In this insightful interaction, Rahul Joseph, Founder and CEO of White Gold, shares the journey of transforming the disorganised gold-buying market with a transparent, customer-first approach. He discusses the companyâs growth since 2017, expanding from 5 to over 50 stores across Karnataka and Kerala. Joseph explains how services like advanced valuation technology and cashless payments make White Gold stand out. He also talks about rising gold prices, shifting consumer behaviors, and the challenges White Gold faces in expanding its presence and reaching new markets.
StartupTalky: What inspired you to start White Gold, and how has your vision evolved since its inception in 2017?
Mr. Joseph: The gap in the gold-buying market motivated the inception of White Gold. The market itself was disorganised, which highlighted the need for a more effective way of transacting gold that prioritises customers. The goal was to devise a viable system for customers who wanted to sell their gold under transparent circumstances while avoiding any stigmas attached to gold selling.
Since we started in 2017, our outlook has changed dramatically. From 5 stores, we have grown to more than 50 stores today, spread across the states of Karnataka and Kerala. It is this passion for invention and customer service that has put us at the top of the industry today. In 2019, rebranding allowed us to further our quest of providing a unique, efficient, and professional gold-selling experience.
StartupTalky: How has White Gold’s customer-first approach contributed to its rapid growth in the gold-buying industry?
Mr. Joseph: White Gold’s rapid growth can be largely attributed to our core principles of honesty, integrity, and transparency. We ensure fair valuations, straightforward transactions, and consistent pricing (i.e. MCX-led live gold rates), which helps us build trust with every customer. Our stores are designed to be visually appealing and welcoming, creating a positive atmosphere that enhances the customer experience.
The success of our customer-first approach is reflected in our strong word-of-mouth referrals and repeat customers. We have built lasting relationships by consistently prioritising the needs and satisfaction of our clients.
StartupTalky: What makes White Goldâs gold liquidation process unique, and how do you ensure customer satisfaction with the experience?
Mr. Joseph: Our gold liquidation process is designed to be exceptional, leveraging state-of-the-art technology and a strong commitment to transparency at every step. We prioritise customer convenience by offering instant payment options through secure, cashless digital transactions. This not only enhances the overall experience but also ensures that the process is seamless and time-efficient for our clients.
To guarantee precise and accurate valuations, we incorporate advanced German spectrometers into our procedures, which utilise cutting-edge techniques to assess the quality and purity of gold accurately. In addition, we feature a live gold rate display, allowing customers to stay fully informed about current market prices, which empowers them to make well-informed decisions.
Customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of our approach. Throughout the valuation process, we provide comprehensive explanations of our methods and criteria. Our dedicated and well-trained staff members take the time to engage with each customer, ensuring they feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the services they are receiving. By fostering an environment of trust and clarity, we aim to instill confidence in our clients, making their experience as positive and reassuring as possible.
StartupTalky: With gold prices expected to cross Rs 1 lakh by 2025, what impact do you foresee on the market and consumer behaviour?
Mr. Joseph: As gold prices increase, we expect a rise in sales driven by liquidity, as many customers aim to capitalise on the higher market value. Individuals may opt to convert their idle gold into cash for various reasons, including urgent financial needs or to diversify their investments.
In this context, the demand for dependable and trustworthy gold-buying services, such as White Gold, is likely to grow. As consumers become more informed about their options, they will increasingly seek professional and transparent services to ensure they receive the best value for their gold.
StartupTalky: How does White Gold manage gold price fluctuations to maintain consistent liquidation rates and customer satisfaction?
Mr. Joseph: To effectively handle price fluctuations, we utilise a dynamic pricing strategy that allows us to update our rates on our website regularly. This approach ensures that our customers have access to real-time pricing that accurately reflects current market conditions, offering them the most competitive and fair rates.
Additionally, we prioritise transparency in our valuation process, which is essential for building trust with our customers, especially in times of changing gold prices. We take the time to educate our clients about how market fluctuations can affect gold valuations. This knowledge empowers them to feel secure in the fairness of the valuation process and confident that their gold is being assessed appropriately.
