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  • 14 Best Keyword Rank Tracking Tools for SEO: Free and Paid Options

    Search engine optimization is a constantly evolving process and requires regular monitoring and analysis to ensure that your website is performing well in search results. Keyword rank tracking is an essential part of this process as it helps you understand how your website is ranking for specific keywords and phrases. By tracking your website’s search engine performance, you can identify opportunities for improvement and make necessary changes to your content and strategy.

    The market is flooded with a variety of keyword rank tracking tools, each offering different features and capabilities. These tools provide detailed insights into your website’s search engine performance, including keyword rankings, backlinks, and competitors’ data.

    In this blog, we will be discussing the best keyword rank tracking tools available in the market. These tools will help you track your website’s performance, identify keywords that need more attention, and optimize your content to improve your search engine rankings. Whether you’re a small business owner, marketer, or SEO professional, these tools will provide valuable insights to help you achieve your SEO goals. So, let’s dive in and explore the top keyword rank tracking tools for SEO.

    The Top Keyword Rank Tracker Tools Are Listed Below:

    Mangools
    Keyword.com
    RankTracker
    Nozzle
    Ahrefs
    SEMrush
    Google Search Console
    AccuRanker
    Moz Pro
    GrowthBar
    Serpstat
    WooRank
    Rank Tracker by SEO PowerSuite
    SE Ranking

    Mangools

    Website Mangools.com
    Rating 4.5/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    Mangools - Keyword Rank Tracker Tool
    Mangools – Keyword Rank Tracker Tool

    Mangools is an affordable and accessible SEO toolset that provides keyword research, rank tracking, and SERP analysis. Its leading tool, SERPWatcher, gives daily rankings, desktop and mobile tracking, and email alerts. KWFinder identifies the most valuable keywords, while LinkMiner breaks down backlinks. SiteProfiler gives domain authority insights, and SERPChecker analyzes keyword competition. Although Mangools is cheap and user-friendly, it does not offer seamless integration and has a lot fewer advanced features, including full site audits. It also contains a keyword and backlink database that is relatively smaller in size compared to the ones on Ahrefs and SEMrush. Still, the complete data with multiple tools within one subscription makes it valuable.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Pricing
    Mangools Basic $36.75/month
    Mangools Premium $51.75/month
    Mangools Agency $96.75/month

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    Keyword.com

    Website Keyword.com
    Rating 5.0/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iOS
    Keyword.com – Keyword Rank Tracker Tool

    Keyword.com is the most Robust Rank Tracker for SEO Professionals and Agencies with Accurate Daily Updates of Keyword Searches Across Various Search Engines. Global and local tracking, mobile, and desktop rankings, competitor analysis, historical data, customizable dashboards, and utility-enhancing features like white-label reporting, API access, and automated reports are supported. Easy to use, it stands out with its pricing and use of deep SEO insights such as Share of Voice and Spyglass Verification, yet it lags in certain advanced features against giants like Ahrefs and SEMrush with the possibility of integration.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Pricing
    Business $4/month
    Enterprise Custom Pricing

    RankTracker

    Website Ranktracker.com
    Rating 4.6/5
    Free Trial Yes
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iOS
    RankTracker - Keyword Rank Tracker Tool
    RankTracker – Keyword Rank Tracker Tool

    RankTracker tool helps users track keyword rankings, conduct research, and analyze competitors. Keyword discovery, historical performance analysis, rank tracking multiple search engines, including both desktop and mobile, support is provided with local tracking of competitor analysis, backlink monitoring, and technical SEO audits. This provides deep insights into ranking dynamics through SERP analysis, Google Analytics integration, and automated white-label reporting. Although the advanced features might require a learning curve, it is accessible with its user-friendly interface and fast performance. It can be overwhelming for beginners to deal with vast data, but its customizable reports and extensive toolset provide great SEO value.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Pricing
    Starter $24/month
    Double Data $59/month
    Quad Data $109/month
    Hex Data $209/month

    Nozzle

    Website Nozzle.io
    Rating 4.8/5
    Free Trial Yes
    Platforms Supported Web
    Nozzle - Keyword Rank Tracker Tool
    Nozzle – Keyword Rank Tracker Tool

    Nozzle is a very strong SEO rank-tracking tool. It provides very deep insights into keyword performance, competitor analysis, and SERP monitoring. Its tracking schedule is customizable and can be used to monitor keywords every hour, day, or any longer time interval. Using deep SERP analysis, rich results tracking, and sentiment analysis, will optimize the digital presence. It refines the strategy through competitor insights, keyword clustering, and automated reporting. Nozzle emphasizes the accuracy of data and user-friendliness but majorly focuses on rank tracking and not the larger SEO functionalities. Its advanced features are rich with data, although they may call for a steep learning curve among users who do not understand such complex tracking tools.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Pricing
    Basic $59/month
    Advanced $119/month
    Pro $299/month
    Pro Plus $599/month
    Business Basic $1,199/month
    Advanced $2,999/month
    Business Pro $5,999/month
    Enterprise Custom Pricing

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    Ahrefs

    Website Ahrefs.com
    Rating 4.6/5
    Free Trial Not Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    Ahrefs - Best Keyword Rank Tracking Tool
    Ahrefs – Best Keyword Rank Tracking Tool

    Ahrefs is one of the best keyword rank tracking tool that helps to track how a website is performing on different keywords. It provides important details including search volume, ranking position, keyword difficulty score, estimated organic traffic, and ranking URL for every keyword. It also shows you your competitor’s performance, so you can find out what opportunities do you have and how you can get an advantage over your competitors.

    In Ahrefs, you have to add the project on which you are working and then choose a keyword and you’ll get to know which keywords are performing well. It shows tracking through a graph after you select a keyword whether it is high or low.

    Ahrefs’ Rank Tracker Overview and Tutorial

    Pricing Plan

    Ahrefs offers four pricing plans: Lite, Standard, Advanced and Enterprise. Have a look at the pricing details of each package.

    Plans Monthly Price Yearly Price (Get 2 months Free)
    Lite $99 per month $83 per month
    Standard $199 per month $166 per month
    Advanced $399 per month $333 per month
    Enterprise $999 per month $833 per month

    SEMrush

    Website www.semrush.com
    Rating 4.7/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    SEMrush - Top Rank Tracking Tool
    SEMrush – Top Rank Tracking Tool

    Semrush is one of the most trusted online marketing tools for marketers. It is trusted by companies like Samsung, Tesla, Forbes and others. It helps to analyze and filter through search intent, Keyword analytics to analyse the competition level, Domain analytics, and Keyword gap compares your website with the competitors ranking. You can get all the data in one place, which is one of the biggest time-saving features that it provides.

    Pricing Plan

    SemRush offers three pricing plans: Pro, Guru and Business. You can also use it for Free, but with limited access. Have a look at the pricing details of each package.

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Pro $99.95/month $119.95/month
    Guru $191.62/month $229.95/month
    Business $374.95/month $449.95/month

    Google Search Console

    Website Search.google.com/search-console/about
    Rating 4.8/5
    Free Trial Completely Free
    Platforms Supported Web
    Google Search Console - Best Free Rank Tracking Tool
    Google Search Console – Best Free Rank Tracking Tool

    Google Search Console is a free tool offered by Google that allows website owners to track their website’s performance on Google Search. It provides data and insights on how Google crawls and indexes your website, as well as any issues that may be impacting your website’s search visibility.

    One of the key features of Search Console is the ability to track your website’s search ranking for specific keywords, which can help you identify areas where your website needs improvement and track your progress over time. To use Search Console for rank tracking, you will need to verify ownership of your website and then navigate to the “Performance” tab to view your website’s search rankings and other performance metrics.

