This article has been contributed by Swarupa Bhangvi, Finance Director, Landor.
An economic downturn is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than just a couple of months. Economies can slow down within a nation, a specific region, or on a global scale.
Recessions in the 20th century include the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Oil Crisis of 1973, the recession of 1982, the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and the 2008 global financial crisis. They have each sent shockwaves throughout the world’s economy and the very recent COVID-19 crisis that severely affected and disrupted businesses and economies throughout the world.
Reasons for recessions would include both internal and external factors such as loss of confidence in investment and the economy, high interest rates, post-war slowdown, wage-price controls, unemployment, stock market crash, etc.
When the Economy of a country is affected by recession, can the businesses remain untouched?
Some recessions cause short-term problems that disrupt the supply chain and others cause long-term ones, like the closure of businesses and an increase in bankruptcy cases.
While Economists throughout the world do warn about an increased risk of recession, one can’t prevent the fallout but can minimize its impact on the business.
Let us see how recession affects small businesses
Small businesses are organisations with about 100-500 employees, accounting for a substantial percentage of the economy, irrespective of their location. These are truly quite small in scale, lacking in the market power, financial cushion, and leverage needed to weather a recession.
Unlike larger companies, small businesses cannot raise funds during recessions by selling stocks or issuing bonds. They also are not able to lobby for funding.
All of these economic factors affect business owners, preventing them from withstanding dips in revenue caused by economic uncertainty and making small businesses vulnerable during recessions. Eventually, they either disappear or are gobbled up by larger businesses having similar interests.
How Recession Affects Large Businesses
Large businesses may fare better than smaller ones during recessions, but they certainly aren’t immune to the many pitfalls that arise during times of economic downturn.
For public companies, any decline in revenue will be published in quarterly reports. Investors see these numbers, and due to overall uncertainty and heightened risk, they may sell their shares, causing share prices to fall.
Of course, large businesses have access to more tools during recessions than small businesses do. For example, a large business can suspend pay raises or initiate a hiring freeze during recessions. Reduce or altogether eliminate dividends for shareholders. In some cases, a company may resort to a mass layoff, which helps cut costs and offers some degree of financial protection.
Large businesses have more wriggle room and resources at their disposal to weather economic recessions compared to small businesses.
What Happens During Such Economic Turbulence
Drop in Sales and consequent revenue
While the level of decline in revenue depends on the industry, most businesses are affected to some degree.
Nonessential goods and services are the first expenses that consumers cut during hard times, leading to sharp declines in revenue. Most manufacturers of products have to slow production as a result of declining demand.
Service industries such as Advertising companies are also significantly impacted by a decrease in overall advertising spending as businesses tend to cut back on marketing budgets, leading to lower revenue for agencies,
Bankruptcy and Financing Issues
Today’s lenders have decades of historical evidence showing the risks associated with lending during recessions. This perspective makes it harder for businesses to get short- or long-term loans to finance their needs.
Reductions in benefits and Layoffs and the Domino effect
During recessions, it’s common for layoffs to take place as a reaction to the uncertain economy. There is a chain reaction or domino effect that causes layoffs. It starts with economic decline, which results in reduced demand for goods and services.
Reduced demand means businesses require fewer workers to meet their targets, and this results in organisations reducing the need for workers and consequent lay offs.
We have experienced during COVID-19 where some companies reduced salaries while some delayed the payment.
The recession is scary, and there may not be a quick fix or established formula to beat it, but there are some steps that can keep you floating.
Increase Cash holdings
Asset diversification, along with a long investment timeline, helps protect your business during a recession. Cash holdings allow for quick and easy access to liquidity, especially during crashing stock markets.
Avoid Debt and Tapping into Your Reserve
Avoid debt and refrain from tapping into your reserve by paying as you go. Even if you can increase your cash holdings, you also need to be able to connect all business expenses to coordinating sales.
For example, if you need to purchase a piece of equipment, you could negotiate for payment in installments or try to defer the purchase as and when the cash flow improves.
Request flexible payment terms from your suppliers.
Cost optimisation
Reduce nonessential expenses. Renegotiate contracts with suppliers.
Rent unused space to another business (e.g., part of a warehouse or office).
Freeze hiring and consider voluntary departures
Work with universities to employ interns under workplace-integrated learning programs.
Focus on Customer Service and Improve the Existing One
Customer service is one of the best ways to create long-term stability for your business and will more likely get repeat sales.
Usually, getting new customers costs more than retaining current customers. Make sure your team is armed with the training and resources needed to provide the best possible customer service.
Revenue Diversification
Explore new market segments or product lines to reduce reliance on a single customer base. Consider subscription-based or retainer-based revenue models.
Focus on Collectibles
The collection of old outstanding balances from your clients is extremely important at all times and more so when the liquidity is drying up.
Manage account receivables by offering flexible payment terms if they are struggling to pay your invoices. Constant monitoring of the Accounts receivables is the key to reducing or avoiding Bad debts.
Financial Planning
Develop a detailed budget and monitor financial performance closely. Assess potential risks and develop contingency plans.
Communication
Maintain transparent communication with employees, customers, and partners about your business strategy during an economic downturn.
Work closely with staff to generate ideas, redeploy and retrain, and keep morale high.
Conclusion
We conclude by stating that while Economic downturns are temporary and inevitable phases. Every business should proactively prepare for such contingencies and strive to navigate as there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
This article has been contributed by Shraddha Agrawal, Founder & CEO, DigiDNA.
The Start of the B2B Business Journey
One day, I sat staring at our latest B2B campaign report with frustration and hope. Hundreds of leads were coming in, but conversions were few. I’d assumed our gut-driven strategy wasn’t working. So, I did the opposite: I doubled our spending on data. That change redesigned our results, and it’s not the only one – B2B marketers across the globe are finding out that data-driven strategies turn leads into dollars. And indeed, those who are confident in their data strategy are 3X more likely to experience high revenue growth than others.
There are articles that follow a first-hand experience end-to-end in the funnel from lead generation through revenue, showing how best-of-breed players use data along the way.
From Volume to Value – Lead Generation for Today and Tomorrow!
In the past, the common approach would be lead quantity = more leads, more form fills, more data collection from events. This approach says that by increasing the volume of leads, revenue will follow. Industry trends have backed this up, 60% of B2B marketers are putting most of their budget into new customer acquisition (versus 40% into retention), and 70% of companies have increased their lead gen budgets in the last few years because they believe more leads will solve their revenue problems.