StartupTalky: Are customers increasingly using gold as a liquidity option, or is there still more focus on holding it as a long-term investment?
Mr. Joseph: Gold has long been considered a stable long-term investment, particularly in rural regions. However, there is a noticeable shift occurring in how gold is being utilised, with an increasing number of individuals viewing it as a liquidity option. This trend is especially evident during financial emergencies or when quick access to cash is necessary. While gold continues to be a favored investment for many, a growing segment of customers is seeking to liquidate their gold holdings to address immediate financial requirements.
StartupTalky: What steps is White Gold taking to ensure sustainability and ethical practices in sourcing and handling gold?
Mr. Joseph: At White Gold, our focus is on ethical sourcing and sustainability in the gold-buying process. We prioritise working with customers who can provide legitimate documentation, which helps us ensure that the gold we purchase is free from unethical origins. To maintain accuracy and integrity in our valuations, we utilize certified German spectrometers and calibrated weighing scales.
Moreover, we regularly conduct training programs for our staff to reinforce the importance of ethical practices in every transaction. This commitment fosters a culture of trust and integrity within our operations, ensuring that our customers receive fair and transparent services.
StartupTalky: How has the introduction of a cashless payment system transformed White Goldâs operations and customer experience?
Mr. Joseph: The implementation of a cashless payment system has brought about significant changes to our operations. Transactions are now executed more quickly, securely, and seamlessly, resulting in an overall more efficient experience for customers. This system has also contributed to lowering operational costs and reducing the risks linked to cash handling.
For customers, the cashless payment option enhances convenience and safety, especially for high-value transactions. Additionally, this transition has improved our brand image, positioning us as a modern and tech-driven enterprise that prioritises customer satisfaction and security.
StartupTalky: What are the plans for expanding White Gold’s network, and what challenges do you see in this growth journey?
Mr. Joseph: We have exciting plans for expansion, with a goal to open 10 additional stores in Karnataka to consolidate our leadership position. We also aim to expand into other southern states in India.
However, there are challenges to navigate, especially competition from unorganised players in new markets. Additionally, educating customers in these regions about White Goldâs proposition and the professional approach undertaken to scale the services will be crucial. We will also need to adapt our operations to local preferences and behaviors to ensure our continued success.
StartupTalky: Gold has always been seen as a valuable asset, but with rising prices and other investment opportunities available, how do you think people are now viewing and selling their gold?
Mr. Joseph: With gold prices on the rise, we are seeing an increasing inclination among consumers to sell their gold for liquidity purposes. This is especially true as more people diversify into other investment options like mutual funds and stocks.
White Gold provides a trusted platform for individuals looking to monetise their gold assets, offering them the best value in a transparent and professional manner. We also educate customers on how to get the most out of their gold, ensuring they understand the full value of what they are selling.
StartupTalky: How do you see White Gold positioning itself to become a prominent player in the gold-buying industry in India?
Mr. Joseph: We are positioning White Gold to become the largest organised gold-buying player in South India. Through strategic investments in digital advertising and regional sports teams, we are working to expand our visibility and reach.
As we grow, we will continue to focus on technology, transparency, and a customer-first approach to differentiate ourselves from other industry players in the overall gold sector. By expanding our footprint and catering to the customerâs needs, we aim to cement White Goldâs position as a leader in the gold-buying industry.
In this insightful interaction with Amit Nigam, Executive Director of BANKIT, he discusses the companyâs mission to bridge Indiaâs financial divide and its innovative approach to supporting unbanked communities. Nigam explains how BANKIT utilises an agent network to offer services like AePS, micro ATMs, and bill payments while handling challenges such as geographic isolation and digital illiteracy. He sheds light on the role of Big Data Analytics in refining operations and ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations. Nigam also shares BANKIT’s future plans to expand its reach and enhance financial inclusion across underserved areas.
StartupTalky: What does BANKIT do and how does it serve the unbanked population in India?