    Pricing Plan

    Google Search Console is Free to use.

    AccuRanker

    Website www.accuranker.com
    Rating 4.8/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    AccuRanker - Keyword Rank Tracker Tool
    AccuRanker – Keyword Rank Tracker Tool

    AccuRanker is a platform for monitoring SERP rankings. Popular with marketing agencies, eCommerce businesses, and enterprise companies globally. AccuRanker is a useful tool for tracking and analyzing the effects of your SEO efforts. AccuRanker is an efficient and precise keyword ranking tool designed for speed. AccuRanker’s keyword research database of over 24 Billion keywords enables their users to do comprehensive analysis with access to the most up-to-date information. You can compare your competitor’s website for the same keywords. If you care about your search engine rankings and tracking your progress, AccuRanker is indispensable to achieving success.

    Pricing Plan

    AccuRanker offers a variety of monthly plan options ranging from 1k keywords to 1000k keywords with different prices. You can save 10% when you pay for an entire year in advance. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your plan at any time, free of charge. Have a look at the pricing details.

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    For 1k Keywords $116/month $129/month
    For 1.5k Keywords $170/month $189/month
    For 2k Keywords $224/month $249/month
    For 3k Keywords $332/month $369/month

    Moz Pro

    Website Moz.com
    Rating 4.5/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    Moz Pro - Keyword Rank Tracking
    Moz Pro – Keyword Rank Tracking

    Moz Pro provides a comprehensive set of SEO tools. By utilizing it, companies are able to boost their rankings, bring more visitors to their website, and become more visible in search engine results. A prominent feature of this is keyword rank tracking. With Moz Pro’s keyword rank tracking, you can track your website’s search rankings for specific keywords in Google and Bing, and you can also track the rankings of your competitors. This information can help you identify areas where your website needs improvement and track your progress over time.

    Moz Pro also allows you to track and monitor the ranking of your website in different geographic locations and also check the ranking of your website in mobile and desktop search results. Additionally, it offers the ability to set custom alerts and notifications when your website’s rankings change, making it easy to stay on top of your search visibility.

    Pricing Plan

    Moz Pro offers four pricing plans: Standard, Medium, Large and Premium Plan. 30-day free trial is available. Have a look at the pricing details of each package.

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Standard $67/month $99/month
    Medium $125/month $179/month
    Large $209/month $299/month
    Premium $419/month $599/month

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    GrowthBar

    Website www.growthbarseo.com
    Rating 4.9/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    Growthbar - Keyword Rank Tracker Tool
    Growthbar – Keyword Rank Tracker Tool

    GrowthBar is the top choice of SEO software tools for marketing professionals & bloggers. One of its main feature is keyword rank tracking. With the GrowthBar Keyword Rank Tracker, you can monitor thousands of keywords across multiple websites. GrowthBar takes multiple snapshots daily of the Google search engine results page (SERP) to provide you with an accurate view of your keyword rankings at all times. You can add an unlimited number of keywords and update your list as often as you’d like. This feature is suitable for any language and can provide valuable guidance to help you create an ideal SEO content strategy.

    Pricing Plan

    GrowthBar offers three pricing plans: Standard, Pro and Agency Plan. 5-day free trial is available. Have a look at the pricing details of each package.

    Plan Yearly Price (Save upto 17%) Monthly Price
    Standard $29/month $48/month
    Pro $79/month $99/month
    Agency $129/month $199/month

    Serpstat

    Website Serpstat.com
    Rating 4.7/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    Serpstat - Affordable Keyword Rank Tracking Tool
    Serpstat – Affordable Keyword Rank Tracking Tool

    Serpstat is an all-in-one SEO platform that offers a variety of features to help website owners improve their search visibility. One of the features is keyword rank tracking. With Serpstat’s keyword rank tracking tool, you can track your website’s search rankings for specific keywords in Google, Bing and Yahoo. You can also track the rankings of your competitors and see how your rankings have changed over time. The tool provides a detailed report of your website’s ranking history, including the ranking positions, changes, and other related information.

    Serpstat also offers other features such as site audit, keyword research, backlink analysis, and competitor research, which can help you identify areas where your website needs improvement and track your progress over time.

    Complete Guide to Serpstat — Rank Tracking

    Pricing Plan

    Serpstat offers four pricing plans: Lite, Standard, Advanced and Enterprise. Have a look at the pricing details of each package.

    Plan Yearly Price (Get 20% Discount) Monthly Price
    Lite $55/month $69/month
    Standard $119/month $149/month
    Advanced $239/month $299/month
    Enterprise $399/month $499/month

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    WooRank

    Website www.woorank.com
    Rating 4.5/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    Woorank - Keyword Rank Tracking
    Woorank – Keyword Rank Tracking

    Woorank is a website analysis and optimization tool that offers a variety of features to help website owners improve their search visibility and online presence. One of the features of Woorank is keyword rank tracking. Woorank’s keyword rank tracking tool allows you to track your website’s search rankings for specific keywords in Google and Bing, and you can also track the rankings of your competitors. You can monitor your keyword rankings against your competitors to easily evaluate your long-term SEO success. It also allow to discover which keywords bring up featured results and which ones you or your competitors are already using. It is a paid tool with free trial available and offers flexible pricing plans.

    Pricing Plan

    Woorank offers three pricing plans: Pro, Premium and Enterprise. Have a look at the pricing details of each package.

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Pro $53.25/month $79.99/month
    Premium $133.25/month $199.99/month
    Enterprise Custom Price Custom Price

    Rank Tracker by SEO PowerSuite

    Website www.link-assistant.com
    Rating 4.0/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    Rank Tracker by SEO PowerSuite
    Rank Tracker by SEO PowerSuite

    Rank Tracker is a keyword rank tracking tool by SEO PowerSuite. You can use it to track ranks with no limit on keywords, check positions in desktop and mobile SERP results, optimize for local search, research keywords, and assess your competitors’ keywords and traffic.

    It’s accuracy and volume of keyword data make it a viable alternative to popular industry-leading rank checkers like Semrush or Ahrefs. Rank Tracker is a cost-effective solution for small businesses.

    Rank Tracker’s free offering is quite generous. You can use it to check an unlimited number of keywords and websites. You can measure your rankings against one competitor. In addition, you can conduct extensive keyword research.

    Pricing Plan

    Rank Tracker offers a free plan and two pricing plans: Professional and Enterprise. Have a look at the pricing details of each package.

    Plan Yearly Price
    Professional $299/year
    Enterprise $499/year

    SE Ranking

    Website Seranking.com
    Rating 4.7/5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    SE Ranking - Rank Tracking Tool
    SE Ranking – Rank Tracking Tool

    SE Ranking is a comprehensive and cutting-edge SEO tool. It is simple to use and helps you maintain a successful SEO plan. Its keyword rank tracker feature enables you to monitor your rankings in all major search engines across any location, language, and paid/organic traffic. The tool allows you to add up to five competitors for tracking, as well as integrating with your Google Analytics and Google Search Console accounts.

    SE Ranking not only helps track your search terms, but also analyze your website traffic, measure SEO potential, create a marketing plan in real-time, conduct website audits, monitor backlinks and much more.

    SE Ranking Review

    Pricing Plan

    SE Ranking offers three pricing plans: Essential, Pro and Business Plan. Have a look at the pricing details of each package (Note: When you want to check rankings on daily basic).

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Essential $31.20/month $39.00/month
    Pro $71.20/month $89.00/month
    Business $151.20/month $189.00/month

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    Conclusion

    By using any of these rank-tracking tools, you will be able to track your website’s search engine performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and make the necessary changes to optimize your content and improve your search engine rankings. For specialized SEO services in a particular niche, various SEO agencies offer tailored solutions. Ultimately, the best keyword rank tracking tool for you will depend on your specific needs and requirements, but any of the tools mentioned in this blog post will provide valuable insights to help you achieve your SEO goals.

