How many unicorns does India have?

The short answer

India has 61 unicorns by the Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2026, fourth in the world, with Bengaluru at 25 and Mumbai at 13. A tracker that counts every Indian company that ever crossed $1 billion reaches 131, of which 27 went public, 5 were acquired and 16 slipped below $1B.

Hurun counts private companies valued at $1 billion or more now. Trackers that count every company that ever crossed $1 billion, including those that listed, were bought or fell below, reach 131.

The figures side by side

How we got this number

1. Take Hurun's 2026 index for the current count: 61 private Indian companies valued at $1 billion or more.
2. Take the cumulative count from a tracker that lists exits: 131 ever created, 27 listed, 5 acquired, 16 below $1B.
3. Check the gap: 131 minus 27, 5 and 16 leaves 83, still above Hurun's 61, so the trackers also disagree on valuations, not only on exits.
4. Use 61 when the question is "how many now" and 131 when it is "how many ever".

What this number does not tell you

• Valuations of private companies come from their last funding round and can be stale.
• Hurun counts by headquarters; 156 Indian-co-founded unicorns are based outside India and are not in the 61.
• The cumulative tracker does not publish its method.

Sources

1. Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2026, reported by IANS, 26 June 202661 unicorns, ranking fourth globally in the Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2026. Bengaluru retaining its status as India's unicorn capital with 25 unicorns, followed by Mumbai with 13. Indians have co-founded 217 unicorns worldwide of which 156 are based outside India.
2. Lapaas Voice, Indian Unicorn Tracker 2026, 24 June 2026Total unicorns ever created: 131. Unicorns that went public (IPO): 27. Unicorns acquired: 5. Slipped below $1B: 16.

Worked out by us: 83 (131 ever created minus 27 listed, 5 acquired and 16 below $1B).

Questions people ask

How many unicorns are there in India in 2026?

61, by the Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2026, which ranks India fourth globally.

Why do some sources give India far more unicorns?

They count every company that ever crossed $1 billion, including ones that listed, were acquired or fell below. One such tracker counts 131.

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This is a best guess, not an official statistic. We recheck it half-yearly. If you have a newer or better source, send it to us.