But the reality is different. Despite the deluge of leads, many don’t convert to revenue, and both marketing and sales teams are frustrated. When we look into this, it’s clear the problem isn’t the quantity of leads, it’s the quality. A number of leads may not be ready to buy or may not even
align with the business’s ideal customer profile. That’s why B2B marketing needs to shift its approach from lead quantity to lead quality.
A key Insight is that the quality leads are far more valuable than the quantity of leads fr a better focused approach! 37% of B2B marketing professionals now focus on building high-quality. Sales pipeline to attract right leads.
The Next Step: To Address The Challenge of Lead Quality!
Instead of casting a wide net, companies can segment their audience based on factors like industry, company size, job roles, and specific needs. This is what is called developing a clear definition of the ideal customer profile (ICP).
Businesses can prioritize potential clients that exhibit high engagement or show clear intent to purchase by using a lead scoring approach! By using these kinds of approaches, the companies can cut down their lead generation in half with more meaningful conversations with sales, increasing the likelihood of successful conversions.
If an example suits here, the best is refining targeting strategies through platforms lie LinkedIn that can improve the lead quality by a very focused approach of targeting in niche segments.
Lead Magnet = Value Added, Engaging Content
What about creating and behind the scene video while your team is engaging with real client problems? The thought states that “yes”, they are concerned about the client…its trust-building with video content if done right.
The content is just fine. Who will read it? If the content doesn’t state the problem, then its solution, or the story behind a very nice product or a solution, how will it grab the attention of anyone? It won’t! Instead of yet another datasheet or a PowerPoint presentation, just one short video or just a 90-second clip of our product in action solving a common pain point would work well, right? Less time, straight to the point content, crisp and time managed well. All in all, value-added, engaging content that crafts stories and describes the nature of a product or solution helps make decisions quicker, engages the audience to know more, builds trust and authority, and much more!
The B2B Content Strategy:
Top of the sales funnel content —> insightful, engaging, entertaining videos, blog posts, etc.
Mid of the sales funnel content —> Nurturing with case studies, comparison guides, etc
By the time leads have started talking to the sales team, they are already nurtured with thought leadership content and engaging product videos, which helps in turning cold leads into warm opportunities of converting into the best potential long-term client!
B2B lead generation journey is becoming more complicated than ever, the saviors are the AI-powered tools making it easier to personalize and automate engagement at scale.
AI lets marketers analyze vast amounts of data to deliver super personal content and experiences to each lead. A real wave that B2B marketers are already taking in account, and it’s not just an experiment but a fact – 35% say implementing AI is their single biggest priority in the year ahead for their B2B marketing AI strategy.
As an example, AI-driven email personalization allows businesses to customize messages based on individual behavior, preferences, and engagement history. AI can also be used for predictive lead scoring, which helps prioritize leads most likely to convert based on their actions and interactions with the brand.
Let’s understand this with statistics: 61% of marketers think AI-driven personalization is key to interacting with customers today. By using AI personalized tools, businesses can automate personalized outreach and make their marketing more effective than ever.
Now the point is are their challenges to this …. Yes absolutely! Initially, there were no AI experts for adding value to these B2B strategies…In fact, 43% of B2B marketers reported that insufficient AI skills on their staff was a major barrier to getting the most from AI, and this gap was felt by many. Later, when skills were developed by the use of AI, this gap was filled, and the conclusion came where the takeaway was that AI-driven personalization isn’t about replacing the human touch but using it in the best possible ways. This helped the total journey mentioned above.
Conversion With Sales and Marketing!
By adding collaboration and transparency between two teams, B2B businesses can grow their revenue cycle and entire performance. Hence, stats show that organizations that align their sales and marketing teams see a 32% higher revenue growth compared to those that operate individually. By ensuring both teams work toward the same goal and share common definitions of what constitutes a qualified lead, businesses can improve conversion rates. Marketing teams must provide sales with the necessary tools, content, and insights that allow them to effectively engage and close leads.
This pretty much explains why sales and marketing teams must work hand in hand for strategic B2B lead generation.
Arriving at The Ultimate Goal: The Revenue Growth
This is the finish line every B2B marketer is aiming for, but it’s also a moving target that comes with higher expectations.
Always said, thought, and applied: Marketing is not a cost center; it’s a Revenue engine!
From shifting the focus to quality leads and building trust through strategic content and personalization, the results start to show in revenue growth. By implementing a marketing attribution model, it’s possible to track which campaigns influenced sales. With targeted campaigns and personalized nurturing, marketing’s direct impact on sales becomes much clearer.
The broader trend in the shift of B2B marketing started when 1 out of the 3 CMOs had a direct role in driving the revenue growth. Marketing leaders are increasingly demonstrating their impact to the C-suite, aligning metrics with business outcomes and therein, metrics are no longer just measured by leads ad impressions; marketing now has a contribution to pipelines and ROI.
This change allows B2B marketing to have a strategic seat at the table, influencing product strategy, budget decisions, and long-term growth. It’s a reminder that marketing isn’t just about generating awareness; it’s about building the business.
B2B marketing is no more just about pushing out mass campaigns and hoping for the best. It’s about being strategic, data-driven, and customer-centric. So, let’s take note of all the key strategies mentioned one on one that will give a perfect strategy for B2b business, from leads to revenue growth:
Volume to value lead generation —> Addressing the challenge of lead quality —> Engaging content acting as lead magnet —-> AI and personalization with the right tools —> conversion with sales and marketing —> Revenue growth!
OpenAI is back at it, and this time, it’s not about making AI smarter. Instead, it is about making your wallet significantly lighter. The company is gearing up to launch AI agents with subscription plans ranging from $2,000 to $20,000 a month. Yes, you read that right. While OpenAI envisions these agents taking over complex tasks like booking tickets, ordering groceries, and, presumably, justifying their own absurd price tags, the bigger question is: Who’s actually paying for this?
AI Agents or AI Elitism?
The pricing breakdown is as dystopian as it is hilarious. $2,000 gets you an “entry-level” agent for knowledge workers (because apparently, having knowledge isn’t enough anymore). $10,000 gets software devs an AI assistant because why hire juniors when you can burn ten grand a month? And at $20,000, you get a PhD-level research assistant, or we should essentially say: a digital Einstein with a subscription plan. The numbers sound straight out of an OpenAI-generated hallucination, yet Sam Altman expects these agents to rake in 25% of OpenAI’s revenue.
Scam Altman or Smart Altman?