    FAQs

    What is keyword rank tracking?

    Keyword rank tracking is the process of monitoring and analyzing how your website is ranking for specific keywords and phrases in search engine results pages (SERPs).

    Why is keyword rank tracking important for SEO?

    Keyword rank tracking is important for SEO as it helps businesses to understand how their website is performing in search engines and identify opportunities for improvement. By tracking your website’s search engine performance, you can identify which keywords and phrases you should focus on, optimize your content accordingly, and improve your search engine rankings.

    What are the best keyword rank tracking tools available in the market?

    Some of the best keyword rank tracking tools include SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, Serpstat, and GrowthBar.

    How do I choose the best rank tracking tool for my business?

    The best keyword rank tracking tool for your business will depend on your specific needs and requirements. Consider factors such as cost, features, and ease of use when choosing a tool. It’s also a good idea to try out a few different tools to see which one works best for your business.

    Can I track my keyword rankings for free?

    Some keyword rank tracking tools offer a limited free version or a free trial period. However, most of the high-quality keyword rank tracking tools require a paid subscription.

    Do I need to track my keyword rankings daily?

    The frequency of keyword tracking depends on your business goals and requirements. Some businesses may need to track their keyword rankings daily, while others may only need to track them weekly or monthly. It’s important to find a balance that works for your business and provides you with the information you need to make informed decisions.

    Can I track my competitors’ keyword rankings using keyword rank tracking tools?

    Yes, most keyword rank tracking tools allow you to track your competitors’ keyword rankings. This can provide valuable insights into your competitors’ search engine performance and help you identify areas where you can improve your own website.

    Can I track keyword rankings for specific regions or countries?

    Yes, some keyword rank tracking tools allow you to track keyword rankings for specific regions or countries. This can be useful for businesses that are targeting a specific geographical area.

    Can I check keyword rankings for both mobile and desktop devices?

    Yes, some keyword rank tracking tools allow you to check keyword rankings for both mobile and desktop devices. This can be useful for businesses that want to optimize their website for both types of devices.

  • Arpit Mittal on How SpeakX Is Cracking India’s English-Speaking Puzzle with AI

    ‘Communication works for those who work at it,’ said composer John Powell — yet, speaking confidently remains a challenge for many. Arpit Mittal, Founder & CEO of SpeakX, is working to change that with an AI-powered platform designed to help learners across India improve their spoken English.

    In this interaction with StartupTalky, Mittal shares how SpeakX adapts in real time to users’ regional accents and fluency levels. He explains how the team uses speech recognition, user data, and AI to boost learners’ confidence. He also talks about the company’s subscription-based model, its growth through both paid and organic channels, and future plans involving regional expansion and strategic partnerships with edtech and telecom players.

    StartupTalky: How does SpeakX’s Generative AI adapt lessons in real time for each learner, and what unique advancements in speech recognition make this possible?

    Mr. Mittal: At SpeakX, we are deeply aware that English learners in India span a wide range from complete beginners who struggle to put together even a basic sentence, to advanced users aiming to polish their fluency to near-native levels. To meet every learner where they are, our Generative AI constantly adapts in real time. It listens closely, analyses how a user is speaking, right down to fluency, vocabulary usage, and pronunciation, and adjusts the complexity of the practice session accordingly.

    For example, if a learner is getting comfortable forming basic five-word sentences, the AI gently nudges them to try more complex constructions using conjunctions or idiomatic expressions.

    What makes this seamless adaptability possible is our investment in highly refined speech recognition technology, specifically tuned for the Indian context. India has a multitude of accents, even varying within a single state. Our system has been trained on massive datasets featuring real voices from across regions, North, South, East, and West, so that it can understand and provide accurate feedback, regardless of whether a learner speaks with a Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, or Marathi accent. That inclusivity and precision allow us to create a learning journey that feels personal and motivating.

    StartupTalky: How has SpeakX’s selection for the Google for Startups Accelerator Apps program impacted its growth and innovation?

    Mr. Mittal: Getting selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator was more than just a badge of honour, it was a transformational moment for SpeakX. The program brought us into close contact with world-class mentors, product specialists, and engineers who helped us zoom in on the right growth levers. The structured sessions helped us identify user drop-off points and refine engagement strategies, which significantly improved retention.

    Perhaps more importantly, it forced us to take a step back and see the bigger picture. With Google’s guidance, we were able to fine-tune our roadmap to balance short-term user acquisition wins with our longer-term vision—building a scalable, AI-powered platform that truly changes how Indians learn to speak English. It also helped us think more globally, even while staying hyper-focused on our local strengths.

    StartupTalky: With 10 million+ downloads, what has been your most effective growth strategy—organic, paid marketing, or partnerships?

    Mr. Mittal: Reaching 10 million downloads did not happen overnight, and it certainly was not driven by one single channel. That said, our most effective strategy has been performance-driven paid marketing, particularly on platforms like Google and Facebook.

    What worked in our favour is that we understand Indian learners extremely well. We communicate in the languages and dialects they are most comfortable with, and we speak to their real needs: getting a better job, speaking with confidence, or helping their kids learn English.

    What is exciting is that as we scaled our campaigns, our customer acquisition cost dropped, which is something rare in edtech. That tells us two things: first, that the demand for spoken English tools in India is massive; and second, that there’s still a largely untapped audience looking for exactly what we offer.

    Organic growth and word-of-mouth also played a role, especially once learners started seeing progress within weeks and began recommending us to their friends and family.

    StartupTalky: What role does AI play in monetisation? Do you see potential for alternative revenue models beyond subscriptions?

    Mr. Mittal: AI plays a crucial role not just in product delivery but in monetisation as well. Thanks to AI, we can offer highly personalised learning at scale without the need for live human tutors, which keeps our costs low and our pricing affordable. Our monthly subscription model has emerged as the most natural fit, especially in India, where families are accustomed to paying recurring fees for tuition or coaching classes. It aligns well with how people already invest in education.

    That said, we are exploring other revenue models too. Freemium models, tiered plans, and even B2B offerings for schools or coaching centres are on the table. But for now, subscriptions give us both sustainability and predictability. More importantly, they allow us to keep improving the experience for every learner without needing to rely on ads or upsells.

    StartupTalky: What distinguishes SpeakX from competitors like Duolingo and ELSA Speak beyond AI-driven learning?

    Mr. Mittal: Duolingo is fantastic when it comes to introducing people to a new language in a gamified way, and ELSA Speak does a great job with test-prep-focused pronunciation feedback. But SpeakX was built with a different mission altogether—helping Indians speak English confidently in everyday life. That focus shapes everything we do.

    We are not trying to teach 30 languages or prepare people for IELTS alone. We focus on real-life communication, like how to speak to your manager at work, how to explain symptoms to a doctor, or how to introduce yourself confidently in a college interview. Our curriculum is rooted in real scenarios our users face daily. And because we train users in an Indian context, with culturally relevant prompts and accents, our learners feel immediately at home, and that leads to faster progress.

    StartupTalky: How does SpeakX leverage user data and AI to personalise learning experiences, and what key insights from user behaviour have influenced its product evolution and roadmap?

    Mr. Mittal: One of the biggest things we have learned from user data is that the biggest barrier for most learners is not lack of knowledge, it is lack of confidence. Many Indians can read and understand English, and even write well. But when it comes to speaking, they hesitate. They fear making mistakes, being judged, or simply freezing up.