Mr. Nigam: BANKIT has emerged as a pioneering FinTech startup with a mission to bridge the fintech divide in India. Recognizing the significant gap in financial access for rural and marginalized populations, the company has developed a strategic approach to democratize digital financial services. By understanding the unique challenges faced by unbanked communities, BANKIT has built an ecosystem that goes beyond traditional banking models.
Our innovative solution focuses on eliminating barriers of digital illiteracy, geographical isolation, and limited infrastructure. Through a carefully crafted network of local agents and technology-enabled services, BANKIT brings the most convenient financial tools directly to the doorstep of underserved populations. The company’s commitment extends beyond mere service provision; it aims to empower individuals by providing them with the knowledge, tools, and opportunities to participate in India’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
As of October 2024, BANKIT has expanded its reach to 13,567 pin codes and serves 729 districts nationwide, demonstrating its commitment to bridging the financial divide in India. Over the past year (in Y24), the company on-boarded 27,753 new agents, significantly expanding its network to 173,867 agents across the country.
StartupTalky: What specific financial services does BANKIT provide to promote financial inclusion?
Mr. Nigam: Our comprehensive financial service portfolio is designed to address the multifaceted needs of underserved communities. BANKITâs service range includes critical fintech functionalities that traditionally required physical bank branch visits in the pre-digital era. Domestic money transfer capabilities allow individuals to send funds seamlessly across India, while the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System provides convenient cash withdrawal, balance inquiry, and mini-statement services linked to Aadhaar accounts.
The Micro ATM service transforms local shops into accessible financial touchpoints that enable cash withdrawals through debit cards. Utility bill payments through the Bharat Bill Payment System currently known as Bharat Connects and prepaid mobile recharges offer additional convenience. Beyond these core services, BANKIT also extends support for specialized transactions and services like prepaid cards, travel bookings, Insurance, and other demanding services. Each service is strategically crafted to simplify complex financial processes and make them accessible to individuals with limited digital literacy.
The effectiveness of these services is evident in our recent usage statistics. In October 2024 alone, 10,96,948 customers utilized the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS), 31,501 benefited from Mini ATM services, and 1,07,199 customers conveniently paid their bills through the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
StartupTalky: Can you explain Bankit’s business model and how it drives growth in the fintech space?
Mr. Nigam: BANKITâs groundbreaking “Agent Model” represents a paradigm shift in financial service delivery, ingeniously combining entrepreneurship with financial inclusion. By transforming local shop owners and aspiring entrepreneurs into authorized financial service agents, the company creates a decentralized network that penetrates even the most remote geographical regions. These agents become critical intermediaries, providing digital banking and payment services within their immediate communities. This model not only expands BANKIT’s operational reach but simultaneously addresses unemployment by creating meaningful earning opportunities. The rapid customer acquisitionâadding 10.5 lakh+ customers monthly and maintaining a robust base of 2.8 million customersâdemonstrates the model’s effectiveness.
By aligning business growth with social impact, BANKIT has positioned itself as a dynamic player in the fintech ecosystem, successfully converting potential market limitations into strategic advantages. The company’s financial performance underscores the success of this model. In the fiscal year 2023-24 (FY23-24), BANKIT achieved an impressive revenue of approximately 169 crores. Top-performing areas for agent onboarding include Ahmedabad, Gopalganj, West Champaran, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Ludhiana, highlighting the model’s effectiveness across diverse regions.
StartupTalky: What revenue growth isBANKIT expecting for FY2025, and what factors will contribute to achieving this goal?
Mr. Nigam: Our growth strategy reveals a nuanced, data-driven approach to market expansion. The company is systematically evaluating market conditions in digitally underserved areas, and conducting comprehensive surveys to understand emerging customer needs. BANKITâs growth methodology involves developing targeted solutions that directly address the financial service gaps in rural and semi-urban landscapes.
