Who are the Tycoons of Tomorrow?

Baron. Magnate. Mogul. Titan. Tycoon.  

These weighty words denote something similar: A person of wealth and power, typically from business and industry. Wealth and power may be the final destination in a journey of excellence that often begins with a brilliant idea and is followed up by immaculate execution. The fruits of those endeavours are manifest in victories, which start small and snowball over time—funding by marquee investors, bumper listings on stock markets, and recognition in the form of credible awards are just a few of the milestones on that journey to riches and influence.

It would be fair to say that the ‘Tycoons of Tomorrow’ are not just about net worth and (often exaggerated) self-worth. The Tycoons of Tomorrow are those ladies and gentlemen who are still on a journey—one of imagination, creativity, and implementation. Milestones for them are a blur in the rear-view mirror as they step on the gas to navigate unmapped territory.  

When Forbes India’s editorial team got into a huddle to arrive at the Tycoons of Tomorrow, the nervousness, along with the excitement, was palpable. What if one of these potential winners turn out a dud years down the line? It is a fear that is fair. And that is a caveat that we would like to flag off: Not all those you meet in the following pages will fulfil the immense promise and potential they hold.

The road ahead is long, and speed-breakers that you may not foresee may queer the pitch; as history shows, business models that appear sure shots today can become unviable tomorrow in an era of rapid change. Not all minds—not even the brightest—will be able to adapt.

A final proviso: A tycoon may have been in business and industry, but, if wealth and power are criteria to be one, the field opens up beyond the next-gen of business families and unicorn founders. Sportspersons and actors, for instance, stack up well against business barons—and, often, find themselves on the entrepreneurial stage. They can be tycoons too. For a good morrow.