The “Scam Altman” meme practically writes itself, but let’s be fair, he’s onto something. AI agents are the future. These models will soon replace mundane human tasks, optimise workflows, and potentially render certain jobs obsolete. AI is getting frighteningly capable, and OpenAI knows it. But the real kicker? OpenAI, which once preached about making AI “accessible,” is now locking its most powerful tools behind a paywall so steep that even Fortune 500 companies might hesitate.
So, is this the dawn of autonomous AI productivity or just the latest chapter in AI’s ever-growing “pay-to-play” economy? Either way, if you’re not loaded, you’ll have to settle for ChatGPT and manually order your groceries like we do, for now!
In a bid to strengthen its net worth, Mufin Group has acquired LKP Finance in an all-cash deal, resulting in the group’s net worth increasing by INR 370 crore. By leveraging LKP Finance’s capital base alongside Mufin’s expertise in lending, we will be able to expand rapidly after this acquisition.
Kapil Garg, Managing Director of Mufin Group, commented on the acquisition:
“This acquisition is a pivotal step in our journey to scale and transform our business. By leveraging LKP Finance’s capital base alongside Mufin’s expertise in lending, we will drive financial inclusion, enhance liquidity, and introduce cutting-edge financial products. Our vision is to empower businesses and individuals with seamless access to credit, fuelling sustainable economic growth.”
With this strategic acquisition, Mufin Group aims to strengthen its financial position and diversify its lending portfolio. The deal is expected to boost the group’s ability to offer customised financial products across various sectors, particularly MSMEs, electric vehicle financing, and sustainable energy initiatives.
The acquisition of LKP Finance marks a significant milestone in Mufin Group’s expansion strategy, enabling us to establish a strong foothold in the Western India market. With LKP’s deep-rooted presence and legacy in the financial sector, this move enhances our reach and strengthens our market positioning. Leveraging LKP’s established network and credibility, we aim to scale our lending operations, drive sustainable growth, and further our vision of financial inclusion across key regions.
With this investment, Mufin Group is set to expand its capital base by ₹370 crore, accelerating its mission to provide innovative and accessible financial solutions. LKP Finance, a well-established NBFC, brings valuable capital strength and industry experience to the table.
Market experts believe this acquisition will positively impact Mufin Group’s financial stability and lending capabilities. It will also strengthen investor confidence, positioning the group as a key player in the NBFC sector.
About Mufin Group
Mufin Group is a leading financial services provider committed to offering innovative and inclusive lending solutions. The company specialises in financing electric vehicles, MSMEs, and sustainable energy projects. With a strong presence across India, Mufin Group aims to drive financial inclusion and economic growth by providing accessible credit solutions.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is undoubtedly India’s top-branded Twenty20 league organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Established in 2008, it has quickly developed into one of the richest and most popular T20 leagues in the world, attracting top players from across the cricketing globe. This league is known for its energy: electric matches, strategic player formations, and thrilling player auctions, which lure thousands and millions of fans every season.
The IPL is a fine blend of sports and entertainment, proving to be a very ferocious battlefield, with intoxicating displays of skills and ever-inventive methods of presenting the game. Its financial clout and international notoriety make it the soul of cricket, virtually remapping the commercial face of the game and exhibiting cricket in its purest glory.
TATA is an Indian multinational conglomerate whose diversified business lines are automotive, steel, IT, and consumer goods. The Indian Premier League (IPL) has also included TATA as its title sponsor for the renewal period of 2024 to 2028 as a sponsorship deal with the badminton body worth INR 2,500 crores. TATA stepped again into the field of sports. The TATA IPL will now do well in opening up cheap avenues for the company’s markets at various match locations, broadcasts, and online, connecting millions of cricket fans for an exciting time online.
TATA has added one more point of dollar weight to the IPL’s skilling maturity, giving the league a huge boost in retaining its strong position among the top sports leagues worldwide. The league’s brand value increased by a whopping 13% to touch $12 billion in 2024, and it is now on an upward curve. So, through this sponsorship, TATA is taking a step towards promoting Indian sports while strengthening its worldwide brand positioning at a higher level.
My11Circle
My11Circle – Sponsors of Indian Premier League 2025
My11Circle, the fantasy sports app owned by Play Games24x7 Pvt. Ltd., permits users to form virtual teams for cricket and football matches that pay in cash based on individual performance. The platform draws sports lovers with contests like Beat The Expert, Mega, and Private contests, enhancing the gaming experience with inputs from users regarding their sports knowledge and analytical skills.
Being an associate sponsor of IPL 2025 gives My11Circle significantly more brand exposure while attracting more users to its platform. It also increases fan engagement through its fantasy cricket contests, which are interactive contests that enhance the IPL experience. With promotional offers such as exclusive prizes and cash awards, participation is more encouraged. This sponsorship strengthens My11Circle in the fantasy sports industry while making the most of IPL’s popularity to grow its user base.
AngelOne
Angel One – Sponsors of Indian Premier League 2025
Angel One Limited – the most renowned and popular Indian stock broker, is the same before as Angel Broking; only opened its doors in 1996. Angel One provides different services ranging from stock broking to currency, commodity broking, margin trading, depository services, and mutual fund distribution. The company is a member of most major Indian exchanges like NSE, BSE, and MCX.
Angel One, as one of the associate sponsors of IPL 2025, is expected to be visible at large by advertisement in the eyes of the public because of such a league that attracts almost everyone in this country to use its financial services. What is more, is that it is trying to show its commitment to the financial literacy cause and encourage sound investment among sports fans. Angel One’s contribution to the monetary halls of the IPL’s economy, will make the league grow further while strengthening its brand in the financial services domain, as IPL’s popularity will help Angel One grow its clients across India’s shoreline.
Rupay
RuPay – Sponsors of Indian Premier League 2025
RuPay, the indigenous Indian payment system launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2012, covers all electronic payments initiated through any of the member banks or financial institutions. The RuPay was developed to provide debit, credit, prepaid, and government scheme cards which were all in alignment with the vision of a domestic, open, and multilateral payment network by the Reserve Bank of India.
As an associate sponsor of IPL 2025, RuPay gets a huge opportunity for brand promotion, using the league’s vast audience to promote its secure and convenient digital payment solutions. This collaboration serves the purpose of facilitating electronic payments in the Indian economy, thereby promoting the “less cash” economy movement. Thus, RuPay’s contribution to the financial ecosystem of IPL would also contribute, in its way, to the economic potential of the league and its more positive ramifications in the larger sports and entertainment sector. With the IPL, RuPay will position itself even further in the area of India’s financial services.