By continuously adapting our service offerings based on granular market insights, we are positioning ourselves for sustainable expansion. The company’s commitment to understanding and responding to local market dynamics, combined with its aggressive customer acquisition strategy and innovative agent network, suggests a robust growth trajectory with the company having already achieved a revenue of approximately 169 crores in FY23-24. The rapid expansion to 1,73,867 agents covering 13,567 pin codes and 729 districts provides a robust foundation for potential future growth.
Ultimately, factors like technological innovation, strategic market penetration, and a deep understanding of underserved market segments will be crucial in driving our financial performance in the upcoming year.
StartupTalky: How does BANKIT overcome the challenge of geographic isolation when extending services to rural areas?
Mr. Nigam: Our strategy for overcoming geographic isolation is multifaceted and ingeniously implemented across the national expanse. By establishing an extensive agent network spanning every Indian state, the company effectively transforms local environments into accessible financial service points. BANKITâs micro ATM services and mobile-based solutions eliminate the need for customers to travel long distances to access banking facilities.
Each agent becomes a localized financial hub, equipped to handle transactions that would traditionally require branch visits. The company’s technological infrastructure supports this decentralized model, enabling real-time transactions and comprehensive service delivery.
By empowering local entrepreneurs and integrating advanced digital technologies, BANKIT creates a dynamic ecosystem that brings sophisticated financial services directly to communities’ doorsteps. This approach not only addresses geographical constraints but also builds trust and familiarity with digital financial tools.
StartupTalky: What key tools and technologies does BANKIT rely on to manage its business operations?
Mr. Nigam: Big Data Analytics has emerged as BANKIT’s cornerstone technological strategy, providing deep insights into customer behavior, market trends, and emerging service requirements. By meticulously examining vast datasets, the company can uncover hidden patterns, anticipate customer expectations, and strategically align its service offerings.
Beyond analytics, BANKIT emphasizes comprehensive training programs and user-friendly tutorials to ensure effective technology adoption across its agent network and customer base. The company’s technological approach is holistic, focusing not just on data interpretation but also on knowledge dissemination. Regular in-house training sessions ensure that employees and agents remain updated on the latest service innovations.
This commitment to continuous learning and technological adaptation enables BANKIT to maintain operational efficiency and stay ahead of evolving market dynamics.
StartupTalky: How is BANKIT ensuring compliance with recent data privacy regulations?
Mr. Nigam: BANKIT demonstrates a robust commitment to responsible service delivery. Our approach to regulatory compliance is embedded in our comprehensive training and transparent communication strategies. By providing detailed tutorials for every product and ensuring information accessibility across multiple channels, the company establishes a framework of trust and accountability.
The emphasis on user education and clear communication suggests an inherent understanding of data sensitivity. BANKIT’s proactive approach to customer informationâproviding clear, accessible guidance about its servicesâindicates a foundational respect for user data. Our focus on empowering users through knowledge implies a broader commitment to ethical technological implementation.
StartupTalky: How do you see current fintech industry trends affecting companies like BANKIT?
Mr. Nigam: BANKIT perceives the FinTech landscape as a dynamic and rapidly evolving ecosystem with immense growth potential. The company views Big Data Analytics not merely as a technological trend but as the fundamental future of business intelligence. By enabling businesses to understand customer needs with unprecedented granularity, these technologies are transforming traditional service delivery models.
BANKIT positions itself as an adaptable, forward-thinking organization ready to leverage emerging technological developments. Our strategy involves continuous market evaluation, customer need assessment, and agile solution development. The company recognizes that success in the FinTech space requires more than technological prowessâit demands a deep understanding of customer expectations, a commitment to innovation, and the ability to translate complex technological capabilities into user-friendly, accessible services.
StartupTalky: What are BANKIT ‘s future plans for service enhancement and scaling operations?
Mr. Nigam: Our future roadmap is characterized by strategic, methodical expansion and a relentless focus on financial inclusion. The company plans to penetrate currently underserved geographical areas by conducting comprehensive market surveys and developing tailored solutions. Our approach involves continuous evaluation of rural and semi-urban market needs, ensuring that service offerings remain relevant and impactful. BANKIT is a pioneer in the industry, providing affordable insurance services starting at just Rs. 1 for its customers.
