Rajiv Srivatsa’s Post

#MyStory #SimiDiaries Shikhar Vaidya ReDesyn Re-Desyn: A commitment that started some years back, with our own capital, saved from our individual jobs. Right from the fear of quitting well paying jobs to registering a company, hiring the first intern to making our home - our office, understanding terms like KRAs, SOPs, KPIs, MOA, AOA, COI, IEC and so many, to launching it via India's biggest fashion show, it has been such a long journey. Being proud NIFTians, we started as a private label and moved on to being a tech platform after Covid, that helps creators monetise. We are no more a marketplace that sells custom merchandise by creators, we are now a tech platform that lets creators add branded products to their stores and sell it to their fans. What a journey. Miles to go before I sleep. #ReDesyn #Entrepreneurship

We’ve done stories on the four Kurian brothers – Thomas (CEO, Google Cloud), George (CEO, NetApp), Jacob (Tanishq and New Silk Route growth capital firm), and Mathew (doctor in UK’s NHS). We recently discovered four similarly talented brothers, all of who have had stellar careers – Shrikant, Shripati, Shrinath and Sridhar Acharya. While the Kurians grew up in Bangalore, the Acharyas grew up in Madhya Pradesh, where their father was an engineer in the state’s public works’ department. Our lead story on #TimesTechies on Nov 20 mentions a little about the careers of all four, but our focus was on that of Shrinath Acharya and Shrikant Acharya. The two of them first started a company called Margi Systems in the US in the 1990s that created a solution that enabled full DVD playback on laptops, as also enabled features like going forward, backward, skipping a segment, looking at subtitles on DVDs. The solution was used by almost all the leading laptop makers. They were then developing a similar solution for DVDs in automotive, when Harman’s automotive business offered to acquire them and they agreed. They worked at Harman for a few years, and then, in 2008, started another company that worked on connecting automotive infotainment systems as well as other automotive systems to the cloud. They were in many ways pioneers of what we now call software-defined vehicles. That company, #Excelfore, has its solutions running in over 17 million vehicles globally – from BMW and Ford, to Maruti and Tata. We had Amit Kumar Agarwal, co-founder & CEO of #NoBroker, and Sangita Singh, General Manager – IT & ITES at #Microsoft India, as our guests in Bangalore at the Technovate for India programme that we are doing in association with startup ecosystem builder #Talrop. Amit shared experiences from his early days of founding NoBroker, including one where their office was attacked by brokers who thought NoBroker was adversely affecting their business. He had some great messages for those looking at starting businesses. Sangita spoke about the changes AI is bringing, and what it would mean for students. She said students don’t need to master every technical detail anymore, but could instead focus on a domain, like healthcare, supply chain, or education, and let AI empower them. She said tools like Microsoft Copilot can transform workflows and allow students and entrepreneurs to focus on solving meaningful, real-world problems. The event was held at New Horizon College of Engineering, and we had principal Dr.Manjunatha Basavannappa Chalageri Chalageri, who urged students to become job providers rather than job seekers.

Another rollercoaster day in the world of entrepreneurship. Here's the second trip we made for selling AutoMate: Planned to leave at 2 PM but ended up stuck until 4:30 due to product error....but the product gave a last minute bug🫤 About to take bike because of last incident (see previous post🙃) but ended up taking the car again. (definitely not because of the bike chalani nahi aati) Then we started our sales trip... -Decided to checkout GK TVS, reached there asap only to find we were in the wrong branch. -Grabbed some juice, and headed to TVS spot no luck there either. -We ended up at Aditi TVS, where we fixed meeting with the owner later on Monday. It was getting late so, we rushed to another dealership. There we just told that we are here for a survey, noticed what changes we can do to AutoMate for better performance🤔 Heading to go to another dealership but eventually we realised it would be too late since we'd reach at closing hours We decided to go back to IIIT Delhi. Wrapping up the day, we gathered for a team meet ready to focus on marketing strategy, product fixes and looking for new interns. PS: DM to get Tech consultancy for your startup to automate your processes and boost your business productivity. #StartupGrind #Salesjourney #Sales #EntrepreneurshipJourney #ProductDevelopment #TeamMeetings #BusinessChallenges #NeverGiveUp #HeydoTech #TeamHeydo #Grind #hustle #salesjourney #startupindia'