    Our AI is designed to gently coach them past those fears. It picks up on where they are struggling, be it forming full sentences, using the right tense, or pronouncing certain sounds, and tailors the practice accordingly. If someone is repeating errors in pronunciation, they will get more focused practice. If someone is holding back from speaking, we reduce the pressure and create easier prompts to build momentum.

    This insight has shaped our product philosophy. We have moved away from textbook-style lessons and grammar-heavy drills and instead focused on delivering a more intuitive, confidence-building experience that gets people talking.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant technical and ethical challenges in integrating real-time AI coaching, and how did you overcome them?

    Mr. Mittal: Technically, the biggest challenge was affordability. Building a real-time AI tutor with speech feedback requires significant computing power and processing. We knew that to reach India’s vast lower and middle-income populations, we had to keep costs low without compromising quality. Thankfully, the rise of efficient open-source AI models has made that possible—we are now able to deliver world-class speech analysis at a fraction of the cost it would have taken just a few years ago.

    Ethically, a major challenge is ensuring fairness and inclusivity, especially in a country like India with so many languages, dialects, and accents. Traditional speech recognition models often perform poorly when faced with code-mixed language (like Hinglish) or strong regional accents. We have had to train and retrain our models to ensure they understand and fairly assess all users. We have also taken care to design the feedback in a way that is encouraging rather than critical, because for learners to open up, they need to feel safe making mistakes.

    StartupTalky: What’s next for SpeakX? Are there plans for expansion, new product features, or strategic partnerships?

    Mr. Mittal: We are entering an exciting phase of growth. Right now, we are laser-focused on keeping learners motivated over time. Speaking a new language is not a weekend project; it takes weeks of steady effort, and keeping users engaged through that journey is our top priority. 

    From a business perspective, we are currently strongest in the Hindi-speaking belt, where we have built a solid user base of 125,000+ paying monthly users, with $4 million in annual revenue and over $1 million in profit.

    Now, we are preparing to expand to other linguistic regions across India, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, etc. We are also exploring strategic partnerships with edtech players and telecom providers to deepen our reach. Our ambition is clear: to become India’s leading English-speaking brand and to empower millions more with the confidence to speak up.

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  • You, Your Team, Your Clients: The Stakeholder Communication Strategy No One Taught You

    This article has been contributed by Ayush Nambiar, Director at Flags Communications.

    Stakeholder communication isn’t a department. It’s not a line item in a strategy deck. It’s not limited to investor updates, quarterly reviews, or client feedback sessions. It is the lifeblood of business growth, and it begins with the most overlooked stakeholder of them all: the person staring back at you in the mirror.

    Start with the Most Overlooked Stakeholder – Yourself

    For any founder, the first and most important stakeholder is the self. Not your co-founder, not your customer, not your investor. It’s you. It’s how you present yourself to the world, your clarity, your discipline, your sense of hygiene, your aura. It’s in your walk, your tone, your choice of words, and your choice of clothes. You don’t need a branding agency to get this right. This is free. And more importantly, it’s a choice that you make every day.

    We underestimate how much communication is non-verbal. People don’t listen to your vision; they observe your conviction. They notice whether you respect time, whether you command a room without raising your voice, and whether you exude calm or chaos. This is where real communication begins, not in a campaign plan or investor pitch, but in your presence. And if you’re not taking yourself seriously, no one else will.

    Build Alignment with Your Immediate Circle

    Once you’ve got the mirror in check, the next stakeholder is your immediate circle: your team, your vendors, your execution partners. These aren’t just resources. These are the people who convert your imagination into reality. They take your slides and turn them into screens, your strategy into systems, your vision into velocity. And if they don’t feel aligned, your growth will always be capped.

    Too many businesses treat teams as tools, employees hired to do a job. But high-performing businesses understand one truth: people don’t work hard for paychecks, they work hard for purpose. The more your people believe they’re building something with you and not for you, the more invested they become. That’s stakeholder communication in its truest form. Not memos and Monday meetings, but storytelling, vision casting, involving them in decision-making, creating feedback loops, asking what they want from their career and figuring out how the company can help get them there.

    The vendors, too, are often forgotten; they are an extension of your ecosystem. Your agency partners, freelancers, and consultants need to feel ownership, not obligation. They must sense that when your brand grows, they grow. Communicate that, and they’ll fight for you. Miss that, and they’ll work with one eye on the next client.

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    Rethink the Customer Relationship

    The third stakeholder is your customer. And this is where businesses, especially startups, often miss the plot. There’s a transactional attitude that’s become far too common: “Customer aaya, paisa liya, kaam ho gaya.” That mindset kills growth. Because clients aren’t just payers, they are amplifiers. Every interaction with them is a marketing moment. From how your sales rep speaks to them on the first call to how your backend team follows up after delivery, every step communicates what your brand is.

    Most people believe that marketing ends once the sales funnel is complete. That after you’ve converted the lead, the rest is just execution. But the smartest businesses understand that marketing continues long after the invoice is raised. The experience you offer while executing the work is the brand story. In fact, it’s often more powerful than the ads you run. Why? Because when a system fails, it is relationships that create recovery. A late delivery, a missed deadline, a tech glitch, if communicated honestly, humanely, and proactively, it won’t just be forgiven, it’ll be remembered.

    Your best marketing team isn’t sitting in the marketing department. It’s scattered across your company; whoever interacts with your client represents you. Every email from your team, every text, every voice note, it’s all communication. It either strengthens the brand or weakens it.

    Move Beyond Numbers with Investors and Strategic Partners

    And finally, the traditional stakeholder group, your investors, shareholders, and strategic partners. The mistake businesses often make here is over-indexing on numbers and under-indexing on narrative. Stakeholders at this level want to know more than how you’re doing. They want to know why you’re doing it, where you’re going, and what you believe in. And they want to feel like they’re part of it.

    Founders often flood investors with data charts, growth reports, graphs. But numbers without context are just noise. What they crave is clarity. Are you in control of your business? Do you know what’s around the corner? Are you adaptable without being erratic? Do you communicate your wins with humility and your losses with responsibility? That’s how trust is built. That’s how belief is sustained.

    There’s another nuance here that most don’t talk about. When you’re building a business, things don’t always go as planned. Revenue projections dip. Clients churn. Tech stacks collapse. And during those times, the systems you’ve installed don’t save you, Your Relationships Do. If you’ve communicated with consistency, transparency, and calm, your stakeholders will hold the line with you. If you’ve ghosted them when things were good, they’ll ghost you when things go bad.

    Master the Timing and Listening

    Stakeholder communication is also about timing. When do you inform? When do you consult? When do you step back and let them speak? It’s not just about talking, it’s about listening. People don’t trust those who speak well. They trust those who listen well.

    Undercommit, Overdeliver

    One of the greatest principles in business is: “undercommit and overdeliver”. Not because it’s a clever tactic. But because it’s the most direct way to build satisfaction. When you say less and do more, people begin to trust you. When you’re conservative with promises but aggressive with delivery, people notice. And they remember.

    In the End, It’s About Belief and Belonging

    So what does it all come down to? It comes down to how you show up, how you make people feel, and how you stay visible even when things are going wrong. How you remain consultative, not transactional. How you prioritise relationships over rigidity.

    Stakeholder communication isn’t about always having the answers. It’s about having the courage to keep people in the loop while you figure them out. It’s about managing expectations without compromising on ambition. And it’s about leaving people feeling better, clearer, and more confident after every single interaction with you or your brand.

    Growth doesn’t happen because your marketing strategy was brilliant or your sales funnel was automated. It happens when the people around your business, your team, your vendors, your clients, your investors, start believing in what you’re building and start feeling like they’re a part of it.