By empowering more local entrepreneurs through our agent network, we aim to create a scalable, decentralized financial service ecosystem. The aggressive customer acquisition strategy will continue with a nuanced understanding that growth isn’t merely clocking numbers but actualizing meaningful economic empowerment.
Going forward, technology will continue to remain a critical enabler, with ongoing investments set to surge across vectors like training, tutorial development, and innovative service design. BANKIT’s overarching vision extends beyond business growthâit’s about creating sustainable economic opportunities for marginalized communities.
In this insightful interaction with StartupTalky, Ashish Saxena, President of UrbanPiper, shares how the company evolved from creating a loyalty platform for restaurants to offering complete technology solutions. He explains how the company shifted focus to solving operational challenges with products like Meraki and Hub, which help streamline restaurant operations. Saxena talks about the growing impact of technology in the restaurant industry, focusing on trends like voice ordering and dynamic pricing. He also highlights how UrbanPiper simplifies operations for both small and medium restaurants, mentioning partnerships with global brands and its expansion into markets like the U.S., Canada, the Middle East, and the UK.
StartupTalky: What was the initial idea behind starting UrbanPiper, and how has the company evolved since then?
Mr. Saxena: The idea for UrbanPiper began in 2014 as an effort to create a loyalty platform for restaurants. Programs like Starbucks Rewards showed us how a simple tool could build meaningful customer relationships, and we wanted to bring that to restaurants in India. But as we worked closely with restaurant owners, we realized there were far deeper operational challenges that needed to be solved firstâchallenges that directly impacted their ability to run efficient businesses.
By 2016, we had officially launched UrbanPiper to address these operational challenges through practical and reliable technology solutions. Our first product, Meraki, helped restaurants establish their online ordering systems through branded websites and mobile apps, giving them complete ownership of their digital storefront.
Around the same time, the food delivery landscape in India was changing rapidly. Platforms like Foodpanda, TinyOwl, Uber Eats, Zomato, and Swiggy were becoming indispensable for customers, but they brought a new layer of complexity to restaurants. Managing orders, menus, and item availability across multiple platforms quickly became a logistical challenge, often leading to errors, inefficiencies, and lost opportunities.
Thatâs when our product, Hub, took shape. We built it as a platform to help restaurants streamline their operations effortlessly across all delivery channels. With Hub, they can publish menus, manage orders, and get a unified view of their entire businessâacross brands, locations, and delivery platformsâall from a single interface. It even integrates seamlessly with their point-of-sale system, making day-to-day operations smooth and efficient. It was built to solve a very real, everyday problem for restaurateurs, and it remains the cornerstone of what we offer today.
The journey since then has been one of constant evolution. UrbanPiper has now grown into a full technology stack that includes POS systems, third-party delivery integrations, inventory management, order reconciliation, kitchen display systems, kiosks, and much more. These comprehensive solutions are now trusted by over 45,000 restaurants across 30+ countries, including global names such as McDonaldâs, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Subway.
While the journey has taken us to a global stage, our focus has always been the same: listening to restaurants, understanding their challenges, and building solutions that help them do what they do best.
StartupTalky: How do you see the restaurant technology industry changing in the next few years, and what trends do you think will shape it?
Mr. Saxena: The next few years will see restaurants embracing technology in ways that make their operations smarter, more efficient, and more adaptable to changing consumer habits. While online food delivery will remain central to restaurant revenues, weâre already seeing the ecosystem expand. Trends like voice ordering, dynamic pricing, and self-service kiosks are starting to gain adoption, offering new ways for restaurants to engage customers and optimize operations.
Another significant shift is the growing importance of data-driven decision-making. Itâs no longer just about collecting data; restaurants need tools that deliver actionable insights. Whether itâs understanding peak order times, refining menu performance, or managing inventory more accurately, data is becoming essential to running smarter and more efficient businesses.