🏁 Earlier this week, we launched the Fast Track to Antler India Residency! 🏁 If you're eager to accelerate your path to our residency, here's a simple hack: connect with us through someone who knows you—and knows us too! We'll be at the Antler India Residency office in Bangalore on August 1st & 2nd for two full days of direct interactions. 🌟 Here’s how you can do it: 1️⃣ Find a Connection: Locate someone within our networks (they might have shared this post on LinkedIn/Twitter or engaged with us previously). 2️⃣ Get Introduced: Show us your resourcefulness! Ask them to email, WhatsApp, tweet, or message any of our 18 team members for a warm introduction. Make sure they write a glowing recommendation about you! ✨ 3️⃣ Pitch Us: Once connected, send us your best pitch deck. 4️⃣ Meet Us: Shortlisted individuals and teams will get a direct slot to meet with us in person on August 1st or 2nd. 5️⃣ Get Your Decision: Receive your decision on joining the Antler India Residency (with a $500k commitment) before August 3rd! Don’t miss this chance—make it happen now! 🚀💼 #AntlerIndia #FastTrack #StartupOpportunity #Networking #Entrepreneurship #BangaloreEvents Rajiv Srivatsa Nitin Sharma Susmit Patodia Neharika Garg Reetik Agarwal

During my recent visit to Bangalore, I discovered something that stood out—Namma Yatri. It’s not just another ride-hailing app like Uber or Ola, but something that redefines how we move and connect. Imagine getting into an auto-rickshaw, not just for a ride, but for a conversation about innovation. That’s exactly what Namma Yatri offered. Powered by the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), it operates on a unique, no-commission subscription model. Launched in partnership with the Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union, it empowers drivers by giving them more control over their livelihoods. This experience piqued my interest in ONDC itself. 🌐 𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐂 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐞-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬: 👉 Interoperability: Businesses can collaborate without being tied to one platform. 👉 Unbundled Services: ONDC organizes processes into distinct roles—buyer, seller, logistics, payments, and more. 👉 Decentralized Control: Both buyers and sellers maintain control over their data and transactions. In a country where over 12 million sellers rely on commerce but only 15,000 are tech enabled (just 0.125%), ONDC is unlocking digital opportunities for small businesses and local vendors. This is how India’s digital public infrastructure is leveling the playing field for SMEs, empowering them to thrive in a digital-first economy. #ONDC #Ecommerce #DigitalTransformation #SMEs #Innovation #India

This man couldn't get a ticket home, so he built a company worth INR 800 Cr.! His journey is inspiring and worth a read. In 2005, Phanindra Sama was eager to return home for Diwali. He was an engineer in Bangalore and hadn't been home in months. Trying to book a bus ticket from Bangalore to Hyderabad, he was stunned. No tickets were available. He couldn't see seat availability or prices, and had to rely on phone calls and visits to agents. Frustrated, Phanindra wanted a solution. His plan was clear: Create an online bus booking system where you could choose your seat and see prices in real time. At 25, Phanindra left his job at Texas Instruments, brought two friends along, and started with an investment of Rs 5 lakh. In August 2006, redBus was launched. Redbus began small, with one operator and five seats. They faced challenges. Offline bookings were more profitable, and no one wanted to use their software, even for free. Investors didn't see the potential. Phanindra had to prove them wrong. He calculated the number of routes and average ticket prices to show operators the profit they could make. It worked. By 2007, Redbus expanded to 50 operators and made sales of 5 CR. With early success, Redbus got 3 CR in funding from Seedfund in February 2007 and guidance from TiE. They offered a 1% commission to operators and grew sixfold in 2008, reaching sales of 30 CR. Redbus continued to grow and kept customers happy. It allowed them to track buses and book based on reliable ratings. It also offered reserved seats for women. By 2010, sales hit 60 CR, and they raised 8 CR from Inventus Capital Partners. They handled over 35 lakh bookings and secured 42 CR from Helion Venture Partners. Ibibo Group, a major travel company, wanted to buy a firm with strong growth. They chose Redbus, which was selling 10 lakh bus tickets a month. Redbus was bought by Ibibo for 800 CR, marking one of the biggest international buys of an Indian startup. Lets Unbound #ticket #redbus #journey #motivation #engineer #bus #booking #product #invest #software #price #profit #sales #growth #startup

