Sixteen founders from 10 Indian tech startups earned a combined ₹43.4 crore in fixed remuneration during FY26, marking an 8.2% increase from ₹40.2 crore in FY25, according to data compiled by Inc42. The average fixed pay per founder rose to ₹2.7 crore from ₹2.5 crore. Among them, 12 founders received salary hikes, three saw reductions, and one’s pay remained unchanged.
Honasa Consumer cofounder Ghazal Alagh recorded the highest percentage increase, with her fixed remuneration rising 60% to ₹2.4 crore from ₹1.5 crore. Delhivery cofounder Sahil Barua followed with a 21.4% increase to ₹3.4 crore from ₹2.8 crore. Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar experienced the steepest decline, with her fixed pay falling 14% to ₹74 lakh from ₹86 lakh. Swiggy cofounder Sriharsha Majety’s remuneration dropped 12.5% to ₹1.4 crore from ₹1.6 crore.
Lenskart cofounder Peyush Bansal drew the highest fixed remuneration among the founders tracked, despite a slight 1.7% decline to ₹5.7 crore from ₹5.8 crore. Meesho cofounders Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Kumar each earned ₹4.8 crore, while Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s fixed pay remained unchanged at ₹4 crore. Bonuses and performance incentives added substantially to total compensation, with Peyush Bansal receiving ₹12 crore in bonuses and Neha Bansal ₹6 crore in addition to their fixed pay.
The data highlights evolving compensation trends among India’s startup founders, reflecting both growth and variability in pay structures. The full report by Inc42 covers detailed remuneration figures for FY26, providing insights into founder earnings across emerging tech companies.