The Indian Startup Show

What if saving the planet isn't just an environmental problem, but a marketing problem? In this episode of The Indian Startup Show, I sit down with Abhishek Karambelkar, founder of EcoFlyp, a sustainability platform on a mission to make it easier for people to take action for the environment. 

From struggling to figure out where to donate old books to building a platform that reached 15,000 monthly users entirely through organic growth, We explore why people want to live more sustainably but often don't know where to start, how EcoFlyp helps people discover ways to donate and recycle i...

How do you turn your passion into a business while working a demanding corporate job? In this episode of The Indian Startup Show, I speak with Karan Kumar, a former corporate professional who built a fitness coaching business from scratch. Karan shares how he landed his first customer through Instagram, grew his business to help over 200 clients, and navigated the challenges of entrepreneurship in India. They also discuss the growth of online fitness coaching, nutrition myths, weight-loss drugs, lack of protein in indian's diet, social media pressure, and the importance of accountability and sustainable habits for long-term health.

What happens when you turn one of the most common dopamine loops—ordering food out of boredom—into a website?

I sit down with Purvansh Parmar, a 26-year-old software engineer and entrepreneur from Udaipur, to unpack the story behind Food Never Comes, a website designed to make people more aware of the habits and dopamine loops surrounding online food ordering. 

Built by two 26-year-old software developers - Purvansh Parmar and Anshul Sharma - from Udaipur in India's northern state of Rajasthan, FoodNeverComes says it has attracted more than 2.7m visitors since its launch in June. 

I...

Make healthy snacking fun again! What happens when a former management consultant decides to leave the corporate world and build a snack brand from scratch? You get Must Be Nuts. 

Today I speak to Rajesh Ivaturi, the founder of Must Be Nuts. A brand born from a simple observation: healthy food doesn't have to feel boring, serious or joyless.  In this episode, Rajesh takes us behind the scenes of building Must Be Nuts, from the original idea and naming process to the realities of launching, raising capital, making expensive mistakes and figuring out what today's consumers actually wa...

She watched 140 million senior citizens become invisible overnight. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Arasi noticed a quiet crisis hiding in plain sight: elderly people struggling with everyday tasks while their families lived far away. 

This observation sparked the creation of 60 Plus, an elder-care platform that supported nearly 50,000 seniors across India over six and a half years. 

Arasi opens up about building a deeply human business from the ground up, her journey into angel investing, and how leaning into AI transformed her company. The “error book” Arasi has kept throughout her entrepreneurial journey. Why cultural fit changed Arasi...

How can founders identify government opportunities? Today I sit down with Mithun Pangal, a technology veteran with over 25 years of experience building everything from software to 40-foot-high robots.

Mithun breaks down the reality of building a Business-to-Government (B2G) startup in India. We dismantle the myths surrounding government procurement, discuss how to navigate tenders, and explore why the public sector offers superior security and unmatched scale for founders willing to learn the ropes. 

He talks about “What does Government-as-a-market” actually means. Talks about partnerships, common mistakes startups make and building credibility. If he had start busin...

Helping professionals become AI ready! Today, educator and builder Aditya Pati (founder of "Build with Adi") joins the show to demystify the AI revolution for non-technical founders. 

We explore the shift from traditional no-code tools to AI-driven platforms like Claude, complete with a live website modification breakdown. Adi shares hard-hitting lessons from his failed startup and his mission to build a global network of "AI enablers" solving local problems. we discuss: 

The Prompt Trap. The AI Stack: How to choose between ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for the right job, plus a guide to token management an...

What happens when gold, AI and startups collide? Today on The Indian Startup Show, I’m joined by Devansh Alijar for a wide-ranging conversation about AI, investing and building modern businesses. Devansh has helped transform a traditional family jewellery business, and we talk about how he’s using AI to make the business more efficient — from operations and hiring to training and decision-making. We also explore how he thinks about investing in startups, gold, and other assets, including what he looks for in founders and the red flags that can quickly put him off an investment.

We discus...

The Business of Laughs! Today I sit down with Ankur Nigam a Stand-up & Improv Comedian and Storytelling Coach dedicated to helping teams communicate with clarity, confidence, and a bit of humor.  

