The GQ 50 Most Influential Young Indians

India is home to the world’s youngest population, with 65 per cent of the country under the age of 35. So it makes sense that a new breed of tastemakers are shaping the way we live, work and play – be it a queer Gen Z-er prising open the political space, a group of millennials innovating with hemp, Southern stars flying the flag for regional cinema, an Oxford alum creating fair trade markets for tribal farmers. Or a fast bowler speeding things up. Here are the overachieving individuals, aged 40 and under, who are leading the change.

- Shikha Sethi

Yash, 33 ACTOR

CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT

This decade of Indian cinema belongs to regional blockbusters. In December 2018, a Kannada film called K.G.F: Chapter 1 made history: A rare film from the underdog of the Southern film industries to lope across the “₹200-crore” mark. Appreciated widely for its visual palette, stunts and a fresh take on that age-old story of a man sworn to get rich or die tryin’, it earned actor Yash fans in faraway places and a Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his volcanic performance. Already one of the biggest stars of Kollywood, he didn’t need to gamble on this project – made on a hefty budget of ₹80 crore, released in five languages simultaneously, and a sequel planned before it had been released – but he maintains that the risk had to be taken if they were to push boundaries and inch closer to the idea of a holistic Indian cinema.

COMING SOON

K.G.F: Chapter 2 will hit screens next year, and also stars Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon. And because they reserved the bigger plotlines and twists for the second part, “Rocking Star” is positive it’s going to be even bigger and better than Chapter 1. —NIDHI GUPTA

DEVITA SARAF, 38

FOUNDER & CEO, Vu TELEVISIONS

CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT

Her initial days may have been influenced by Zenith Infotech founder and father Rajkumar Saraf’s legacy, but Devita Saraf is no longer just an heiress. The feisty founder of Vu Televisions created a company over a decade ago that bridged the aspirations of a foreign brand with the economy of an Indian one, becoming the largest TV brand sold online in the country. Vu crossed ₹1,000 crore in revenue this year and has sold 1.8 million sets to young urban consumers.

LONE RANGER