Silicon Valley’s South Park Commons to launch India outpost with Binny Bansal After launching South Park Commons in 2016 as a collective of engineers, founders and researchers, husband-wife duo of Ruchi Sanghvi and Aditya Agarwal are now planning their India entry with Flipkart cofounder Binny Bansal. In an interview with ETtech's Samidha Sharma, Sanghvi detailed SPC's trajectory. "The initial group was 10 people, and the idea was we would study topics that were on the cutting edge of technology. This kind of a learning group really resonated with a lot of people in Silicon Valley. Quickly, we grew from 10 to 30 people." But what is SPC? Agarwal explains: "When you join SPC, you come here, you explore, you meet other people, you build, you get feedback. Maybe you decided to start a company. If they start a company, we get the right place to invest. The status we have here is—what are you going to work on? This is quite different than YC or any other incubator." "Ruchi and I are working closely with Binny Bansal to bring an early-stage incubation and venture project to the India market," Agarwal told us. Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/gN894Jdz

🏡 BYJU’S, India’s most-valued ed-tech startup, is enabling 15,000 employees to work remotely. As reported by Business Standard, the closure of offices is a component of the restructuring plan. This is an interesting decision following the layoff of 5,000 employees in recent months. It prioritizes saving more employees rather than preserving more offices #remote #India

🚖 inDrive Appoints New Country Manager for India. 📰 SUMMARY: US-based ride-hailing platform inDrive has announced the appointment of Pratip Mazumder as the new Country Manager for India, signaling a significant move in its strategy to bolster its presence and operational strength in the Indian market. 🔍 BACKGROUND: Mazumder brings over a decade of leadership experience from notable companies in the consumer tech and internet industry, including Swiggy, Uber, and Practo. His expertise spans across strategic partnerships, product launches, and business development. Most recently, he served as General Manager - Strategic Partnerships at Swiggy. 🚀 ROLE & EXPECTATIONS: As Country Manager, Mazumder will oversee all business verticals for inDrive in India, including local government and public relations, partnerships, and inVision initiatives. His appointment is expected to drive inDrive’s growth ambitions in India by enhancing product offerings and optimizing operations to meet local market needs. 📈 STRATEGIC GROWTH PHASE: This appointment comes at a crucial time when inDrive is aggressively expanding its operations in the Indian market. Mark Loughran, President of inDrive, highlighted Mazumder's market insights and leadership as key to integrating inDrive’s regional and central operations, fostering organizational culture, and adhering to global standards. 🌏 MARKET FOCUS: India is one of the four countries globally where inDrive has dedicated a country head, underscoring the strategic importance of the Indian market in inDrive's global expansion plans. The company is actively working to strengthen regional partnerships and align its services with the demands of Indian consumers. 🌍 GLOBAL PRESENCE AND FUTURE GOALS: inDrive operates in 749 cities across 46 countries, with ambitions to reach a user base of 1 billion by 2030. The company has recently launched freight services in key Indian cities, providing diverse transport solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. 📊 INDUSTRY IMPACT: Mazumder’s leadership is poised to enhance inDrive's competitive edge in the Indian ride-hailing and freight service market, pushing forward the company’s commitment to growth and innovation within the region. inDrive #inDrive #RideHailing #TechLeadership #MarketExpansion #StartUpNews #BusinessNews #MicroShots #NewsUpdates

Celebrating 5 Years of Growth & Innovation at Sinch India! 🇮🇳 Today marks a significant milestone in my journey at Sinch India. It's been 5 years of learning, adapting, and pushing boundaries in the ever-evolving Indian tech market. Here's what I've learned: 🚀 Think Local, Innovate Globally: Understanding the unique needs and challenges of the Indian market is crucial. However, successful innovation often requires looking beyond borders and incorporating global best practices. 🚀 Embrace Agility: The Indian market demands a quick and nimble approach. Being adaptable and open to pivoting is essential to staying ahead of the curve. 🚀 Build for Scale: Start small, but always keep scalability in mind. Anticipate growth and ensure your solutions can adapt to cater to a wider audience. 🚀 Collaboration is King: The Indian tech ecosystem thrives on collaboration. Building strong partnerships with diverse stakeholders is key to success. 🚀 Empowerment Breeds Innovation: One of the most fulfilling aspects of my time here has been the opportunity to initiate new projects and see them flourish. From the initial spark of an idea to its execution and eventual success, each endeavour has taught me invaluable lessons about perseverance, collaboration, and the power of a supportive workplace culture. I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved at Sinch India. Together, we've navigated the dynamic Indian market and brought innovative solutions to the table. These past five years wouldn't have been the same without the incredible team, heartfelt thanks to each one of you. Here's to many more years of learning, collaboration, shaping the future of tech in India, and shared successes at Sinch! #Innovation #Empowerment #CompanyCulture #GrowthMindset #5years