Ankur shares his incredible journey of leaving a stable consulting career to chase the spotlight, the brutal reality of his first on-stage failure, and how a life-altering open-heart surgery at age 35 completely shifted his perspective on legacy and living in the moment. 

He talks about adapting to the digital age, dealing with hecklers, and the unique comedy ecosystems of Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, why De...

Stop Doom-Scrolling! In 2026, the global average screen time has climbed to a staggering 6 hours and 38 minutes a day. We are constantly plugged in, but is it a lack of willpower, or are we just losing a rigged game? Today on the podcast, we sit down with Aditi Mandal to find out. Aditi spent a time working as a UX researcher, designing and making highly engaging digital products. 

But in 2017, she realized she was falling victim to the very systems she helped build. After embarking on a digital fitness journey, Aditi successfully beat the algorithms, engineering her own s...

Travel isn't just about places, it's about the stories and the people behind them. In this episode of the Indian Startup Show, I sit down with Dr. Tathagata Neogi, Co-Founder and CEO of Immersive Trails. Armed with a PhD in archaeology, he returned to Kolkata to build a dynamic, tech-enabled marketplace that connects conscious travelers with expert curators. 

We dive into the realities of bootstrapping a startup, the challenge of educating investors on a niche business model, and how Immersive Trails is organizing India's fragmented local guide market. 

Tathagata also shares powerful insights on building a...

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel Freezer Epiphany That Sparked a Zero-Waste Bakery. Today I speak with Sarah Patka, the visionary chef and founder behind Mumbai’s premium niche bakery, Love & Flour. 

Driven by a passion for baking science and a strict zero-waste philosophy, Sarah shares her journey from working the grueling shifts at the Taj Mahal Palace to bootstrapping her own boutique dessert brand. 

We dive deep into the operational strategies of running a made-to-order, storefront-free bakery, the art of fusion desserts, and why prioritizing consistent quality over mass-market scaling is the secret recipe for buil...

Marry the problem, not the product! In this episode, I sit down with social entrepreneur Nikky Kumar Jha, the first engineer from his small village in Bihar, India. Nikky initially set out to tackle massive global issues like climate change—until a professor advised him to look in his own backyard. What he found was a devastating local crisis: despite the fertile soil along the Ganges, farmers were losing 40% of their produce to rot because standard refrigeration was too expensive and the rural power grid was too unreliable. From a "hilarious" first prototype that short-circuited in 30 minutes, Nikky went on...

Giving People a Second Life! We are thrilled to welcome back Rishi Krishna, the visionary Founder and CEO of Symbionic, for his first appearance since November 2021! A lot has changed since our last conversation. 

After losing his right arm in a tragic bus accident in 2018, Rishi channeled his personal adversity into founding Symbionic, an assistive tech startup dedicated to building affordable, life-changing prosthetic devices. 

In this episode, we dive deep into the massive pivots the business has undergone, what it really takes to build and scale in India, and how Symbionic is quite literally giving pe...

Turning Wanderlust into a Business. Can falling in love with a place completely change the trajectory of your life? For Alankar Chandra, a trip to the Masai Mara did exactly that.

Today, I speak to Alankar Chandra, the CEO and Founder of Wild Voyager and Ilora Retreats. An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Alankar left his comfortable corporate job to pursue his true passions: wildlife and travel. 

In this episode, we discuss how he turned his hobby into a thriving experiential travel company, born out of a desire to rekindle a true sense of wonder through authentic a...

The India–Scotland Entrepreneurial Journey!  Today’s guest is Nishant Sharma. the Indian-born, Edinburgh-based entrepreneur whose company blends Indian heritage with Scottish craftsmanship. Nishant’s story is one of resilience, legacy and bold reinvention.

After leaving a successful career in financial services, he set out to build a brand with long-term meaning. Inspired by his late grandmother — and a family history that traces back to his great-grandfather becoming a whisky distiller during the British Raj — he brought his Assam roots into the heart of Scotland’s spirits industry. 

The journey, however, was anything but smooth. At one point...

