These are the 25 most sought after startups in India: Report

The startup boom in India, which some say peeked in 2015, is still looked at as the key to innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. Analysing these startups, LinkedIn published the 2018 LinkedIn Top Startups List for India. The world’s largest professional network looked at actions taken by more than 50 million professionals on the site and came up with a list of the 25 most attractive startups where people want to work.

OYO, India’s largest hospitality company, tops the list. Their aggressive expansion plan has led them into Malaysia, China and the UK in just the last 9 months. Currently the company is in conversation to raise $1 billion which will bring its total valuation to over $4 billion.

The health and wellness startup, Cure.fit came in second, which isn’t really a surprise considering they offer their employees unlimited leave, fixed increments every six months and a concierge service for personal tasks.

It’s followed by Dunzo.in, a concierge services venture, in third place. That being said, Dunzo.in isn’t pan-India yet and only has services available in Pune, Bangalore and Gurgaon.

While the list is extensive, there is no set trend to what sector of startups people prefer.


Unicorn club

Other than OYO, Rivigo and Udaan.com are two other startups on the list that are near unicorn status. Rivigo, a logistics startup, is almost at $1 billion after recently raising an additional $50 million in funds. Udaan.com is leading the pack, according to the report, with it being valued at over $ 1 billion after its round of September fundraising.

Employee engagement matters

Some of the startups on the list have made it there because they recognise that it’s important for employees to feel a sense of ownership. For instance, OYO ensures that all new hires are exposed to actual business problems from their first day at work so that they understand their responsibility and accountability.

Razorpay, on the other hand, has a unique regulation where every team member has to take fours hours of customer support calls, regardless of seniority or role.

Other companies employ innovative appraisal methods instead. Jumbotail, for example, flouts the norm by giving 80% weightage to peer feedback and only 20% to manager feedback while looking at annual reviews.

The startups on this list have been measured across four pillars - employment growth, engagement, job interest and top talent. While a lot of disruptive and new startups made it to the list, older names like Flipkart, Swiggy and BigBasket are missing.