Rahul Dash

Most poeple don’t get Boba Bhai right. But, as an investor via Titan Capital Winners Fund, I’ve had the fortune to see this story play out very closely. It is not just winning the bubble tea market in India - It is creating it. - Before their explosive entry, the category was a fragmented, niche curiosity-a handful of scattered outlets with no cohesive market identity - And Boba Bhai’s strategic execution is a live case study in transforming a fringe trend into a dominant, mainstream consumer category Their first move was to define the product for the Indian masses. By fusing Korean formats with Indian flavours, they created an accessible, craveable version of bubble tea and street food that could achieve broad appeal, moving it out of the niche corners of K-culture enthusiasts. Next, they built the physical infrastructure for the category at an unprecedented speed. Scaling to over 70 outlets, they are single-handedly putting bubble tea on the map in cities across the country, building the distribution network that is making the drink a household name. But their most visionary move in category creation is happening right now, in the digital aisle. The launch of Ready-to-Drink (RTD) canned bubble tea on quick commerce platforms like Blinkit and Zepto is another big bet. Effectively, they are not just entering a new channel - they are creating an entirely new FMCG category from scratch - packaged bubble tea. This allows them to own the "at-home" occasion, building brand salience far beyond their physical footprint. And this is very inspiring, because this is how categories are built. A single brand becomes so dominant in the consumer's mind that it becomes synonymous with the product itself. Think Xerox for photocopying or Maggi for instant noodles. With a stated goal to make K-Pop culture mainstream in India across food, drink and more, Boba Bhai, and its amazing founder, my friend Dhruv (in pic), are not shy about their ambitions. - And having read this whole thing, I am sure you would now get that they are not aiming to be a player in the bubble tea space - They are building the entire stadium and positioning themselves as the home team And that’s why I always say with pride and confidence, that Boba Bhai isn't just another QSR. What do you think? ---- I've begun to share my learnings from the world of startups more frequently to gain wider perspective. Thus, if you hold any additions or differences to the thoughts I shared above, do share in the comments. That will help widen my thinking horizons. Thanks! Best, Shiv

180

16 Comments

Natasha Malpani Launches ₹200 Crore Fund to Power India’s AI Startups Former Kae Capital partner Natasha Malpani has launched Boundless Ventures, an early-stage venture fund with a corpus of ₹200 crore, dedicated to supporting homegrown AI-native startups across India. The fund will focus on pre-seed and seed-stage investments in companies innovating across consumer AI, infrastructure, agent tooling, healthcare, logistics, deep tech, and make-in-India hardware. Boundless has already written its first cheques to startups including Superhealth, Armatrix, PierSight, Knot, and two stealth ventures in AI infrastructure and consumer AI. Beyond capital, the fund promises to bring narrative and network support to founders. As Malpani puts it, India today has a once-in-a-generation advantage talent density, digital rails, and ambition to build global AI leaders from day one. At Startup Veda, we’re thrilled to see local capital fueling the AI frontier. This fund signals rising maturity in India’s venture ecosystem—placing conviction behind AI-first founders well before the rest of the world catches on. Join the conversation: Which early-stage AI ventures excite you the most? How powerful is the mix of capital + storytelling for building AI startups? #Startup #AI #VentureCapital #DeepTech #StartupIndia #FounderStories

230

12 Comments

How does he sell products on Amazon every THREE seconds? The answer lies not just in the product, but in the PRICE. 💰 ➡️In the chapter “PRICING: THE HOLY GRAIL OF BUSINESS” from my book Startups of Bharat, we unpack the story of Varun and Tarun from Boult, one of India’s top three audio and wearable brands that has bootstrapped its way to 750 CR in revenue. 😳 At a time when international heavyweights like Bose, Sennheiser, and Marshall already dominated the premium segment, and local brands were competing on price, Boult charted its course. 👇🏻 Varun and Tarun discovered a clear gap ⏩Customers wanted premium design and sound quality — without the premium price tag. However, identifying a gap and monetising it are two distinct things. The real game-changer? Boult’s adoption of the target costing model—a method where you first decide the price customers are willing to pay and then engineer your product to fit the cost constraints. For example, if the COGS is capped at 60% and comes to 2200, with a remaining 40% margin, your price would be Rs 3080. This meant tight control over production costs, design-led differentiation, and a refusal to fall into the trap of over-innovation. Profitability wasn’t a distant milestone—it was baked into the business model from day one and reinvested to grow the business to 750 CR and take the No. 3 spot in the ever-competitive audio category. 💪 Ask yourself ⬇️ I) Would your customers still trust your product if it cost 20% more—or 20% less? II) Are you pricing based on cost or value perception? III) Is your pricing strategy helping you build a brand, or just moving inventory? IV) What does your price say about you, even before your product does? Find the answers in “PRICING: THE HOLY GRAIL OF BUSINESS” — only in Startups of Bharat on Amazon. Link in comments! Varun Gupta Surya Pasricha 🌞 BOULT #startupsofbharat #startups #india