Star Sports
Star Sports – Sponsors of Indian Premier League 2025
Star Sports was established in 1992 when a consortium company incorporated the units into Disney India Pvt. Limited, with a specialized focus on cricket, football, and tennis. As an official broadcast partner of IPL 2025, Star Sports will give high-quality TV broadcasting over a series of channels for varied regional languages during matches.
In addition to IPL 2025, Star Sports’ complete merger with the Sports18 brand includes the launch of new regional channels such as Star Sports 2 Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil. It blends with what is being done to promote the league through campaigns and highlight reels to generate buzz among viewers. Then again, it’s TV broadcast IPL matches while on the other side of the globe; it’s streamed digitally through JioCinema. Through that stronghold plus all the promotions done, Star Sports is incredible regarding its contribution to India’s ever-expanding IPL audience, both local and international.
Jio Cinema
JioCinema – Sponsors of Indian Premier League 2025
The streaming platform JioCinema once stood at the forefront of reliability when it came to the richness of its content, such as high-definition live sports. But with its merger into Disney + Hotstar, it has transformed into something entirely different: JioHotstar, which would become the official digital streaming platform for IPL 2025, thus granting seamless access to live matches from multiple devices.
Beginning from the predecessor, JioHotstar will continue to provide 4K streaming for a much-enhanced experience by cricket fans. It further aims to reach the masses by covering IPL in many regional languages, hence catering to over 1.4 billion Indians. Besides, promotional activities are also planned to recruit and engage users using IPL’s tremendous following. With such advanced streaming and outreach, JioHotstar will be an important component of elevating IPL 2025’s digital experience.
CEAT is a major manufacturer of tires and is a member of the RPG group. The company has been producing tires since 1958 and since then has specialized in tires for high-performance boreholes. The company operates in more than 110 countries. The company believes in innovation and customer satisfaction. As it is now the official umpire partner for IPL 2025, CEAT has sponsored umpires’ uniforms and equipment.
And that’s not all, CEAT also studies the humongous audiences of IPL through varied promotional activities to enhance CEAT’s presence in the market. The greater support that IPL 2025 provides to CEAT in terms of brand association is because it’s a fantastic opportunity for building brand identity within India and across the globe-alignment with the target to reach many more consumers. CEAT, however, claims that investing in the league contributes to this economic ecosystem of IPL manifestly using the bigger sports and entertainment industry, although all of this sounds along the lines of mutually benefiting statements.
Wonder Cement
Wonder Cement – Sponsors of Indian Premier League 2025
This was initiated in 2010, and it has continued to provide mostly high-quality Portland pozzolana and ordinary Portland cement. This Cement is part of the RK Group and has set up its world-class plant in Nimbahera, Rajasthan, with an installed capacity of producing 11 million tons of cement annually. The company has extended into Maharashtra, other states, and around the world as grinding units. Wonder Cement has become an integral part of itself within IPL 2025: although the actual role is as yet unclear, even the involvement would up-mark the brand visibility through sponsorships and promotions.
Thus joining IPL 2025 would allow Wonder Cement to augment its brand visibility through the reach of an audience that at the time might number into the hundreds of millions. Such participation thus would level up the IPL financial ecosystem, which would, in turn, help other sports and entertainment in the country. This affiliation will help the company to reach more and more people, consolidating its position in the industry and diversifying the consumer base.
Campa Cola
Campa Cola – Sponsors of Indian Premier League 2025
Campa Cola was a very popular Indian soft drink brand in the 1970s and 1980s before falling away from the limelight after its acquisition by Reliance Industries in 2022 from an initial cost of INR 22 crores. It was launched by the Pure Drinks Group in 1977 only to perish when the multinational companies came up. With its new variants and low prices, Campa Cola is ready to fight for its rightful space in the Indian beverages market.
As a co-sponsoring sponsor for IPL 2025, Campa Cola is harnessing the broad audience of the tournament to enhance its brand visibility. Reliance is strategically utilizing this sponsorship to solidify its market presence by providing attractive retail margins and ensuring quality front displays. By investing in IPL, and therefore creating a competitive environment that appeals to more and different types of consumers, Campa Cola builds its brand while strengthening the economic model that IPL is creating for itself.
IPL follows a round-robin group and knockout format, which means that each team plays against the others in a predetermined number of matches, and the top-performing teams advance to the playoffs.
Where are the IPL sponsors advertising?
Sponsors are advertising both on television broadcasts and on the digital streaming platform, JioHotstar.
With a focus on strengthening collaboration amongst stakeholders across the globe, delegates from 30+ countries joined in for an evening of innovation and startups at Vanijya Bhawan on Thursday. The organizing committee members of Startup Mahakumbh supported the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and showcased the expanse of the landmark event at a glittering event, which was aimed at igniting a new era of global innovation.
With international collaboration at the heart of the Indian startup ecosystem’s growth, key delegates from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ambassadors to the Argentinian and Azerbaijan’s Embassy, Head of the Economic and Innovation Department of Italy, Head of International Cooperation from Mexico, among many other, attended the event.
The event was spearheaded by India’s foremost Startup Ecosystem Leaders and led by FICCI in collaboration with ASSOCHAM, IVCA, nasscom, Bootstrap Foundation, and other key industry stakeholders, with support from the National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC), DPIIT, Startup India. With a sector-focused approach, across 11 pavillions – AI, Deeptech & Cybersecurity, HealthTech & BioTech, AgriTech, Climate Tech, Incubators & Accelerators, D2C, FinTech, Gaming & Sports, B2B & Precision Manufacturing, Defence & Space Tech and Mobility – the event will create immersive spaces for knowledge exchange, mentorship, and real business opportunities.
Speaking on the sidelines of the convivial evening, Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, said, “The Indian startup ecosystem has positioned itself as a formidable force across industries worldwide, and with Startup Mahakumbh – the largest congregation of startups globally – will help in bridging the gap to foster connections with stakeholders transcending borders.”
Smt. Arti Bhatnagar, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, DPIIT, Startup India said, “This evening marks a significant milestone in India’s startup journey, where global collaboration takes center stage as thought leaders, investors, and innovators from over 30 countries joined hands to foster deeper connections and exchange knowledge. As we move towards building a self-reliant and innovative Viksit Bharat by 2047, such engagements will play a crucial role in driving India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to new heights on the global stage.”
Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary, DPIIT, said, “By bringing together key global stakeholders, we are not just showcasing the immense innovation happening in India but also forging meaningful collaborations that will drive the future of entrepreneurship for the whole world.”