    And that starts long before the first email is sent. It starts the moment you look into the mirror.

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  • Employees Given Five-Day Deadline by the Microsoft HR Head

    According to internal papers, Microsoft has adopted a new performance management guideline. The new policy allows underperforming employees to choose to take a reward and quit the firm rather than enrolling in a performance improvement plan (PIP).

    According to various reports, the company is now providing low-performing workers who choose to leave voluntarily with 16 weeks of compensation.

     This strategy is similar to Amazon’s contentious “Pivot” programme, which has come under fire for reportedly being created more to satisfy firing targets than to actually assist staff members in becoming better workers.

    Microsoft Rolling Out New Tool to Enhance Employees’ Performance

    Microsoft is implementing new and improved technologies to help accelerate high performance and quickly resolve negative performance, according to an internal email sent to managers on April 22 by Amy Coleman, the company’s new chief people officer.

    Workers on PIPs are now faced with a difficult decision. They are now confused with either to embrace the improvement plan with its strict performance goals or accept the severance pay and leave the organisation.

    At the company, the separation programme is known as the “Global Voluntary Separation Agreement (GVSA)”. The compensation will no longer be available to those who choose the PIP, and they only have five days to decide.

    As per the poll mentioned in Coleman’s Email-

    Would you consider taking a payout to leave the company if you were identified as a low performer?

    •No, I would prefer to try to improve

    •Yes, I would take the payout

    Two Year Rehire Ban

    Employees who quit during a PIP or after receiving poor performance reviews are likewise prohibited from being hired again for two years under the new policy. Furthermore, employees who are not performing at their best will be prohibited from transferring to other positions within Microsoft.

    After months of performance reviews at every level of the organisation, Microsoft fired over 2,000 failing workers earlier this year without providing severance pay. According to Coleman’s email, these modifications are meant to promote a culture of accountability and development while producing a consistent and transparent experience across the globe.

    The year-round availability of the performance improvement process will give managers the flexibility to swiftly and openly address performance concerns while giving staff members a choice.

    Layoffs Become a Typical Occurrence in 2025

    With big companies like Google, Microsoft, and others continuing to reduce their workforces, layoffs in the tech sector are not expected to halt in 2025. Companies are still cutting employees in an effort to simplify operations, save money, and emphasise automation and artificial intelligence, even though these figures are much lower than the major layoffs that occurred between 2022 and 2023.

  • Sameer Nigam: Founder & CEO of PhonePe | Biography

    Sameer Nigam is an Indian Entrepreneur who founded PhonePe, a UPI-based online payment system in 2015 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He also served as the Senior Vice President of engineering at Flipkart. In 2009, he launched his very first venture Mime360, which connects content owners to content publishers. He made a personal investment in an organization called Artifacia on 14 January 2016. He was listed in the top Indian business leaders 40 under 40 list by The Economic Times. He has a net worth of INR 17 crore.

    Let’s go through the success story of Sameer Nigam along with getting a glance at Sameer Nigam’s Net worth, Education, personal life, how he founded PhonePe & more.

    Sameer Nigam Biography

    Name Sameer Nigam
    Born 1978
    Age 47 (2025)
    Nationality Indian
    Education University of Mumbai, University of Arizona; The Wharton School
    Profession Entrepreneur
    Position Founder & CEO, PhonePe
    Net worth INR 17 crore (2017)

    Sameer Nigam – Family
    Sameer Nigam – Education
    Sameer Nigam – Professional Life
    Sameer Nigam – Founder of Mime360
    Sameer Nigam – Founder of PhonePe
    Sameer Nigam – Controversy
    Sameer Nigam – Honors & Awards

    Sameer Nigam – Family

    Sameer Nigam was born in Delhi and currently resides in Bangalore, Karnataka. His father worked in the Indian Navy and is an IIT graduate. Sameer Nigam’s mother is an entrepreneur and cleared her IAS on the first attempt at 40. Sameer’s wife is a consultant and together they have a son and a daughter.

    Nigam made his way from Noida to Mumbai and finally to Bangalore where his company PhonePe is headquartered. His venture got a tremendous boost from the demonetization policy, which the Indian government announced in the same launching year of PhonePe.

    Sameer Nigam – Education

    Sameer completed his formal education at DPS Noida. He received his Computer Engineering degree from the University of Mumbai. He further went to the University of Arizona for a Master of Science in Computer Engineering (1991-2001). Later, he studied Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (2007-2009).

    Sameer Nigam – Professional Life

    Sameer Nigam, the Phonepe owner, served as the Director of Search Product Development at Shopzilla from May 2001 to June 2007. He then launched his venture, Mime360 in 2009 which is an online social media distribution channel. The company was later acquired by Flipkart.

    He served at Flipkart from October 2011 to August 2015. While working for the eCommerce giant, he worked in several divisions including Marketing and Engineering as Vice President and Senior Vice President respectively. He further launched his digital wallet platform PhonePe in 2015, where he is positioned as the CEO.

    He did exceptionally well in his corporate career with cordial entrepreneurial experiences to his credit. He displayed his skills in product marketing, eCommerce, strategic partnerships, online marketing, digital strategy, user experience, web applications, startups, mobile marketing, digital media, special needs, business development, web development, web analytics, and many more.

    He is highly skilled in team management, digital marketing, non-medical homecare, lead generation, search engine optimization, strategy, mobile applications, mobile advertising, and online advertising.

    Sameer Nigam – Founder of Mime360

    In 2009, Sameer launched his first venture Mime360 (Mallers Incorporation), an online media distribution channel headquartered in Mumbai, India. The company offers an exchange platform connecting content owners with content publishers including Saregama, Indiatimes, and others.

    Mime’s security is aided by API Feeds that help to prevent piracy and allow a large number of publishers to sell the licensed content globally. Most importantly, Mime eliminates various infrastructure costs for partners including content management, storage, and local data center bandwidth, and authorizes content owners to even set regional pricing.

    Mime360 was acquired by Flipkart. The eCommerce giant has been looking to acquire small companies to grow the team. After the acquisition, some of Mime’s employees joined Flipkart to launch a digital music distribution service later. The strong entrepreneurial zeal, vision, and experience kept Sameer going and he soon launched another venture.

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    Sameer Nigam – Founder of PhonePe

    Sameer launched his Unified Payments Interface (UPI) based startup, PhonePe in December 2015. He is the Founder and CEO of Bangalore headquartered PhonePe. He is a member of the Board of Directors at the company and advises on Marketing and several other strategies.

    Sameer along with two of his friends, Rahul Chari and Burzin Engineer brought the idea of launching and designing an online payment app based on UPI. The PhonePe application went live in August 2016. It is available to users in over 11 Indian languages.

    PhonePe was acquired by Flipkart in 2016. However, the e-commerce giant came into the ownership of US-based Walmart Incorporation in 2018 worth $16 billion. The acquisition of PhonePe was with the aim of expanding its online shopping footprint in India.

    PhonePe’s first annual report shows a 73% revenue increase to INR 5,064 crore, with the company posting an adjusted profit of INR 197 crore after a INR 738 crore loss last year. Founders Rahul Chari and Sameer Nigam each earned INR 5 crore in FY24, with lower ESOP valuations compared to the previous year.

    PhonePe IPO

    PhonePe has officially become a public company, as confirmed by regulatory filings.

    The change was approved at an extraordinary general meeting held on April 16, 2025, and the company’s name has been updated from PhonePe Private Limited to PhonePe Limited.

