Indian Silicon Valley with Jivraj Singh Sachar

In this episode, we sit down with Azeez Gupta, Co-founder of Rocket Learning, an ed-tech nonprofit dedicated to revolutionizing early childhood education in India. Azeez shares his journey of building Rocket Learning, an organization that partners with government schools and anganwadi centers to create digital communities that empower educators, parents, and children alike. With an emphasis on the...

In this episode, we sit down with Suyash Saraf, the co-founder of Dot & Key, a leading D2C beauty and personal care brand in India. Starting from scratch, Suyash and his team scaled Dot & Key to an impressive ₹700 crore business, which was recently acquired by Nykaa, a market leader in the beauty space. In this candid conversation, Suyash shares the strategies behind Dot & Key’s explos...

In this episode, we sit down with Umang Dua, the co-founder of Handy, one of the world’s largest home services marketplaces, which was acquired by Angi, a billion-dollar public company. Now building his second startup, Keychain, Umang shares the untold secrets behind scaling a marketplace business and the lessons learned from his entrepreneurial journey. We dive deep into Umang’s insights on build...

In this episode, we sit down with Vedant Modi, Chief Revenue Officer of Manyavar, to uncover the secrets behind building one of India’s most iconic ethnic wear brands. Manyavar has become synonymous with Indian weddings and celebrations, and Vedant shares his journey of taking the brand from its early days to a ₹30,000 crore empire. We dive deep into how Manyavar started, the brand's massive scale...

In this episode, we sit down with Amarjit Singh Batra, Managing Director of Spotify India (and General Manager of 59 Countries), a visionary leader shaping the future of music streaming in one of the world’s largest music markets. Amarjit shares his fascinating journey, from being at the forefront of the Indian internet economy to leading Spotify's expansion across India, South Asia, Africa, and t...

In this episode, we sit down with Rohit Chawla, the visionary founder behind Innovist and The Man Company, to explore his journey as a serial entrepreneur in the competitive direct-to-consumer (D2C) space. Rohit shares invaluable insights into product development, customer acquisition, and the critical decisions that shaped his brands' growth. We begin by discussing Rohit’s thoughts on the structu...

In this episode, we sit down with Pankaj Vermani, founder and CEO of Clovia, one of India's most successful lingerie brands. From building the business from scratch to selling a majority stake to Reliance, Pankaj opens up about the journey and the lessons learned along the way. We dive into how Clovia stood out by balancing premium quality with affordability, a strategy that has resonated deeply w...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Ritesh, a finance expert and entrepreneur who has carved out a unique path in the Indian financial landscape. Dr. Ritesh takes us through his journey to financial freedom, sharing his self-realization about the true priorities in life and how he maintains discipline to stay ahead of the curve. We delve deep into Dr. Ritesh’s disciplined approach to mastering p...

In this episode, we talk to Gaurav Gupta, co-founder of Gabit and former COO at Zomato. Gaurav shares what initially attracted him to Zomato and the deeper reasons behind his decision. He provides an inside look at Zomato during its hyper-scaling years and discusses what it meant to be elevated to a founder role in a company he didn't start. Gaurav reflects on the journey leading up to Zomato’s IP...

In this episode, we talk to Pramath Raj Sinha, a visionary entrepreneur and academic leader who has revolutionized Indian education through founding institutions like ISB, Ashoka University, and Harappa Education. Pramath shares how his multidisciplinary background shaped his approach to building educational institutions. He offers insights into the K12 segment and reflects on the crucial decision...

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of private equity and India's economic future with Sanjay Kukreja, Chief Investment Officer and Partner at ChrysCapital, India's largest PE firm. Sanjay shares invaluable insights from his 25-year journey in the industry, discussing how ChrysCapital grew from a $60 million fund to managing $9 billion in assets. He offers a candid look at the evolution o...

In this episode, we delve into the extraordinary journey of Kavin Bharti Mittal, founder and CEO of Hike, as he shares insights on building India's first unicorn messaging app and its evolution into a Web3 gaming platform. From Hike's meteoric rise to a $1.4 billion valuation to its pivot in the face of changing market dynamics, Kavin offers a candid look at the challenges and triumphs of...