Expressing his views, Sanjeev Bikhchandani,, Co-founder and Executive Vice Chairman, Info Edge signed off as he said, “Startup Mahakumbh embodies India’s dynamic spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, helping Indian startups scale internationally. By inviting global innovators to explore the limitless opportunities in Bharat, is a powerful signal of the shared vision we hold for a truly interconnected startup landscape.”
About Startup Mahakumbh
Startup Mahakumbh is a first-of-its-kind event bringing together the entire startup ecosystem of India, including startups, investors, incubators and accelerators, and industry leaders from several sectors. The event is led by FICCI, ASSOCHAM, IVCA, NASSCOM and Bootstrap Advisory & Foundation and supported by SIDBI, GEM, ECGC, and DPIIT Startup India.
The second edition of Startup Mahakumbh is set to make a grand return in 2025, building on the tremendous success of its inaugural edition. The flagship startup event was an extraordinary success, attracting over 48,581 business visitors engaging with 1306 exhibitors, including the finest startups, soonicorns, and unicorn startups from 26+ states and 14+ countries. It also hosted 300+ incubators and accelerators and 200+ leading angel investors, VCs, and family offices.
The German automaker Volkswagen has now revealed its upcoming electric vehicle project. After being promoted earlier this year, the company has now introduced ID.Every1, their entry-level EV. The ID.Every1’s production-spec model, which is now only a pre-production concept, will begin to be sold in Europe in 2027. The Volkswagen Up’s spiritual successor, according to the company, is a “from Europe for Europe” model. The German automaker’s ID line of electric vehicles will begin with the electric hatchback, which will be positioned beneath the ID.2 All, which is regarded as the battery-powered counterpart of the Polo.
The next ID.Every1 will cost about 20,000 euros (about INR 18.90 lakh), according to Volkswagen. This is about 5,000 euros less than the ID.2 All, which is expected to make its official debut in 2026. The ID.Every1 is more than 100 mm shorter than the ID.2 All, with an overall length of 3,880 mm.
The Real Design will Mostly be Aligned with the Concept
Volkswagen asserts that the final production model will not significantly deviate from the recently unveiled concept. With its blacked-out upper faux grille, big LED headlamps, and contrasting black trim on the lower bumper, the hatchback’s front profile conveys a pleasant attitude while its proportions obviously pay respect to the Up. The blacked-out A-pillar produces a smooth wraparound impression for the windscreen, and vertical LED daytime running lights placed at the bumper’s corners further accentuate the rounded fascia.
The side profile emphasises a simple and unobtrusive appearance with delicately sculpted wheel arches and no prominent character lines. Volkswagen claims that the goal of this minimalist approach is to produce a style that is “timeless” and “classless.” 19-inch wheels and flat door handles are also part of the concept, and the C-pillar design honours the original Golf. The rear end is identical to the front, with a third brake light built into the spoiler and tail lamps and a bumper that are both similarly constructed. Volkswagen claims that the ID.Every1 has a smaller battery and a shorter wheelbase than the ID.2 All, but otherwise has a similar design up to the A-pillars.
Should Musk be Worried?
Without a doubt, Volkswagen will have an advantage against Tesla in this pricing range. The German company has just recently developed a solid-state battery that may solve a significant EV issue that would annoy Tesla. Despite not producing these batteries in-house, Volkswagen has teamed up with QuantumScape, and the two companies have made great strides in bringing this technology to market. The progress has also been quicker than most people could have imagined, despite obstacles.
Aiming to get more people back on campus, Infosys has instructed its tech workers to follow its policy of working from the office ten days a month. Functional heads at the Bengaluru-based company emailed their colleagues to advise them to restrict the amount of work-from-home days they apply for, starting on March 10, according to a media outlet.
According to the email evaluated by a media outlet, the corporation stated that in order to facilitate this, system interventions will be put in place to restrict the amount of work-from-home days that can be used each month as of March 10, 2025. These steps are intended to preserve employee flexibility while guaranteeing adherence to the new hybrid work rules.
The “system intervention,” as senior executives referred to it, is intended to give teammates flexibility while ensuring efficient teamwork. “As you are aware, our hybrid work style requires employees to work from the office at least ten days a month, or as needed by the business, whichever is higher,” the email continued. Employees at job level 5 (JL5) and lower are covered by the communication. It further covered that JL5 (Job Level 5) team leaders are ranked above software engineers, senior engineers, system engineers, and consultants. Managers, senior managers, delivery managers, and senior delivery managers are included in JL6 and up; however, vice presidents are excluded from this communication. To date, Infosys, which employs over 323,000 people, has not addressed any media enquiries regarding this development.
Change in Marking Attendance
According to media reports, Infosys employees utilise a mobile app to track their attendance. This software will no longer “default” to approving WFH requests and will force them to punch in ten days a month while working at their local office base. This is more of a project requirement than a unit requirement. The flexibility saved Infosys workers a great deal of time and fatigue from commuting to work. Some employees may become less productive as a result. Sources claim that if an employee misses the work-from-office goal by one or two days, those days will be subtracted from their remaining leave balance.
TCS Attracting Employees in a Unique Way
TCS, a rival of Infosys, tied quarterly variable pay outs to employees’ attendance at work earlier in 2024. The quarterly incentive will not be given to those who have less than 60% attendance. On November 20, 2023, Infosys announced its return-to-office policy. According to a report published by a renowned media house, the outsourcing giant set aside a few crucial weeks each quarter as “in-person collab” weeks, during which time all team members were expected to be in the office and work together.
Hardik Pandya exists beyond his cricket career. He embodies the essence of spectacle, storm, and personal brand. The intense electrical energy he displays on the cricket field creates ripple effects that extend into other areas of his life. His match-winning aggressive nature, self-assurance, and oversized presence transform him into a magnetic force for brands.
The cricket star Hardik Pandya transforms brands into something new through his influential endorsements, which range from gaming spaces to premium SUVs and sports beverages to modern technology products. However, the question remains which brands possess the courage to match his indomitable spirit? In this article, we will explore the powerful brand partnerships that showcase the magnetic presence of Hardik Pandya.
Hardik Pandya Brand Endorsements
Hardik Pandya established himself as a powerful brand ambassador who secured multiple endorsement deals spanning various sectors, which include cricket and unstoppable brand penetration. His versatile personality attracts brands who want to reach Indian youth because they find his dynamic persona appealing. These are the primary brands that Hardik Pandya promotes:
Hardik joined KRAFTON India in September 2023, which revolutionised his career in a way that matched the essence of the gaming industry. Hardik’s youth-oriented, charismatic personality made him the perfect ambassador for BGMI, which led to his appearance in special in-game content, including voice packs, character skins, and emotes. His competitive spirit brought valuable interaction to the gaming interface, which proved ideal for the active Indian gaming market.