    This move marks a significant step toward its much-anticipated IPO. PhonePe has been gearing up for a domestic listing, having recently shifted its headquarters from Singapore to India and appointed four investment banks to guide the IPO process. PhonePe is targeting a valuation of up to $15 billion as it prepares to strengthen its presence in India’s fast-growing fintech sector. Backed by Walmart, the company has brought on Kotak Mahindra Capital, JP Morgan, Citi, and Morgan Stanley to guide its IPO journey.

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    Sameer Nigam – Controversy

    PhonePe founder and CEO Sameer Nigam issued an apology on Sunday for his comments about Karnataka’s draft job reservation Bill, clarifying that he never meant to offend the state or its people. His statement came in response to a ‘Boycott PhonePe‘ campaign initiated by Kannada groups, including the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and other pro-Kannada organizations. The campaign started on social media after Nigam’s post on X, which commented on the Karnataka Cabinet’s approval of ‘The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024’.

    Here is the post that he made on X which caused backlash:

    Below is the apology that he shared on X:


    Sameer Nigam – Honors & Awards

    The Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania conferred him with the Wharton Venture Award in 2008. He has participated in two events. He attended the 16th NASSCOM Product Conclave 2019 on 5 November 2019, held in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, Asia. He attended Money 20/20 Asia 2019 as a Speaker on 19 March 2019 held at Central Region, Singapore, Asia.

    His venture PhonePe was conferred with a list of awards, which are as follows:-

    • PhonePe was recognized by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for attracting the largest number of merchant transactions on the UPI network. (2018)
    • Received Best Mobile Payment Product or Service Category at the IAMAI India Digital Awards 2018
    • Won the UPI Digital Innovation Award from NPCI (2018)
    • Won the SuperStartUp Asia Award (2018)
    • Won the Telecom and Technology category award from India Advertising Awards (2018)
    • Won the Best Mobile Payment Product or Service at the 9th India Digital Awards 2019 conducted by IAMAI
    • Received the Best Digital Wallet initiative at the 8th annual Indian Retail & eRetail Awards 2019 conducted by Zee Business and The Economic Times.
    • Awarded Fintech Person of the Year – India at the Global Fintech Fest 2024.

    FAQs

    What Sameer Nigam net worth?

    Sameer Nigam has a net worth of INR. 17.7 crore (as of 2017).

    What is Sameer Nigam education?

    Sameer Nigam has completed a Computer Engineering degree from the University of Mumbai, an MS from the University of Arizona, and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

    What is Sameer Nigam birth place?

    Sameer Nigam was born in Delhi.

    Who is the PhonePe Owner?

    PhonePe is owned by Flipkart.

    Who is the PhonePe founder?

    Sameer Nigam is the founder and CEO of PhonePe.

    What is Sameer Nigam age?

    Sameer Nigam is 47 years old.

  • Narayana Murthy Success Story: The Man Behind Infosys

    Narayana Murthy had caught the headlines after he suggested a 70-hour work week for youngsters to enhance the country’s productivity.

    Keeping that debate aside, let’s make this a reason to dive into the life of Narayana Murthy, a visionary leader and the founder of Infosys, a name that resonates with the dynamic world of technology and business.

    Narayana Murthy’s life story is a testament to the power of determination, entrepreneurship, and the impact of an individual’s dream on an entire industry. Let us explore his inspiring journey, his role in the IT revolution, and his contributions to society, all of which have made him an iconic figure in both business and philanthropy.

    In this StartupTalky story, let us learn about Narayana Murthy’s success story, life history, personal life, education, philanthropy, controversies attached to him, and more. 

    Narayana Murthy Biography

    Name Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy
    Birthplace Mysore, Karnataka
    Born August 20, 1946
    Nationality Indian
    Education M.Tech, Computer Science, IIT Kanpur
    Position Co-founder, Infosys Technologies Ltd.
    Net worth $4.5 billion (2025)
    Spouse Sudha Murthy
    Children Akshata Murty and Rohan Murty

    Narayana Murthy – Early Life
    Narayana Murthy – Career
    Narayana Murthy – Infosys
    Narayana Murthy – Personal life
    Narayana Murthy – Investments
    Narayana Murthy – Philanthropy
    Narayana Murthy – Controversies
    Narayana Murthy – Awards and Recognitions
    Narayana Murthy – Books

    Narayana Murthy – Early Life

    Born in Sidlaghatta, a town in the Mysore region of Karnataka, Mr. Narayana Murthy hails from a humble Kannada family belonging to the middle class. His educational journey began with his schooling, and after completing his early education, he chose to pursue his undergraduate studies at the prestigious National Institute of Engineering, where he specialized in Electrical Engineering and finished his graduation in the year 1967.

    Aspiring for further specialization, Mr. Murthy’s quest for knowledge led him to seek further academic excellence. In 1969, he made his way to the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, where he delved deeper into his chosen field of study and earned a Master’s degree in 1969, solidifying his commitment to advancing his knowledge and skills in electrical engineering.

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    Narayana Murthy – Career

    After finishing his education, Narayana Murthy kicked off his career as a Research Associate at IIM Ahmedabad. His journey in the professional world was like climbing a ladder, and he soon became the Chief Systems Programmer at IIM.

    At this point, he was part of a groundbreaking project to develop India’s very first time-sharing computer system.

    Alongside all this, he also had a side project where he and his colleague, Prof. Rama Rao, created a BASIC interpreter for the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd.

    However, deep inside, there was a fiery desire to leap into entrepreneurship. This led him to start his own company called Softronics. Unfortunately, Softronics didn’t find the success he’d hoped for, and he had to close it down after just a year and a half.

    But Murthy was not one to give up. In 1977, he joined Patni Computers in Pune as a General Manager. It was during this time that he started cooking up a plan for something big.

    In 1981, with the help of six fellow software professionals – Nandan M Nilekani, S Gopalakrishnan, S D Shibulal, K Dinesh, NS Raghavan, and Ashok Arora – he founded Infosys. Interestingly, he borrowed ₹10,000 from his wife, Sudha Murthy, to get the ball rolling. Today, Infosys is a household name in the tech world, with Sudha Murthy herself making a significant impact as the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation.

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    Narayana Murthy – Infosys

    In its initial stages, Infosys faced many challenges and downturns as its joint venture with Kurt Salmon Associates fell apart in 1989.

    But later, in the early 1990s, Infosys, under Narayana Murthy’s leadership, saw remarkable growth as India embraced economic liberalization. The company expanded its services globally, providing consulting, software development, and engineering services to overseas businesses. Infosys made history in 1999 by becoming the first Indian company to be listed on the American stock exchange, NASDAQ.

    In 2004, Infosys achieved a stunning 33% increase in annual revenues, reaching $1.06 billion despite a global IT industry downturn. However, the company faced criticism in the United States due to concerns about job losses from offshoring.

    But this controversy didn’t significantly impact Infosys’s business.

    In 2006, Narayana Murthy retired from the services of the company as he turned 60 & he was appointed as the Additional Director. By 2010, the company had crossed the $5 billion revenue mark. Murthy retired from Infosys in 2011, and he was given the title Chairman Emeritus. Again in 2013, the Board appointed Murthy as the Executive Chairman of the Board.

    In the subsequent years, Infosys saw a huge growth curve, earning many accolades to its name, like being listed at number 3 in the Forbes World’s Best Regarded Companies in 2019.

    In 2023, Infosys was recognized as one of the world’s most Ethical companies (2023) for the 3rd consecutive year by Ethisphere.

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    Narayana Murthy – Personal life

    Narayana Murthy is married to Sudha Murthy, who is an educator, author, and philanthropist. Sudha Murthy is also the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. They have two children, a son named Rohan Murty and a daughter named Akshata Murty.

    Rohan Murty is a junior fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows, founder of the Murty Classical Library of India, and founder and chief technical officer of the digital transformation company Soroco.