Reinventing Kids Hospitality in India. Today my guest is Kanupriya Poddar, CEO of MagickWorld. She is building a platform to help parents discover kid-friendly stays, experiences, shops, and enrichment services across cities. In this episode, she shares how she launched MagickWorld alongside her 8-year-old daughter (a mini-entrepreneur, Shark Tank fan, business mindset!), onboarded 100+ local businesses within two months of soft launch, and cracking the distribution model. She reflects on lessons from her McKinsey background, explains why she prefers top-down strategy over bottom-up execution, and talks about bootstrapping, investor interest, the pressure of startup life , and staying grounded with advice...

Building a global brand from India. Today my guest is  Ritesh Arora, Co-Founder of TRU.BIKE, TRU.BIKE designs premium, lightweight and safe bicycles for children, and is now exporting e-bikes to Europe. 

In this episode he talks about why India, despite being the second-largest bicycle manufacturer, has no global brand, and how TRU.BIKE is changing that.

Ritesh shares their journey from bootstrapping in year one to raising funds, achieving product–market fit, and growing fast. He talks about building a strong marketing engine.

Being mentally prepared for the startup journey. Why your...

In this episode, I sit down with Saurabh Nigam—HR leader, angel investor, and author of People-Powered Startups: Building a Culture of Collaboration, Innovation, and High Performance. 

With over two decades of experience, Saurabh shares actionable insights on building a thriving startup culture, avoiding common HR mistakes, and hiring the right people at the right time. 

We dive into: Why startups struggle with HR—and how to fix it. The role of AI in recruitment. How to retain top talent and manage toxic high performers. Managing mental wellness in a high-growth startup environment. The three non-ne...

Showcasing emerging artists—today, my guest is Leia Tyebjee, co-founder of Pylot Studios, an interdisciplinary creative platform dedicated to artistic design, curation, and community engagement. In this episode, we discuss the challenges of creating spaces for artists, breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry, and how Pylot Studios is redefining art curation. Leia also shares her thoughts on AI in art, mistakes emerging artists make, the importance of community, and why she still chooses to work with film photography in the digital age. And finally, we talk bananas, interesting first impressions of New York, travel photography tips, and much more!

Indie Hacker Special! I speak to Piyush Patel, the founder of AmplifyX Labs and a prominent voice in the micro-SaaS and indie hacking space. From bootstrapping projects to building in public and exploring AI-powered tools, Piyush shares invaluable insights into his personal journey, product development strategies, getting your first customers and the future of micro-SaaS. This episode is packed with actionable advice for aspiring indie hackers, developers, and entrepreneurs who want to build and scale meaningful projects without funding. He also shares how numerology and astrology influence both his personal and business decisions, and reveals the surprising story of...

Chicken and hot sauce are a match made in heaven! In this episode, II’m joined by Mikhel Rajani, co-founder of Naagin Sauce, India’s first and favourite hot sauce brand. Mikhel and his team spotted a gap in the market about five years ago and have since transformed Naagin Sauce into a household name, now partnering with KFC India and reaching both domestic and international customers.

We dive deep into the story of building Naagin Sauce and what it takes to pioneer a brand in an untapped market. Here's what we cover:

The world is getting fatter! In this episode, we dive deep into fitness and nutrition with Adarsh Gopalakrishnan, founder of Move101 in Chennai. Move101 is a unique strength and conditioning gym tailored for regular folks with little to no training background, and it also offers online coaching.

Adarsh’s journey into fitness began in an unexpected way: he started working out to impress a girl who liked the biceps of a popular MTV VJ. He had no biceps and he wanted biceps and he started lifting weight and he got biceps! Thirteen years later, he’s trained hund...

On a mission to make intimacy easy, approachable, and fun. Today my guest is Anushka Gupta, co-founder of MyMuse. MyMuse is India’s first bedroom essentials brand, dedicated to making intimacy easy, approachable, and fun for Indians everywhere. 

Anushka and her husband started in a small apartment and now operate a warehouse serving over 150,000 customers across 1000+ Indian cities. They've also built a massive community of over 100,000 followers on Instagram and other social media platforms. 