Gatorade – The Hydration Icon
Gatorade – Hardik Pandya Brand Endorsement
Hardik’s high-performance skills make him an excellent candidate for Gatorade to promote its hydration-focused advertising campaigns. Since September 2023, he has led the sports hydration brand’s message about endurance fitness and recovery, which has made him a respected and authoritative figure in the sports hydration industry. The ads displayed the training and recovery practices Hardik utilises during his athletic regimen.
Hyundai – Driving Adventure with EXTER
Hyundai Motor – Hardik Pandya Brand Ambassador List
Hyundai Motor India selected Hardik Pandya as its brand ambassador for the Hyundai EXTER SUV during June 2023. The brand ambassadorship demonstrates Hyundai’s main focus on adventure, style, and reliability, which perfectly matches the brand’s positioning strategy. Hardik appears in national advertising that demonstrates the SUV’s modern design with its various standout features.
POCO – The Power of Performance
POCO – Hardik Pandya Brand Endorsement
Hardik joined forces with POCO as their brand ambassador during January 2023 to market their X-series smartphone lineup. His dynamic persona matches POCO’s brand identity, which focuses on youth energy alongside performance excellence and technological innovation. The company used digital media along with social media platforms to display their flagship device features.
Gulf Oil – Endurance Meets Excellence
Gulf Oil – Hardik Pandya Brand Endorsement
The branding efforts at Gulf Oil since 2018 have included Hardik as a vital contributor who strengthens their brand message, focusing on reliability and high performance. The brand builds consumer trust by combining Hardik Pandya with cricket legend MS Dhoni as its representatives.
Dream11 – Fantasy Cricket, Real Excitement
Dream11 – Hardik Pandya Brand Endorsement
Since 2019, Dream11 has relied on Hardik as their primary brand ambassador to represent their strategic and interactive gaming features. A stellar ‘Sab Khelenge’ advertisement features Bollywood actors together with prominent cricket players. The promotional efforts of Dream11 Fantasy Cricket are designed for sports enthusiasts who participate in fantasy leagues.
boAt – Music & Performance Redefined
boAT – Hardik Pandya Brand Ambassador List
Hardik started representing boAT as its iconic ambassador in January 2018 when the company merged high-tech audio devices with trendy design elements. Through his fashionable style and dynamic charm, he serves as an excellent brand representative for the company’s youth-oriented audience. The brand utilises digital-first marketing strategies to promote its excellent sound quality combined with innovative design features.
RISE Worldwide – Brand Powerhouse Management
Through his partnership with RISE Worldwide, Hardik secures valuable brand alliances that maximise his presence within the endorsement industry. The rapid growth of Hardik’s market influence became even stronger after IPL 2022.
Gillette – Precision & Grooming Excellence
Gillette – Hardik Pandya Brand Endorsement
Through his role as a modern-style icon, Hardik helps Gillette deliver its brand messages about precision and grooming and everyday confidence to consumers. The marketing initiative targets all male consumers who want premium grooming products. Whereas the marketing approach uses product-based storytelling to demonstrate high-quality and exact products.
The Souled Store – Streetwear with Swagger
The Souled Store – Hardik Pandya Brand Endorsement
The Souled Store started featuring Hardik as its brand ambassador in 2022, and he followed up this move with a significant investment in the company. Hardik’s youthful personality matches perfectly with the trendy fashion statements of The Souled Store brand. Hardik uses his personal style to create signature collection designs.
Hardik Pandya exists as both a professional cricketer and a formidable brand leader. His endorsements encompass tech products alongside sports equipment and fashion items, automotive brands, gaming companies, and lifestyle products, proving his broad appeal beyond his cricket career. His ability to deliver energy and passion to every brand he represents has established him as one of the most popular choices among endorsement brands worldwide. Hardik Pandya approaches life with a winning mindset, whether he competes in cricket matches or represents brands.
FAQs
Which major brands does Hardik Pandya endorse?
Hardik Pandya has endorsed brands like Gulf Oil, Dream11, boAt, The Souled Store, Gillette and many more.
What types of products does Hardik Pandya typically endorse?
He endorses a variety of products, including sports-related items, energy drinks, audio devices, and online gaming platforms.
How has Hardik Pandya’s on-field performance impacted his brand value?
His strong performances in cricket, coupled with his charismatic personality, have significantly boosted his brand value, making him a sought-after endorser.
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As a teenager, discovering and following your passion is difficult in India as neither the education system offers ample time, relevant knowledge, and the right motivation nor the society supports it. We are judged based on our ability to memorize content and attend classes. This is one of the core problems in EdTech that Zeeshan and the team are trying to solve through MyCaptain. Climber Knowledge and Careers Pvt Ltd is the Parent Company of MyCaptain.
MyCaptain is an online mentoring platform where, young achievers from across the globe, mentor school and college students in their fields of interest and passions. Read this article to learn more about MyCaptain company, products, shareholders, revenue model, business model, growth, founders, challenges, achievements, and future plans.
MyCaptain Company Details
Startup Name
MyCaptain
Headquarter
Bengaluru, India
Sector
Edtech
Founders
Mohammed Zeeshan, Sameer Ramesh, Ruhan Naqash, Fatema Hussein
MyCaptain is an online platform where you can learn what you love, live, and online with young Professionals. The MyCaptain team believes that students need to be able to make informed career choices and they envision enabling a societal mindset shift when it comes to different offbeat and traditional careers in the country, and eventually the World.
The Core belief of the team behind running MyCaptain is that everyone deserves to explore the magic of all the professional fields and potential careers out there.
Mentors conduct one-month-long online, live workshops for students to help them learn the basics and get an idea about career opportunities in their interest field.
The regular online sessions are one-to-many, but separate one-to-one sessions can be scheduled in case of extra queries. Any such extra session is free, and students can discuss their questions even after the program is over.
MyCaptain – Industry
In 2022, the global education market was estimated to generate $5.76 billion in revenue. By 2029, it is expected to grow to $11.83 billion. The Indian education industry is currently worth around $117 billion and is expected to grow to $225 billion by FY25. The K-12 segment plays a major role, contributing approximately $48.9 billion. Meanwhile, India’s EdTech sector is booming, with several startups reaching unicorn status.
