Understanding How Immigrant Experience Shapes Indian Entrepreneurial Success

Indians are making a significant mark globally, with trailblazers like Zohran Mamdani, the first Indian-origin Mayor of New York City, and 22-year-old billionaires Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha setting new records. Anupam Mittal, judge on Shark Tank India and founder of Shaadi.com, credits this growing global success to a powerful mix of “immigrant trauma” and “Indian guilt parenting.”

In a recent post, Mittal highlighted Mamdani’s historic win and the rise of Midha and Hiremath, who outpaced Mark Zuckerberg to become the youngest self-made billionaires. Mittal emphasized that this new generation of Indians is driven by a relentless hunger for success, rooted in cultural upbringing and immigrant experiences.

Zohran Mamdani, 33, became NYC’s first Indian-American and Muslim mayor. Born in Uganda to filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani, he moved to the U.S. at age seven. Before politics, he worked with low-income families as a foreclosure prevention counselor and studied Africana Studies at Bowdoin College.

Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha co-founded Mercor, an AI-driven recruitment platform valued at $10 billion. Both are just 22 years old. Hiremath, raised in the Bay Area, pursued advanced studies in Computer Science. Midha, born to Indian immigrants in California, studied Foreign Studies and Economics at Georgetown University. They also won all three national policy debate tournaments—a rare feat.

Mittal summed up the secret to Indian global success simply: “They outworked everyone and took what others felt entitled to.” For him, this marks a proud streak of Indian excellence abroad.

Indians, global success, Zohran Mamdani, Adarsh Hiremath, Surya Midha