Fewer IIT and IIM Alumni Are Becoming Founders in 2026: What the Tracxn Data Says

CATKing is a Mumbai-based MBA entrance exam coaching company founded by Sumit Singh, offering preparation for CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CET, GMAT, and GRE through online and offline classes. New Tracxn data shows that more Indian tech startups are being founded in 2026, yet fewer IIT and IIM alumni are among the founders. Here are the numbers, what experts said and what MBA aspirants should take from it.

How Many IIT and IIM Alumni Founded Startups in 2026?

According to Tracxn data reported by Business Standard on 31 October 2026, 20 IIM alumni and 79 IIT alumni founded tech startups between January and August 2026. In all of 2025, the figures were 71 for IIM alumni and 307 for IIT alumni. Because the 2026 numbers cover only eight months, they are not directly comparable with the full-year 2025 figures.

How Many Indian Startups Have IIT or IIM Founders?

Is Startup Formation Rising in India?

Yes. Tracxn data shows 6,353 Indian tech startups were founded up to August 2026, compared with 3,969 in all of 2025. Funding has not kept pace: Indian startups raised $10.9 billion between January and October 2026, largely flat for a third consecutive year, with investors concentrating larger sums in fewer startups.

What Did Experts Say?

• Vikram Gupta, IvyCap Ventures: the rise in startup formation is encouraging, but limited participation by IIT and IIM alumni suggests a large pool of talent is untapped. Entrepreneurship must become a more viable career option for a wider pool of talent.

• Neha Singh, Tracxn: the larger IIT presence reflects the size of the IIT alumni base and the engineering and deep-tech focus of tech startups. Technical founders often start ventures, while IIM graduates and other professionals join as companies grow.

What Does This Mean for MBA Aspirants?

The data is about tech startup founders, not about the value of an MBA. It supports a point the Tracxn co-founder made: IIM graduates often join and scale companies rather than found them. If you are considering an MBA, this is useful context on where management graduates tend to add value, but it does not change the path to the IIMs, which still runs through CAT 2026 on Sunday, 29 November 2026.

IIT and IIM Founders 2026: Quick-Reference

What Should CAT 2026 Aspirants Do Now?

• Stay on your plan: this report does not change your CAT 2026 preparation. Follow our CAT 2026 last 30 days checklist.

• Analyse your mocks: learn how to analyze CAT mocks.

• Choose a B-school for the right reasons: read how to choose the right B-school.

• Build a profile: see how to build a strong profile before MBA.

Frequently Asked Questions About IIT and IIM Alumni Founders

How many IIM alumni founded tech startups in 2026?

According to Tracxn data reported by Business Standard, 20 IIM alumni founded tech startups between January and August 2026, compared with 71 in all of 2025.

How many IIT alumni founded tech startups in 2026?

Tracxn data shows 79 IIT alumni founded tech startups between January and August 2026, compared with 307 in all of 2025.

Can you compare the 2026 and 2025 founder numbers directly?

Not directly. The 2026 figures cover only January to August, while the 2025 figures cover the full year, so the two are not like-for-like.

How many tech startups were founded in India in 2026?

Tracxn data shows 6,353 Indian tech startups were founded up to August 2026, compared with 3,969 in all of 2025.

How many Indian startups have an IIM founder?

As of August 2026, 2,102 of the 196,704 tech startups tracked by Tracxn have at least one IIM founder.

How many Indian startups have an IIT founder?

As of August 2026, 6,147 of the 196,704 tech startups tracked by Tracxn have at least one IIT founder.

How much funding did Indian startups raise in 2026?

Funding for Indian startups reached $10.9 billion between January and October 2026, largely flat for a third consecutive year, with investors putting larger sums into fewer startups.

Why are there more IIT founders than IIM founders?

Tracxn co-founder Neha Singh attributed it to the size of the IIT alumni base and the engineering and deep-tech focus of tech startups. She said technical founders often start ventures, while IIM graduates and other professionals join as companies grow.

Does this mean an MBA is not useful for entrepreneurs?

No. The data covers founders of tech startups only and does not measure the value of an MBA. It shows that IIM alumni are more often found in roles that join and scale companies, a point made by the Tracxn co-founder.

What did investors say about this trend?

Vikram Gupta of IvyCap Ventures said the rise in startup formation is encouraging, but limited participation from IIT and IIM alumni suggests a large pool of talent is untapped. He said entrepreneurship must become a more viable career option for a wider pool of talent.

Should this change whether you prepare for CAT 2026?

No. The data is about tech startup founders, not about MBA outcomes in general. CAT 2026 on Sunday, 29 November 2026 remains the entry point to the IIMs, and your preparation should not change because of this report.

Where does the data come from?

The numbers are Tracxn data, as reported by Business Standard in an article published on 31 October 2026 that cited an Economic Times report.