MyCaptain – Founders and Team
Mohammed Zeeshan (CEO and Co-Founder), Sameer Ramesh (CPO and Co-Founder), Ruhan Naqash (CMO and Co-founder), and Fatema Hussein co-founded MyCaptain in 2013.
Zeeshan was Sameer’s school friend back from Nagpur and had shared a common interest in sports, music, and the desire to impact people around them. Zeeshan met Ruhan while in College (SRM University), while one was pursuing mechanical engineering and the other Electronics and communication. Sameer was pursuing a B.E in Industrial Engineering & Diploma in Experiential Education. The trio eventually decided to come together and build MyCaptain.
MyCaptain Team
The current company size is 170 people, and the average age of all the team members is 23. The founders are the oldest (26, 25, 25). The company’s culture is that of ambition, perseverance, and celebrating achievements.
They also believe in being the most caring when it comes to their customers (mentees). The startup hires young people because they believe that the problems of the young generation can only be solved by young people. More recently, to further scale, they have been recruiting more experienced people who have the vigor for education and want to make a change.
MyCaptain – Startup Story
The idea of MyCaptain was born out of a hostel room discussion. Zeeshan (CEO and Co-Founder) wanted to become an Astronomer, Sameer (Co-Founder) wanted to become a Tech blogger and Ruhan (Co-Founder) wanted to become a Writer. But when they approached their parents for the same, they were met with criticism, and cynicism and eventually all three ended up studying Engineering, a subject they were never passionate about.
While in college they met amazing potential filmmakers, designers, developers, photographers, models, and whatnot, but unfortunately they all were studying subjects they had no interest in. This led the founders to believe that the problem of making uninformed career choices or not being able to follow their passions was a problem that their entire generation faced.
They launched MyCaptain in 2015, after trying out a lot of models and learning modules. They even validated their ideas by conducting offline boot camps and workshops and slowly moved them online. This is how MyCaptain began, where students could learn whatever they loved, Live and Online with young professionals.
The initial people that they talked to about their company were their target audience i.e. college students, and their parents. And everyone they talked to, said the same thing: “I wish I had something like this right now/when I was in college”.
MyCaptain is an Online app (and web app), where they conduct 4-week learning journeys for students in fields right from stand-up comedy to Machine learning. The 4-week learning journeys consist of International level and relatable content (both video and text), amazing projects, and exciting Live Video Classes with Young professionals and Achievers from these fields.
Each program is designed in a way that by the end of the program, the student has something tangible – Like the students from the MyCaptain novel-writing program have the first chapter of their novel ready and edited by the end of the program. The students from theMyCaptain web development program have their first website ready and so on.
The company offers skill-based courses, advanced courses to get a job, and a lot of content on your interest. An Overview of MyCaptain Courses is as follows:
Business
Visual Arts
Creatives & Literature
Technology
Entrepreneurship & Advanced
Photography
Psychology
AI
Marketing and Advertising
Graphic Design
Journalism & Media Studies
C Programming
Digital Marketing
Short Film Making
Spoken Word Poetry
Andorid App Development
Stock Market and Finance
UI & UX Design
Content Writing & Blogging
CPP Programming
Business Communication
Fashion Design
Novel & Creative Writing
Python & Java Programming
Business Analytics
Illustrations & Doodling
Music Production
Full Stack Development
Event Management
Social Media Content Creation
Data Analytics with Python
Search Engine Optimization
Humor & Standup Comedy Writing
The problem that this solves is it gives the students a kickstart into their field of passion by not only helping them build something tangible in the field but also connecting them with the right mentors to get guided and get a real-life experience of the field as well.
Initially, they launched a magazine called Inking Pages back in 2013 – 2014, which was written by college students pursuing various degrees in different colleges and was meant for school students to make a more informed career choice. However, they had failed to realize that online content consumption was way higher than print. But to be able to conduct online programs, the team needed experience in creating great learning experiences. So they started with offline boot camps and eventually moved to online programs.
In August 2020, MyCaptain announced the ‘Freemium’ version of its mobile application and website. Thiswill allow its users to take Free Live Sessions, micro-courses, and demo classes covering 40+ Potential careers and subjects, such as Photography, App Development, and Music Production to name a few.
With 100,000+ paid users in 2020, MyCaptain wanted to go the extra mile by providing a platform to each and every individual who wishes to explore their passion, which will help them evolve in their career as well as personal lives. In this endeavor, the company decided to launch an unpaid version of its Live Online Courses for the first time ever.
On a train journey for a B Plan competition back in 2014, when the founders were still in college, they decided to watch a movie called “Dead Poets’ Society”. The movie in their head changed the role of a teacher and how it should evolve with time and also featured the famous poem “O Captain My Captain” by Walt Whitman. This was a turning point for them as they understood how Education and learning were not just about textbooks, videos, or lectures and had a deeper reliance on human relationships, and mentoring as well!
The tagline for MyCaptain is “Learn what you love”. It clearly talks about their culture and vision as an organization.
“We want to facilitate your learning and professional development in the field that you truly love! The logo has a hand in it, which is a symbol of being offbeat, and breaking the norms for us. We are perceived by our stakeholders, and mentees as a revolution.”, said Ruhan Naqash, co-founder of MyCaptain.
MyCaptain – Startup Launch
MyCaptain Bangalore Office
In February 2015, just a month after the founders formally launched MyCaptain, there was a Fest at SRM University (Zeeshan and Ruhan’s College). The team put up a stall there, with only 4 programs under their belt at that time – Entrepreneurship, creative writing, Ethical Hacking, and Astronomy. They saw a whopping 192 people pay upfront for these programs on the very first day of the Fest. This led to them having a strong belief that this product was something people wanted and it solved a real solution.
They started mentoring by delivering live online sessions on the free version of WizIQ (an E-learning delivery platform) and used WhatsApp groups to communicate and interact with the mentees. They used to share videos and other such learning materials via Google Drive.
MyCaptain has evolved over two years, and now they use their platform with a lot more added features and customization that suit the needs of mentees for the live sessions.
MyCaptain has a very strong presence in colleges and runs arguably India’s largest Campus Ambassador Program with more than 600-800 active campus ambassadors every month. Their marketing campaigns inside colleges, where their tone has been brash (for example “Has your professor ever built an app? Our mentors have! Learn App development with us”) have gone viral within campuses.
This has led to conversion rates of 20-25% on the potential leads that they generate from these campuses. The startup has scaled to more than paid mentees so far through their Campus Ambassador Model, and a strong online advertising strategy.
