Indian immigrants built 96 unicorns in America, now worth more than Germany's stock market

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra underscored the entrepreneurial potential of Indian Americans. He also predicted a forthcoming startup revolution in India.Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra expressed optimism about India's emerging startup boom.(PTI)Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra recently reacted to a new study published by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) which observed that Indians formed a part of the major chunk of entrepreneurs who were behind billion-dollar startups in the United States. Commending the performance of Indian Americans, the 71-year-old asserted that the startup boom has begun in India as well which is set to surprise the world.Leading the list of US unicorn startups, a total of 96 Indian immigrants founded or co-founded privately held US startup companies valued at $1 billion or more, higher than any other country in the world. Second on the list is Israel followed by United Kingdom. With Indians emerging as some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the US, Anand Mahindra in a post on X wrote, “Time to use the old American phrase: “You ain’t seen nothing yet..!” Despite the challenges, Indian Americans will remain as entrepreneurial as ever.”Reiterating his belief in entrepreneurial spirit of Indians, he added, “But the new stage will be right here within India where the startup boom has only just begun. And it will surprise the world…”How are immigrants driving America’s unicorn economyThe study by Stuart Anderson revealed that immigrants founded or co-founded nearly 59% of America’s privately held startup companies that is 455 out of a total of 775 privately held US unicorn startups. The findings of this research shed light on the importance of immigrants in cutting-edge companies. According to the report, nearly 80% of America’s unicorn companies have an immigrant founder or an immigrant in a key leadership role, such as CEO or vice president of engineering.The study found that around 66% of America’s unicorn companies were founded by immigrants or the children of immigrants.What would have been US wealth status if immigrant founder were not allowed in the country?The report suggested that America would have had $5.0 trillion less wealth if immigrant founders were not allowed in the country. This research is based on information on more than 700 privately held startups valued at over $1 billion as of April 2026.Asserting that Immigrants have fueled the rise of US billion-dollar startups, an excerpt from the study said, “Given that each cofounder contributes to a startup company’s success, it appears likely that few of the billion-dollar companies with at least one immigrant founder would exist or been created in the United States if the foreign-born founder had not been allowed to come to America, implying America would have fewer than half as many billion dollar companies, hundreds of thousands fewer jobs and up to $5.0 trillion less wealth.This report highlights that number of immigrant-founded US unicorns spiked significantly from 50 in 2018 to 455 in 2026. Furthermore, 24% of US unicorns have a founder who first came to America as an international student.Get Latest real-time updatesStay updated with the latest Trending, India , World and US news. HomeNewsTrendsAnand Mahindra hails Indian entrepreneurs' lead in US unicorn startups, says: ‘The new stage will be within India’More

Indian weddings are getting a financial makeover, with shifting budgets, rising preference for destination ceremonies, and a growing willingness to borrow for big-day celebrations, a Mint survey shows. (Pexels Photo)SummaryMint’s latest survey shows young Indians still want big wedding budgets, but increasingly prefer intimate destination weddings over large ceremonies. High earners are more open to borrowing to fund celebrations. Gold and silver are losing appeal, while southern India leans towards frugal weddings.Indian weddings have long been associated with grand celebrations, large gatherings and deep-rooted traditions. A Mint survey of urban India suggests that while lavish weddings remain popular, a growing section is turning more cost-conscious and questioning convention.Gold and silver, once central to wedding customs, are gradually losing their hold. Nearly half of respondents said they are willing to skip precious metals altogether—either due to high prices or limited attachment to the tradition, according to the YouGov-Mint-CPR Millennial Survey. Among those who still consider them essential, more linked them to investment value (31%) than tradition alone (20%).Income still shapes spending, but not always predictably. Richer respondents were more likely to favour expensive celebrations, yet southern India—despite higher per capita incomes in some states—showed a stronger tilt towards frugal weddings. Younger generations, meanwhile, were less inclined towards large traditional functions and more drawn to intimate destination weddings.Around seven in 10 respondents said weddings should be funded with limited borrowing or no loans at all. The median wedding budget was ₹5 lakh, though nearly one in six respondents placed it at ₹20 lakh or more.These findings are part of the 13th round of a survey conducted by Mint in association with YouGov India and the Centre for Policy Research. The survey was conducted in March-April 2026 across 10,022 adults in 207 towns and cities. Around 53% of respondents were Gen Z (born 1997–2008) and 34% were millennials (born 1981–1996).How to fund a weddingWedding aspirations and spending priorities vary widely across generations, income groups and regions.High earners (those earning above ₹1 lakh a month) were more likely to favour lavish weddings, with 72% expressing support, compared with 66% in lower income brackets. Within this group, preferences split between large traditional ceremonies with many guests (49%) and intimate destination weddings with fewer attendees (23%).Their median expected wedding budget stood at ₹10 lakh, the highest across income groups. Nearly 32% said they were comfortable spending over ₹20 lakh. Among the lowest earners, the median budget was ₹2 lakh.Higher incomes, however, do not always translate into cash-only funding. High earners were also more open to borrowing: 48% said they were fine with taking loans—from banks, family or friends—for weddings, viewing it as a “once-in-a-lifetime” expense, compared with 30% overall.This points to a growing “marry now, pay later” mindset among affluent households, where loans and EMIs are seen less as financial strain and more as a convenient way to finance large expenses.Youth has a fresh perspectiveMore than two-thirds of respondents said weddings should be somewhat lavish, a view broadly consistent across generations. The difference lies in how that lavishness is defined.Gen Z showed a stronger preference for intimate destination weddings and a lower inclination towards large traditional ceremonies. Despite many still being early in their earning years, their median expected wedding budget was ₹4.9 lakh, broadly in line with other generations. This suggests younger respondents are not rejecting expensive weddings, but are instead reshaping them into more intimate and experience-led formats.Among Gen Z, 26% preferred destination weddings, while 44% opted for large traditional ones. Among pre-millennials, the co