New Delhi, June 26 (IANS): India retained its position as one of the world’s leading startup ecosystems, ranking fourth globally with 61 unicorns in the Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2026. The report highlighted that India continues to be among the world’s largest startup hubs, with Bengaluru retaining its status as the country’s unicorn capital with 25 unicorns, followed by Mumbai with 13. India’s highest-valued unicorns span sectors such as brokerage, quick commerce and fintech, while six Indian unicorns made their public market debut during the year, reflecting an improving initial public offering (IPO) environment. The report also underscored the growing global influence of Indian entrepreneurs, noting that Indians have co-founded 217 unicorns worldwide, of which 156 are based outside India, including 142 in the United States. Collectively, these companies are valued at nearly $600 billion.
The report further noted that Indian founders are increasingly shaping the global artificial intelligence and fintech landscape through several high-growth ventures. Globally, artificial intelligence emerged as the biggest driver of wealth creation, with AI unicorns accounting for 36 per cent of the total value of all unicorns worldwide. Although the number of AI unicorns stood at 215, almost on par with fintech’s 216, AI companies commanded significantly higher valuations. Hurun Chairman Rupert Hoogewerf said 2026 marked the year AI evolved from a theme to a growth engine, with the race to develop advanced AI models creating the next generation of global technology giants. Worldwide, a record 308 startups attained unicorn status during the year, while 75 unicorns went public and 64 exited through mergers and acquisitions. At the same time, 88 companies lost their unicorn status after their valuations dropped below the $1 billion threshold. The United States remained the world’s largest unicorn ecosystem with 806 unicorns.