    In 2009, Akshata got married to British politician Rishi Sunak, who requires no introduction. Rishi Sunak, who served as a Member of Parliament, eventually became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

    Narayana Murthy is a reading enthusiast, and he believes that a greater impact on society can be made through politics.

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    Narayana Murthy – Investments

    Narayana Murthy has made some significant investments:

    Announced Date Organization Name Lead Investor Funding Round Money Raised
    July 11, 2017 ThePrint No Venture Round ₹450 million
    June 12, 2017 Coverfox Insurance – Series-C $22 million
    May 23, 2017 Acko Yes Seed Round $30 million

    Narayana Murthy – Philanthropy

    “The real power of money is in giving it away” is one of his famous sayings. Philanthropy is Murthy’s other passion. Narayana Murthy’s contribution to society includes creating jobs through Infosys, promoting ethical business practices, and supporting education and rural development through the Infosys Foundation.

    • The James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, which honors those who use technology to improve the lives of others, was given to Narayana Murthy.
    • He is part of the boards of the Ford Foundation, the UN Foundation, and the Indo-British Partnership, and serves as a trustee for the Infosys prize and the Rhodes Trust.
    • He also leads the governing board of the Public Health Foundation of India.
    • TIME magazine recognized him as an Asian hero for his significant contributions to the continent over the past 60 years.
    • Through Infosys Foundation, Murthy actively contributed to philanthropy in education, healthcare, and rural development. 

    Narayana Murthy – Controversies

    In 2023, Narayana Murthy sparked a big debate across India by suggesting that millennials should follow a 70-hour workweek for better productivity and a brighter future. His opinion got mixed reactions. Most professionals from software and other fields disagreed, saying it would harm their mental and physical health. However, some who value strong work ethics supported his idea.

    Narayan Murthy sparked another controversy with his comment about a ’70-hour workweek,’ which faced strong criticism. Speaking at the CNBC Global Leadership Summit 2024, he said, “I don’t believe in work-life balance.”

    Narayana Murthy also expressed regret about India switching from a six-day to a five-day workweek.

    “We need to work hard in this country. There’s no substitute for hard work. Even the smartest person has to put in the effort. I stand by my views and always will,” he said.

    Sharing lessons from his own life, he mentioned working up to 14 hours a day, six and a half days a week, during his career. “I’m very proud of it,” he added.

    Narayana Murthy – Awards and Recognitions

    Biography of Narayana Murthy
    Narayana Murthy – President Pratibha Patil presenting the Padma Vibhushan to N. R. Narayana Murthy in 2008

    Narayana Murthy has been awarded various accolades. Here are some prominent awards and recognitions for him:

    • 2000 – Padma Shri, Government of India
    • 2002 – IET Honorary Fellow, Institution of Engineering and Technology
    • 2003 – Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year, Ernst & Young
    • 2007 – IEEE Ernst Weber Engineering Leadership Recognition, IEEE
    • 2007 – Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), UK Government
    • 2007 – Honorary Degree, Lancaster University
    • 2008 – Officer of the Legion of Honour, Government of France
    • 2008 – Padma Vibhushan, Government of India
    • 2009 – Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship, Woodrow Wilson Center
    • 2009 – Doctorate of Science (Honoris Causa), Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University
    • 2010 – IEEE Honorary Membership, IEEE
    • 2011 – Icon of India, NDTV Indian of the Year
    • 2012 – Hoover Medal, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
    • 2013 – Philanthropist of the Year, The Asian Awards
    • 2013 – Sayaji Ratna Award, Baroda Management Association
    • 2013 – 25 Greatest Global Indian Living Legends, NDTV
    • 2014 – CIF Global Indian Award, Canada India Foundation
    • 2018 – Asian Scientist 100, Asian Scientist
    • 2019 – Asian Scientist 100, Asian Scientist
    • 2022 – Kempegowda Award, BBMP (Bengaluru)
    • 2024 – India Lifetime Achievement Award, Patrick J. McGovern Awards by Chiratae Ventures

    Narayana Murthy – Books

    Here are some notable books authored by Narayana Murthy:

    • A Better India: A Better World – Penguin Books, 2009
    • A Clear Blue Sky: Stories and Poems on Conflict and Hope – Puffin Books India, 2017
    • The Wit and Wisdom of Narayana Murthy – Hay House, 2016
    • Mere Business Mantra (Hindi) – Publisher not specified

    FAQs

    Who is Narayana Murthy?

    Narayana Murthy is the founder of Infosys, a global IT company, and a pioneer in India’s tech industry.

    Who is the owner of Infosys?

    N.R. Narayana Murthy, Nilekani, S. Gopalakrishnan, S.D. Shibulal, K. Dinesh, N.S. Raghavan and Ashok Arora are the co-founders of Infosys.

    What is the education of Narayana Murthy?

    Narayana Murthy did his graduation from the National Institute of Engineering in 1967 and he got his Master’s degree from IIT Kanpur in 1969.

    What is Narayana Murthy contribution to society?

    Narayana Murthy helped build India’s IT industry, created jobs, promoted ethical business, and supported education and social causes through philanthropy.

    What is Narayana Murthy company name?

    Narayana Murthy co-founded Infosys along with Nilekani, S. Gopalakrishnan, S.D. Shibulal, K. Dinesh, N.S. Raghavan and Ashok Arora.

  • VinFast to Launch Car Assembly Plant in India by June 2025

    VinFast, the electric vehicle maker from Vietnam often likened to Tesla, is reshaping its worldwide strategy and focusing much of its energy back in Asia. After a bold push to enter the U.S. market, the company is now toning down its western ambitions and is realigning its expansion with much slower revenue growth than projected in the U.S. and with some big regulatory hurdles in the way. 

    VinFast’s founder and chairman, Pham Nhat Vuong, told shareholders of his parent company, Vingroup, that VinFast will shift its attention to operations in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

    India Plant Set for June Launch

    By the end of June 2025, the company plans to inaugurate a facility in India for special vehicle assembly. The plant will initially take on a very local mission, converting “knockdown” kits, basically, an automobile’s guts and other essential components, into complete vehicles that meet India’s right-hand-drive specifications. The company’s assembly plant will have space and infrastructure for up to 150,000 assembled and finished vehicles to leave its doors each year. VinFast’s ambition is to be the first Vietnamese automobile manufacturer to compete in the Indian market. This effort is being aided by the Tamil Nadu state government which has opened its doors for VinFast.

    Challenges in the U.S. Prompt Shift

    VinFast had invested heavily in its push into the U.S. market, but surging logistics costs and extended delays have forced a recalibration. Not only are U.S. tariffs on imports of electric vehicles a big unknown, but the company now knows it must find a way to close the gap between what it spends to deliver electric vehicles to North America and Europe and what its rivals spend. Remarkably, the company has decided to retreat, not permanently, the chief executive insists, but for the time being, because the figures just don’t work.

    Tesla Hesitant, VinFast Moves Ahead

    Whereas VinFast speeds up its operations in India, Tesla proceeds with caution. The Elon Musk-led electric vehicle (EV) giant continues to see India as an attractive opportunity but finds that steep duties make the market less accessible. Tesla’s chief financial officer, Vaibhav Taneja, recently underscored the point that the company continues to weigh the right time for an Indian debut. Till the time India doesn’t revise its policy of taxing imported vehicles, a full push by Tesla can’t be called certain.

    Determined to establish itself in the emergent Asian car markets, VinFast is trying to gain a foothold there, even though it is not yet profitable. With operations in Indonesia on the verge of starting in October, the company looks to start dominating the regional markets while its American rival plays the waiting game for more favorable conditions.