180

35 Comments

Shivakumar Ganesan, Co-founder & CEO of Exotel, joins The Neon Show. A 14-year journey from bootstrap to scale, Exotel’s story is one of India’s most remarkable SaaS journeys. We discuss: 1. How Exotel grew for 8 years post-seed round without external funding 2. What happened when COVID slashed revenues from $10M to $5M. 3. The bold strategic moves: 3 funding rounds & 2 acquisitions that followed. 4. The tough transition of customer base from SMBs to enterprises. 5. Building a ₹2500 crore+ business without leaving India. 6. Why Shivku chose to stay focused on India despite advice to go global first. 7. How automation could cut contact center jobs by 80%. 8. The challenge of building voice AI across 30+ Indian languages. And much more on timing, reading the market, and creating moats in overlooked opportunities. The episode drops today on The Neon Show.

222

4 Comments

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 $𝟭 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 India’s manufacturing output hit $471B in FY24, and if current momentum continues, it’s projected to nearly triple to $1.3T by FY30. But this isn’t just about topline growth, it’s about a shift in the quality of what we’re building. We’re moving from assembly to IP-led manufacturing, from manual production to automation and digitization, and from commoditized inputs to strategic sectors like electronics, aerospace, and medical devices. This is what we call advanced manufacturing—companies that build or apply deep R&D, proprietary equipment, or process innovation to drive step changes in performance, efficiency, or cost. It’s not a buzzword. It’s where the world is headed. And it’s where India has a real shot at global leadership. 𝗔𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹, 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀. Smartphone exports crossed $24.1B in FY25, making them our largest export category. Over 200 mobile factories are now operational, up from just 2 in 2014. And PLI incentives have catalyzed over ₹14 lakh crore in production. This isn’t a government-led push alone. It’s a rare convergence of policy, global supply chain shifts, and startup energy. If we lean in now—with capital, skilling, and long-term conviction—India won’t just participate in the global manufacturing wave. We’ll shape it.

674

73 Comments

The Great GCC Paradox: We’re Hiring, but Losing India’s GCCs are expected to cross $100B by 2030. But here’s what no one’s openly talking about: We’re leaking talent at the top, and hiring at the bottom. 1. A new study by Mercer shows mid-career attrition in tech has doubled since 2022. 2. CXO-level hiring cycles in GCCs have stretched beyond 6 months (Zinnov, 2024). 3. Returnee talent with global exposure is still asked: Q) “Why do you want to come back?” Q) “Are you too senior for this role?” We’ve mastered delivery. But we’re stuck in a talent loop: - Entry-level upskilling is celebrated - Strategic leadership hiring is feared - Internal mobility is sluggish - Culture fit outweighs culture transformation The result? India’s most capable talent is being interviewed by Singapore, Berlin, and Dubai, while local GCCs are still refining JD drafts. What if the real growth limiter isn’t infrastructure or policy… …but our inability to bet on catalytic leadership? You can’t build a $100B ecosystem with a $1M mindset. Let’s talk: What one mindset shift would unlock India’s next-gen GCC play? #GCC #LeadershipHiring #IndiaTalentCrisis #DigitalTransformation #ReturneeTalent #LeadershipGap #CXOHiring #Mercer #Zinnov #StrategicIndia #FutureOfWork #TalentFlight #HyderabadTech #GCCReset Zinnov Achyut Menon "AK" LinkedIn News India Reshab Shaw Vishwanadh Raju Viswanathan K S GCC Pulse™ Korn Ferry KPMG India