MyCaptain runs operations all across India and has its headquarters in Bangalore. Their revenue in the financial year 2021 was south of 1 Million dollars and has had a paid user base of 80,000+ which is equivalent to highly funded companies like Unacademy and Vedantu from the Education sector. All of this is completely bootstrapped without raising a single penny. Their NPS is above 50+ which is one of the highest for Education products all across the World.
MyCaptain also raised funding of $3 million in order to further scale course offerings, acquire more users, increase revenue, and grow the team.
MyCaptain – Business Model and Revenue Model
MyCaptain has been generating revenue and is profitable right from the first day. Students pay 1,000 rupees for a month-long workshop.Mentors get a part of this amount, and the company gets the rest.
The rest of the compensation for mentors happens by helping them get mentors for their research or work. They are also given LORs, and the startup even helps them get funds for their research or startup.
An example of one such event is the ‘Indian Youth Conclave‘ which consists of sessions that help students gain useful insights into their field of interest. The event spans over a couple of days and covers topics from various domains.
MyCaptain Course Revenue Split
MyCaptain – Financials
MyCaptain has experienced fluctuations in its financial performance over the past few years. The company has shown revenue growth but has also faced increasing expenses, leading to sustained losses.
Particulars
FY23
FY22
FY21
FY20
Revenue
INR 17.3 crore
INR 12.4 crore
INR 10.9 crore
INR 4.9 crore
Expenses
INR 38.3 crore
INR 19.9 crore
INR 11.5 crore
INR 4.7 crore
Profit/(Loss)
INR -21 crore
INR -7.4 crore
INR -0.6 crore
INR 0.2 crore
MyCaptain Financials
MyCaptain Revenue:
The company has seen a strong revenue increase, growing from INR 12.4 crore in FY22 to INR 17.3 crore in FY23.
Revenue Breakdown
FY23
FY22
Revenue from Operations
INR 17 crore
INR 12.3 crore
Other Income
INR 0.3 crore
INR 0.2 crore
MyCaptain Profit/Loss:
MyCaptain’s losses widened from INR 7.4 crore in FY22 to INR 21 crore in FY23, primarily due to higher expenses.
MyCaptain Expenses:
Expenses more than doubled from INR 19.9 crore in FY22 to INR 38.3 crore in FY23, driven by increased employee costs and other expenses.
Expense Breakdown
FY23
FY22
Employee Benefit Expense
INR 17.3 crore
INR 10.5 crore
Finance Cost
INR 0.8 crore
INR 0.2 crore
Depreciation & Amortisation
INR 0.2 crore
INR 0.1 crore
Other Expenses
INR 20 crore
INR 8.2 crore
Quick Summary:
Revenue Growth: Increased by INR 4.9 crore (from INR 12.4 crore in FY22 to INR 17.3 crore in FY23).
Higher Expenses: More than doubled, increasing by INR 18.4 crore (from INR 19.9 crore in FY22 to INR 38.3 crore in FY23).
Losses Widened: Increased from INR 7.4 crore to INR 21 crore due to higher operational costs.
Major Expense Contributors: Employee benefits and other expenses saw significant rises.
The education technology start-up secured INR 14 crore in funding from angel investing platform Inflection Point Ventures, along with MyNavi, Piper Serica, Super Capital, and Ankur Capital in March 2024. MyCaptain has raised $4.7 million in a total of 2 funding rounds.
Date
Stage
Amount
Investors
March 2024
Seed Round
INR 14 crores
Inflection Point Ventures, MyNavi, Piper Serica, Super Capital and Ankur Capital
January 2022
Series A
$3 Million
Ankur Capital, Inflection Point Ventures, Firstport Ventures, IIM Calcutta Angels Network, and Singapore Angel Investors
MyCaptain – Shareholding
MyCaptain’s shareholding pattern as of April 2024, sourced from Tracxn:
MyCaptain Shareholders
Percentage
Mohammed Zeeshan
26.6%
Sameer Ramesh
17.7%
Ruhan Naqash
8.2%
Ankur Capital
14.7%
Piper Serica
4.3%
Beacon Trusteeship
2.9%
Starfresh Ventures
0.3%
Inflection Point Ventures
0.3%
Mintosh
< 0.1%
Leadway Ventures
0.2%
Mynavi
4.5%
Roundtable My Captain
1.1%
ZoomIn
< 0.1%
DRS Dilip Roadlines
< 0.1%
Rj Estates
–
Angel
11.0%
Other People
1.8%
ESOP Pool
6.1%
Total
100.00%
MyCaptain Shareholding
MyCaptain – Challenges Faced
One major challenge was faced when the founders went bankrupt and were in heavy debt before starting MyCaptain as their magazine didn’t take off.
At the end of 2014, they had subscribers for their magazine but did not have the resources to cater to them. They were liable to print 12 more issues of the magazine, but the founders didn’t have the funds to do so and were in debt of around 2.5L.
The idea of MyCaptain was born during this phase. The revenue from the first few months of starting the company helped them clear the debt.
Another challenge MyCaptain faced in the very initial days (5 years ago) was acquiring mentors when their credibility was low. This was overcome at the time, after the IIM Bangalore incubation, that the founders got right after college. They also used a strong network effect of vetting and referral from their then-mentor pool. Right now MyCaptain has a pool of 250+ mentors.
MyCaptain was incubated at NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore in 2016.
SDSN awarded MyCaptain as one of the top 50 youth-led solutions in the world working towards Quality education and Decent economic growth and work.
MyCaptain – Future Plans
MyCaptain plans to expand into new cities, set up regional sales centers, and introduce more courses, including placement readiness programs in content, design, visual arts, finance, and business. Additionally, it aims to build a full-stack career platform to help early professionals discover their passions, develop practical skills, and secure empowering jobs. MyCaptain targets over 50,000 yearly enrollments and aims to reach Rs 100 crore in bookings by FY 2025-26.
FAQs
What is MyCaptain?
MyCaptain is an online mentoring platform based in Bangalore where young achievers across the globe can mentor school and college students in their fields of interest and passions.
Who is MyCaptain Founder?
Mohammed Zeeshan, Sameer Ramesh, Ruhan Naqash, and Fatema Hussein are the co-founders of MyCaptain.
When was MyCaptain founded?
MyCaptain was founded in 2013.
What are MyCaptain Courses?
MyCaptain offers various Courses in several fields:
Business (Entrepreneurship, SEO, Business Analytics, etc.)
Visual Arts (Photography, Short film making, Fashion design, etc.)
Deepanshi Kashyap
