Retail
Leadership roles: Founder of Myntra (Ex-CEO); Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Cult.fit; Founder & CEO of Nurix AI; Former Head of Commerce & Advertising, Flipkart
Conclusion
India's startup industry has evolved with leading investors and has grown into one of the largest in the world. The Angel investors don't just put their money into the emerging business ideas but bring operating experience, credibility, and mentorship that help early founders survive the toughest years of building a company.
The angel investors represented above have built their investment portfolios into a strategic asset, bringing in long-term returns on their invested money. The idea of angel investing is changing how startup founders can scale and grow their business to the next level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of "angel investors"?
Angel investors are individuals who invest their own personal money into early-stage startups in exchange for equity or convertible debt.
How do I find angel investors in India?
Founders looking for investors typically start with angel investment networks such as the Indian Angel Network, Mumbai Angels, AngelList India, and Seafund, as these platforms connect founders directly with the different angel investors across sectors and cities.
How can I become an angel investor in India?
To become an angel investor in India, you need substantial personal capital to invest, a strong understanding of the sector you want to invest in, and a network to source good deals.
What is the difference between angel investors and venture capitalists?
Angel investors invest their own personal money, usually at the earliest (pre-seed/seed) stage, and often take a more informal, mentorship-driven approach. Venture capitalists, on the other hand, manage pooled funds from institutional investors and invest larger amounts at later stages, with more formal due diligence and governance requirements.
Who are the top angel investors in India in 2026?
Based on active investment volume, portfolio size, and reputation, some of the top angel investors in India as of 2026 include Kunal Shah, Anupam Mittal, Ashneer Grover, Rajan Anandan, Sanjay Mehta, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Mohandas Pai, and Jitendra Gupta, among others featured in this list.
What sectors do most Indian angel investors focus on?
Most top angel investors in India focus on FinTech, SaaS, Consumer Internet, D2C brands, HealthTech, and EdTech sectors.
Is there a minimum amount angel investors typically invest?
Angel investment in India generally starts anywhere from ₹10–25 lakh and can go up to a few crore rupees per deal, depending on the investor, the startup's stage, and the sector.
Author: Komal Bhatt
Komal Bhatt is a finance content writer at InvestKraft, specialising in well-researched articles on financial products, stock markets, and investment opportunities, with a particular focus on unlisted shares.
She holds a Master’s degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi, which gives her a solid academic foundation in finance and business. With over three years of hands-on experience in creating digital finance content, Komal has developed a clear understanding of investor needs through her work on wealth management, NISM certification programs, and market education materials.
Komal is passionate when it comes to breaking down complex financial concepts into simple, accurate and actionable insights. Her goal is to help everyday investors understand markets better and make more informed decisions based on reliable, research-backed information.
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