85

21 Comments

CHANNEL SURFING, INDIAN STYLE – WELCOME TO JALDI NATION The other day I walked into a general merchandise store. A customer was on video call with the store staff, pointing at pots and pans while the staffer walked the aisles, showing options. It felt like live commerce playing out on a neighbourhood stage. I struck up a chat with the owner. He sighed about quick commerce eating into his business: “I can’t serve early morning or late-night orders. I offer delivery now, I extend credit, but it’s hard to match the convenience of a 10-min app. So I focus on relationships. And if it is a difficult-to-find item, I can get it in a day.” That conversation brought me back to my earlier piece on Jaldi Nation. Many readers asked: who will win this battle among channels? The truth: there won’t be a single winner. Multiple formats will thrive - if they deliver sharply against the job consumers need done at that moment, and if they keep our trust. Here’s how the “jobs to be done” lens plays out: WHEN I NEED IT RIGHT NOW Quick commerce No longer just for bread and chips, the basket keeps widening - OTC medicines, personal care, electronics. The job here is “solve my problem in minutes without friction.” Success hinges on local availability, consistent delivery promises (even as 10 mins stretches to 30), and resisting dark patterns that erode trust. WHEN I WANT BREADTH Online Marketplaces Two-day delivery will be history. “Quick enough” is the baseline: some items in mins, others same-day or next-day. The real job isn’t “show me everything”—it’s “show me what’s available now, what’s worth waiting for, and how to get the best balance of price, speed, and range.” WHEN I WANT TRUST AND CONVENIENCE NEARBY Kirana stores Perfect for small bills, the comfort of credit and “my usual” products. The job is “take care of me like a neighbour would.” To stay competitive, kiranas will need sharper assortment choices, more data-driven stocking, and simple hooks that keep their personal touch intact. WHEN I WANT SCALE AND EXPERIENCE Modern trade Large packs and destination shopping experiences. The job is “make shopping feel like an experience worth my time and money.” To win, modern trade must double down on freshness, touch-and-feel, and immersive merchandising, not just discounts. WHEN I WANT PERSONALISED ENGAGEMENT AND TRIALS Brand websites & apps Still small in share, but critical for loyalty. The job is “help me discover, personalise, and reward me for coming back.” For brands, this means cracking CAC math, driving repeats and retention. In the end, consumers aren’t loyal to channels. We’re loyal to the job that needs to be done at that moment. The boundaries between QC apps, kiranas, marketplaces, brand sites, and modern trade will keep blurring. The real battle isn’t channel versus channel - it’s about who can anticipate our shifting jobs faster, and serve them with trust, speed, and value. How about you? How are your shopping patterns changing?

46

6 Comments

When we started in 2022, we didn’t have giant warehouses, celebrity endorsements, or billion-dollar funding. Sumit Jasoria, started with just ₹50 lakh pooled together — savings, small loans, and belief. The pain point was clear: 👉 Women in India, especially Gen Z and millennials, wanted trendy, affordable, fast fashion. 👉 But the choices were either overpriced international brands or outdated local offerings. The struggle was real. We were rejected by early investors who said, “Fashion is too competitive.” Suppliers didn’t trust us with bulk orders. Customers doubted if a new brand could deliver both quality and trend. Our first collection barely sold. We thought of shutting shop. But we decided to listen — really listen — to what young Indian women wanted. Bold fits, vibrant colors, and global styles at Indian prices. That pivot changed everything. Within 6 months, we were shipping thousands of orders daily. By the end of year one, we had crossed ₹100 crore in revenue. In just 2 years, NEWME became a ₹250 crore brand. Not because we had deep pockets, but because we built a brand that spoke the language of Bharat’s new-age women. #startup Today, NewMe has millions of loyal customers, a strong presence across e-commerce, and is backed by investors who once said “no.” We’ve built not just a fashion label, but a movement of self-expression for Indian women. 📌 What Indian Founders Can Learn from NewMe’s Journey. Listen to your customers, not just investors. Pivot when needed. Feedback is free market research. Solve for Bharat, not just metros. The biggest opportunities lie in Tier II & III cities Culture sells. Build a brand that connects emotionally with young India, not just logically.

131

11 Comments

I had an exciting conversation with Sandeep Bardia who is currently the CFO of Cloud Nine Hospital with over 25 years of experience in corporate finance. We discussed - Role of CFO in Hyper Growth Vs. matured companies - Practical nuances of Short range plan & Annual operating plan (do you know what is Topline protection plan?) - Business partnering - what really it is in practice? - Managing Tensions, towards healthy & profitable growth - Governance and Steps taken towards preparing for IPO - CFO role & perspective Thanks Sandeep Bardia I really enjoyed it. I really believe this is useful for aspiring CFO's across all finance team members be it FC (finance controller), planning / business finance and treasury. I also think this is useful for CFO's as well. For full video: https://lnkd.in/gbbc2wpV #SBN #CFOlife #FClife #financereporting #resultlane Swaminathan Subbarathnam Deepak S Prasad Harish S K Sandeep Bardia Gagan Shetty Sriram Chidambaram Chitra Parameswaran Soundar R Dhawal Parvatikar

146

9 Comments