During our conversation, Anushka discusses smashing taboos and disrupting the industry, as well as the different and innovative products offered by MyMu...

Experience real cricket at home! In this episode, I sit down with Prince Thomas, co-founder of MetaShot, a Bangalore-based gaming startup. MetaShot offers a unique and immersive cricket experience through a cutting-edge metaphysical smart bat.

Prince shares how the idea for MetaShot emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the early days of development, from the initial prototypes—a cricket bat with a sensor and a copy of EA Cricket 2007—to securing significant investments from prominent investors and eventually having a best selling product on Flipkart. 

Throughout our conversation, Prince delves into the intricacies of how M...

Step into the dynamic world of Indian menswear fashion with our latest episode! Join us as we sit down with Karan Singh, the creative force behind Aristobrat, a brand renowned for its premium men's clothing. In this insightful conversation, Karan takes us on a journey from his inspiration drawn from a transformative trip to Scandinavia to the inception of his own fashion brand. 

Delve into his innovative financial strategies, including the use of factoring, and gain a deeper understanding of India's burgeoning menswear scene. Discover Karan's pearls of wisdom as he discusses crafting a brand strategy, mastering s...

Drawing inspiration from the timeless game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, today's guest is Lalit Kalani, the Founder of Rock Paper Rum, an innovative Indian Rum brand prominently featured on Season 3 of Shark Tank India.

 In this episode, Lalit delves into the journey of launching his venture, shedding light on navigating the competitive Mumbai market, mastering branding, product development, and effective marketing strategies. 

He talks about India's complicated relationship with alcohol. He offers invaluable advice on pitching, discusses the transformative impact of Shark Tank, and reveals insights into the decision-making process behind delaying the launch.  

And fin...

Driven by love for Table Tennis. Megha Gambhir, is the amazing co-founder and CEO of Stupa Sports Analytics. Her company is revolutionising the world of sports by providing athletes with cutting-edge analytics and insights to improve their performance.

 She talks about how she got started with a MVP - an Excel spreadsheet, to now working  the ITTF and  multiple international federations on her client list  and a number of global clients. She talks about leaving a well-paying job to figure it all out. 

Talks about working with her husband (pros & cons) She talks about pivoting. Build...

Making India sleep better: More than 55% of Indian adults face trouble falling asleep at least three nights a week. Today, I speak with Surbhi Jain, the founder of Neend, a free app offering stories, soothing sleep sounds, meditation, and more to help users unwind and nod off. 

Launched in 2021, Surbhi shares how she started this journey after contracting Covid and struggling with sleep issues. She released the MVP on YouTube, experiencing significant organic growth. Surbhi discusses building a consumer app in the wellness space, addressing topics like traction, funding, her background, dealing with competition, and a referral s...

Universal factories of the future. Today my guest is Gokul NA, Co-Founder of CynLr.  a pioneering deep-tech startup dedicated to the radical reinvention of dynamic vision-enabled robots, unlocking the potential to create the 'universal factories' of tomorrow. 

In this enlightening discussion, Gokul takes us on a journey back over a decade, recounting the humble beginnings with his co-founder in a modest office that evolved into a sprawling 13,000 sq ft research space. This state-of-the-art facility boasts robot research cells, cutting-edge electronics, a sophisticated camera and vision laboratory, all meticulously managed by an expert team of engineers and researchers. 

From a 13-year-old dreaming of becoming a YouTuber to now leading a 6-figure video content agency, today I speak with Pratham Jindal, Founder and CEO of Praper Media—a content agency collaborating with some of the biggest creators on the planet. 

In this episode he shares insights into launching the agency, recounting the story of securing his first customer by spending 100 Rupees on a super chat. Pratham delves into his unique hiring philosophy and offers perspectives on AI, Chat GPT, and Sora. Additionally, he unveils his distinctive framework for hiring staff and discusses effective cold email strategies.

It's a tough job market out there folks! , and on today's episode, we have an expert to guide us through it. I'm joined by Sarabjeet Sacher, the founder of Aspiration Jobs, with a profound passion for coaching professionals in areas such as career growth, career development, job search strategies, and interview techniques.