In this episode, we dive deep into the journey of Suhasini Sampath, Co-Founder of Yoga Bar, a trailblazing health food brand that has disrupted India's junk food landscape. Yoga Bar has revolutionized the way Indians snack, offering healthy alternatives in a market dominated by less nutritious options. From its humble beginnings in 2015 to its recent ₹500 crore acquisition by ITC, Yoga Bar&#39...

In this episode, we speak with Himanshu Kohli, Co-Founder of Client Associates. Client Associates is a leading private wealth management firm dedicated to providing personalized financial solutions to high-net-worth individuals and families. With a strong presence in the Indian financial landscape, Client Associates has built a reputation for trust and excellence, guiding their clients through com...

In this episode, we chat with Deep Kalra, the former CEO of MakeMyTrip. Deep opens up about his amazing 24-year journey as an entrepreneur, sharing his experiences and the lessons he’s learned along the way. We discuss how he navigated the pandemic, his thoughts on reinventing oneself, and the exciting impact of AI. Deep also talks about the skills he’s picked up, his approach to building and hiri...

In this episode, we chat with Vishal Jindal, the co-founder of Biryani By Kilo (BBK), a leading food delivery service revolutionizing how India enjoys biryani. Vishal, who ventured into entrepreneurship at 40, shares his journey of turning a passion for biryani into a thriving business. We explore why biryani is so beloved, the consumer trends driving its popularity, and the foundational principle...

In this episode, we speak with Neel Ghose of Robin Hood Army. Robin Hood Army is a volunteer-based organization that works to get surplus food from restaurants and communities to serve less fortunate people. They have a presence in multiple countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and many others. They have successfully fed over 14 crore people worldwide, making a massive impact on hunger...

In this episode, we speak with Ayush Wadhwa of OWLED Media. OWLED is a leading marketing solutions company that works with the best companies in India, including the likes of Groww, Unacademy, PhonePe, Dezerv, Flipkart, Meesho and many others. They're the folks behind the Nikhil Kamath Podcast, Indian Business Podcast by Think School, Unacademy's Next Level Podcast and many leading product...

In this episode, we speak with Rishabh Mariwala - Managing Partner, Sharrp Ventures. He is a director at Marico and Kaya, alongside leading Sharrp Ventures into the premier consumer investing arm in the country. Rishabh's insights on consumer brands, his personal entrepreneurial experience and the past track record that he exhibits are all beyond phenomenal. We are absolutely glad to have had...

In this episode of the Indian Silicon Valley Podcast, we host the Founder & Managing Partner of Veeba - India's most loved sauce brand. All of us find Veeba sauces in our kitchen and sachets in our deliveries. Veeba in the last 10 years has become all incumbent brands in its category and become the market leader, crossing a revenue mark of INR 1,000 CR!! Veeba is India's leading brand...

In this episode, we speak to Aditya Ghosh - the legendary Indian Business Figure. He has Co-Founded Akasa Air and he previously built INDIGO as its President. He is also the Founding Trustee of Ashoka University and is the Founder of Homage, his investing arm that invests across new-age companies, philanthropy and other noble initiatives. Watch an incredible conversation with the legend. 00:00 - I...

In this episode, we speak with Vijay Subramanian - the leading man in the Artists Management space, building Collective Artists Network. They manage some of the best actors and creators in the country, championing the creator wave. They are also building a group company, as they have many underlying initiatives including the Gruhas Collective Fund to invest in new-age consumer companies, Under 25...

Ankur Warikoo is the legendary entrepreneur and content creator having more than 10Mn followers across social media. He is a celebrated entrepreneur who built Nearbuy in India and is now building a profitable, bootstrapped venture doing 27Cr+ in revenues every year. He is a content creator with more than 100Mn impressions with his posts every year, impacting lives at scale. He is also a bestsellin...

In this episode, we speak to the Millionaire Ashish Dhawan, who is the CEO of Convergence. He is an institutional builder at its core, the best India has ever seen. He has built Chrys Capital, India's largest PE Firm (backed companies like Infosys, Axis Bank, YES Bank). He then exited the PE world at the age of 43 to pursue philanthropy and started the Central Square Foundation (CSF) - transfo...

In today's episode, we speak to Sahiba Bali, the well renowned Marketer - the person who established Zomato's phenomenal presence on YouTube, alongside which she has continued her acting career and established a strong name in the acting ecosystem of India. She has also led Marketing for Unacademy, post Zomato. It was lovely to understand how a Marketer thinks from Sahiba, tune in for a gr...