  • Sarvam AI to Receive First IndiaAI Mission Grant Worth INR 220 Crore

    Sarvam AI, a AI startup based in Bengaluru and founded by Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Kumar, is progressing toward being the first beneficiary of the IndiaAI Mission. This mission is the flagship initiative from the Indian government to aid and boost the development of AI that is made and owned in India. As per several industry insiders, Sarvam AI is expected to receive support to the tune of about INR 220 crore. This support is expected to come mostly in the form of having nearly 4,000 top-tier Nvidia H100 GPUs available free of cost for a period of six months. These GPUs are among the best available for training AI models.

    Indigenous Models for Indian Voices

    Sarvam has already advanced in this area, having founded a language model with 2 billion parameters last year. This model, when put to the test in the context of Indian languages, was found to yield results that outperformed those of several globally recognized language models. Sarvam’s model used tokenization techniques that were lauded for their efficiency and precision, enabling the generation of prompt regional language responses with far greater ease than had been the case up to that point.

    Sarvam in the process of scaling up both his infrastructure and the model itself. The AI company is working on a new version of its language model that will come equipped with 70 billion parameters and will be capable of functioning in both Indian languages and English.

    Government’s Grand AI Vision

    The Mission IndiaAI, with support exceeding INR 10,000 crore, has been conceived to set in motion the domestic innovation ecosystem in artificial intelligence. Its primary focus, stated quite clearly, is on three components: on the one hand, it wants to create the very necessary IndiaAI compute capacity; on the other hand, it aims to establish an IndiaAI Innovation Centre; and, finally, the datasets required for AI in India, which are currently lacking, should be made available through the IndiaAI Datasets Platform. The agencies that set up this mission seem to have realized that AI requires large-scale computing facilities and have set about trying to create one.

    Competition and Collaboration in the AI Arena

    Alongside Sarvam, other startups like Soket AI Labs, Gnani.ai, and Gan.ai are also in the fray. Soket AI Labs has proposed a massive 120-billion parameter open-source Indic LLM under the EKA Project, while Gnani.ai is focused on conversational AI, aiming to develop speech-to-speech models for customer service. Gan.ai, known for AI-powered video personalization, has also submitted its proposal. The urgency to support such projects has been amplified by rapid advancements in countries like China, whose DeepSeek model spurred India’s resolve to build its own foundational AI technologies.

    Currently, India is advancing large-scale language models, and it aims to have several of them ready by year-end. Hence, the timeline fits well with the government’s ambition to have a more significant presence in the global artificial intelligence race.

  • Gensol’s Puneet Singh Jaggi Detained in FEMA Probe Over Alleged Fund Diversion

    Anmol and Puneet Singh Jaggi, promoters of Gensol Engineering Ltd, are now facing severe legal repercussions and conditions following their detention under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The Enforcement Directorate rounded up Puneet Singh Jaggi in Delhi while also conducting raids across Delhi, Gurugram, and Ahmedabad. This probe was initiated off the back of a Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) report that flagged several problems, including serious financial misconduct and the apparent misuse of company funds. Anmol Singh Jaggi is currently reported to be in Dubai, an alleged haven for fugitive Indian businessmen.

    Allegations of Misuse and Missing Funds

    Sebi’s preliminary findings allege that Gensol and the Jaggi brothers misappropriated funds. Gensol, as per Sebi, borrowed a total of about 1,000 crore (INR 977.75 crore) from public sector banks and institutions like the PFC and IREDA at cheap rates, using the money to procure not EVs but something else altogether. They say some of these funds might have made their way into the accounts of Gensol and Jaggi’s other companies and that this might be the reason for the discrepancies.

    Investigators discovered that a significant amount of money was funneled into Gensol or moved to companies associated with the Jaggi family. They also learned that these funds were being used for personal and family expenses. In short, a big chunk of the money that was supposed to be going to Gensol was instead being sent to pay for stuff like the Jaggi family’s daughter-actresses’ performances at charity events and for renovations of some celebrity that Jaggi maintains.

    Lavish Spending Raises Eyebrows

    The investigation is revealing the depth of personal enrichment using company resources. About INR 42.94 crore went through Anmol Singh Jaggi’s Capbridge Ventures to pay for a luxury apartment in the upscale DLF Camellias. That wasn’t enough to satisfy this alleged scheme’s appetite. Around INR 50 lakh was allegedly funneled to Ashneer Grover’s startup, Third Unicorn.

    The personal gratification and profit reflected in our findings is alarming. Anmol’s mother received over INR 6.2 crore and his wife nearly INR 3 crore in the transfers of bribery money. Puneet and Anmol lavished their families with a total of just over INR 5 crore. Spending at that level obviously meant inflating all sorts of costs, and the auditors found plenty of instances overvaluing everything from fancy golf clubs to travel in first class on MakeMyTrip.

    Impact on Investors and Corporate Governance

    The financial irregularities have had a direct impact on Gensol’s market performance. Since Sebi released its interim report, the stock has fallen more than 22 percent. The company’s promoters, according to regulators, have used Gensol as a personal financial tool and have always put their own interests ahead of those of shareholders.

    Sebi is now pursuing a forensic audit, and the ED is ramping up enforcement actions. The case marks a major setback for corporate governance in India’s renewable energy sector and serves as a cautionary tale for both investor trust and regulatory oversight.

  • Rapido Pilots Non-AC Cabs in Bengaluru to Cut Commuter Costs

    The Bengaluru-based ride-hailing startup Rapido has started to test a feature that allows users to book non-air-conditioned cabs at lower rates. Currently available in beta form, the feature gives users the choice of fare plans for two types of cars, one with an AC and one without. Despite this being a first for any ride-hailing app, Rapido appears to be doing so quietly and without much fanfare.

    The initiative emerges when numerous riders have been expressing their dissatisfaction online with drivers who won’t activate the AC, even though they’re charging more for trips. Rapido’s newest feature may provide a way to address both the complaints and the apparent service shortfalls they reflect by making the pricing of its rides align better with the kind of rides you’re getting.

    Addressing Driver Concerns Through Innovation

    In the month before last, drivers linked with the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union started a “No-AC” campaign in Hyderabad. They protested against the falling per-kilometer pay across the platforms Ola, Uber, and Rapido. The protest attempt highlighted the tension that’s always present between service expectations and the gig worker’s budget. Gig work is often said to be a means for working people to remain economically afloat. The reality is that many gig workers are laboring just to stay alive.

    Rapido could be tackling both sides of the issue with its new non-AC option. This helps drivers avoid the expense of burning fossil fuels to power air conditioning, and it helps the price-sensitive commuter by providing a more affordable option. Integrating driver concerns into platform features may set Rapido on a path toward more inclusive innovation in the gig economy.

    Aggressive Expansion Backed by Strong Metrics

    Founded in 2015, Rapido built its user base initially through bike taxis and auto-rickshaws and expanded into the cab segment in December 2023. It was on a rapid growth trajectory. In March 2025, the platform outpaced rivals Ola and Uber in app downloads.

    The company cut its FY24 losses to just over INR 370 crore, a reduction of 45 percent, while its operating revenue soared by 1.5 times to INR 648.1 crore.

    Future Plans Point to Broader Ambitions

    In keeping with its ambitious growth, Rapido is said to be looking to raise 250 crore rupees from Prosus to fund further expansion and other new initiatives. The company has said it plans to expand to 500 cities, has made proposals to set up a women-only “Pink” bike service in Karnataka, and has dropped hints about entering the food delivery sector in order to compete with much bigger players.

    Non-AC cabs refine what Rapido has to offer Indian riders, allow Rapido to better compete in India’s ride-hailing market, and make Rapido more relevant to a service that Indian riders can actually use.