He shares valuable insights on crafting a compelling CV—what to include and what to avoid. The episode explores the intricacies of salary negotiation, providing tips on answering pivotal questions like "Why should I hire you?", 'Where do you see yourself in 3 years time?’   And his t...

Enabling the well-being of more than 355 million Indian women through products, experiences, and experts. Today my guest is Aruna Chawla, founder of Salad, a lifestyle planner mobile app that support women to better manage their health throughout the menstrual cycle by providing personalised nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle advice. 

She talks about her own personal journey of being in and out of hospital. She talks about building an MVP without  a CTO or developers. Aruna talks about why they don’t want to go viral and or build landing pages. She talks about the first version of Salad,  a con...

Bye Bye Potholes! Today I have the pleasure to talk to Sourabh Kumar, co-founder of PotHoleRaja, a social venture that 's on a mission to make India & the world pothole-free.  He got the idea After reading a tragic story about a woman who lost her life due to a pothole. He gave up his highly paid corporate job to fill in potholes around the streets of Bangalore at 5AM!  He didn't tell his parents but he started getting goosebumps when random strangers started to praise his work and efforts. 

Without any background in civil engineering he started doi...

Content is king! Today my guest is Gautam Madhavan CEO & founder of Mad Influence and influencer management agency. They do more than just connect creators and brands. They do digital marketing, social media management, content authoring, and providing consulting services to businesses. 

They are trying to create the biggest content companies in the world. In this episode he talks about how he got this off the ground by seeing the shift from Blogging to Vlogging 2017/18, realising the power of video and was laser focussed on tiktok in the early days before it was popular.  He explains why yo...

Building the next wave of technology. Today my guest is seasoned investor Nitin Sharma, general partner & co-founder of Antler India. A global early-stage venture capital firm that invests in the defining technology companies of tomorrow. They're one of the fastest growing VC firms in the world. 

In this episode he talks about his 15+ year investing experience. He talks about how they help early stage founders. He talks about the differences between American entrepreneurs and Indian entrepreneurs. Talks about the No1 mistake founders make after raising money and how he deals with startup failure. 

He talks ab...

India is expected to be home to 700 million gamers by 2025. So Today my guest Piyush Kumar, he is the Founder and CEO of Rooter.  A game streaming and E-Sports platform. Rooter has emerged as the largest player in the Indian gaming category, with close to 50 million downloads, making it the No. 1 app in the ‘sports’ category on the Google Play Store since October 2020. 

Rooter is at the perfect intersection of Gaming and Content surge in India. So he talks about how it got this off the ground. He talks about what your MVP should look like. Talks about...

Sports tech and driving sports engagement. Today my guest is  Amit Purohit  CEO & founder of Fantasy Akhada, a fantasy sports platform that provides you with an opportunity to play Fantasy Cricket, Fantasy Football and Fantasy Kabaddi by using your sports knowledge and skill. 

So today he talks about building a hyper growth sports tech startup, going from the 181st fantasy app to being in the top 5 , amazing stuff. He talks about the USP - focusing on customer delight. Talks about marketing and why they focus on quality not volume. 

A great story about getting  legendary crick...

Get your popcorn ready! Today my guest is Shalibhadra Shah, CEO & Co-founder of ABC Talkies. An online movie platform for filmmakers to submit  their  films and for cinema lovers to watch independent cinema on a pay-per-view model. 

He talks about what motivated him to get this off the ground and  what problem they are solving . He talks about how they add value to the filmmaker and talks about the business model & revenue streams including variable ticket pricing.  

He talks about being blessed with failure in the early days and keeping the faith.  Talks about the curren...

Launching rockets into space! My guest is Srinath Ravichandran CEO & co-founder of Agnikul, a Chennai-based Indian aerospace manufacturer specialising in building launch vehicles capable of taking micro and nano-satellites to Low Earth Orbit, on-demand. 

He started as an outsider , working in finance but his heart was always in aerospace. In this episode he talks about the crazy amount of networking, cold calling professors and asking himself some existential questions to get this off the ground! 

He talks about going through the Airbus Incubator. Raising $11million in Series A funding. Talks about 3D technology, the business mo...