In this episode of Crafting Bharat: A Startup Guide, Gautam Srinivasan delves into the transformative impact of AWS on startups in India. Gautam is joined by Kumara Raghavan, the head of the startup sales segment at AWS India, to discuss how AWS supports startups from tier two and tier three cities. The conversation highlights the AWS Activate program, which provides startups with credits for compute, storage, networking, and advanced services like AI and ML, enabling them to experiment and innovate without worrying about costs. With over 117,000 startups registered with DPIIT, the discussion underscores the significant role AWS plays in fostering innovation and job creation across India. Tune in to learn how AWS is helping startups scale and succeed in a competitive market.

In this episode of Crafting Bharat: A Startup Guide, Krishnan Vishwanathan, the founder and CEO of Kissht, shares the inspiring journey of starting Kissht in 2015 and delves into the challenges they faced in providing instant consumer credit to underserved segments in India. Krishnan informs host Gautam Srinivasan about how his team adopted a "low and grow" approach, starting with small loans and gradually increasing exposure based on repayment behavior, while emphasizing the role of technology in bridging the gap between digital and finance. The episode concludes with insights on running a successful fintech while aiming for the greater good.

In this episode of Crafting Bharat: A Startup Guide, Gautam Srinivasan sits down with Dale Vaz, the founder and CEO of Aaritya, to discuss the factors that influenced his decision to leave his role as CTO at a decacorn and venture into the startup world. Dale explains how the pandemic and the growing wave of financial independence in India inspired him to create a product that helps new investors and traders. The episode delves into the challenges and opportunities of starting a new business in the rapidly evolving Indian market. Tune in to hear about his vision for Aaritya and his plans for the future. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, finance, and entrepreneurship.

In this episode of Crafting Bharat: A Startup Guide, Gautam Srinivasan welcomes Aditya Sharma, co-founder of The Souled Store. Aditya shares the journey of starting the company with his co-founders, who were all passionate about pop culture, as they identified a gap in the Indian market for official merchandise and decided to fill it. Aditya discusses the pressures of scaling up highlighting the importance of maintaining quality and customer service while navigating the competitive landscape. The episode delves into the strategies they employed to manage high cash burn and substantial losses in FY 22. Aditya's story is a testament to the resilience and innovative spirit required to succeed in the startup world.

In this episode of Crafting Bharat: A Startup Guide, Gautam Srinivasan chats with Tejas Rathod, the COO and co-founder of MobAvenue, a leading madtech platform about his journey from humble beginnings, starting with just a hundred-dollar paycheck from monetizing content, to establishing a successful digital marketing company. Tejas highlights the importance of standing out in a competitive market and how Mob Avenue has managed to do so by focusing on unique solutions for advertisers. The conversation delves into the transition from third-party cookies to a privacy-first approach, emphasizing the need for creativity in data collection and usage. The episode provides valuable insights for startup founders on how to navigate the complexities of the digital advertising landscape. Join Gautam and Tejas as they explore what it takes to succeed in the dynamic world of programmatic advertising.

In this episode of Crafting Bharat: A Startup Guide, host Gautam Srinivasan interviews Rajat Deshpande, the co-founder and CEO of Finbox, where Rajat discusses the early days of Finbox, including their initial failure with a personal finance management app and the subsequent pivot to a B2B model. Rajat emphasizes the importance of stubbornness and resilience in the startup world, recounting how they overcame technical challenges with AWS. The conversation touches on the broader landscape of India's digital payments and lending revolution, highlighting the innovative ways Finbox is enabling financial empowerment. Tune in to learn what it takes to navigate the startup ecosystem and drive financial inclusion in India.

In this episode of Crafting Bharat: A Startup Guide, Gautam Srinivasan explores the fascinating journey of Locobuzz, a leading customer experience platform with COO and co-founder Shubhi Agarwal. She provides an in-depth look at the company's evolution from a social monitoring tool to a comprehensive customer experience solution where she discusses the challenges and triumphs of being a bootstrapped company and how they managed to scale effectively. The conversation highlights the importance of maintaining unit economics, the strategies Locobuzz employs to achieve this and also emphasizes the role of data in transforming customers into loyal fans and consistently delivering a "wow" experience. Listeners will gain valuable insights into the operational and strategic aspects of running a successful tech company. Tune in to learn how Locobuzz leverages technology to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, customer experience, and business growth.