For multi-location and multi-brand restaurants, menu accuracy and operational consistency across platforms remain ongoing challenges. Even a minor errorâlike an unavailable item showing as in stockâcan lead to cancelled orders and frustrated customers. Thatâs where tools like Periscope come in. Periscope helps restaurants monitor their digital storefronts in near real-time, ensuring menus, stock availability, and other details remain accurate across delivery platforms. By automating what was once a time-consuming manual process, weâre helping restaurants reduce errors and operate with greater precision.
The industry will continue to evolve, but the focus will remain on solving practical, everyday challenges. Restaurants that adopt technology to streamline operations and respond to customer needs more effectively will be better positioned to grow.
StartupTalky: How does UrbanPiper help small and medium restaurants simplify their operations and grow their businesses?
Mr. Saxena: UrbanPiper simplifies operations for small and medium restaurants by offering a single, centralized platform to manage all their online food delivery channels. With integrations across leading delivery platforms like Zomato and Swiggy and seamless connections to their point-of-sale (POS) systems, restaurants no longer need to juggle multiple systems or devices to manage orders, menus, and performance.
By centralizing these workflows, restaurants can make updatesâlike menu changes or stock availabilityâquickly and efficiently across all platforms. This not only saves time but also minimizes errors, such as stock mismatches, which often lead to cancelled orders and lost revenue.
For smaller restaurants that operate with tighter resources, our tools significantly reduce operational overhead and manual intervention, allowing them to focus on maintaining efficiency and delivering great customer experiences.
StartupTalky: UrbanPiper serves clients like McDonaldâs, KFC, and Subway, as well as local Indian favourites. How do you customise your solutions to meet the unique needs of both global chains and regional restaurants?
Mr. Saxena: The core challenges restaurants face, whether theyâre global giants or small, regional favourites, are often similar: ensuring operational efficiency, maintaining accuracy across platforms, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. What varies is the scale, workflows, and infrastructure they rely on, and thatâs where our adaptability becomes critical.
For global brands like McDonaldâs, KFC, and Subway, the requirements are more complex. They often need tailored workflows, robust reporting, and custom integrations to align with regional delivery platforms and POS systems. For instance, no two regions use identical toolsâpayment gateways, delivery aggregators, or fulfilment systemsâand we invest in building reliable integrations that accommodate these specific needs.
On the other hand, for smaller or regional restaurants, the priority is simplicity and scalability. These businesses need tools that are intuitive, efficient, and easy to adoptâwithout overcomplicating their operations. Whether itâs ensuring real-time menu updates, managing orders seamlessly, or reconciling data across multiple platforms, our solutions are designed to help smaller restaurants operate like well-oiled machines.
What truly enables this flexibility is the scale and depth of our platform. With official integrations across 350+ POS systems and 70+ delivery platforms globally, weâve created a system that can adapt to the unique needs of any restaurant, whether theyâre a single-location cafĂŠ in Mumbai or a multi-country chain.
At the heart of it all is our commitment to working closely with our partners, understanding their unique challenges, and building technology that doesnât just fit into their operations but enhances them. This collaborative approach has helped us become a trusted partner for restaurants across 30+ countries, enabling them to scale efficiently, regardless of size or complexity.
StartupTalky: What changes can U.S. and Canadian customers expect with the rebranding and integration of Ordermark into the UrbanPiper platform?
Mr. Saxena: U.S. and Canadian customers can expect a lot of exciting improvements as we integrate Ordermark into the UrbanPiper platform.
First and foremost, the rebranding isnât just a name change, itâs about bringing the best of both worlds together. UrbanPiperâs proven expertise in helping restaurants simplify their online operations, combined with Ordermarkâs deep roots in the U.S. and Canadian markets, means a more robust, scalable solution.
Customers will see an enhanced platform that offers greater flexibility, powerful reporting tools, stock automation tools, and seamless integrations. For example, UrbanPiper connects with 350+ POS systems, so restaurants can manage all their channels through a single, streamlined dashboard. This kind of operational control will help restaurants of all sizes optimize their workflows and scale with confidence.
Advanced security settings further allow teams to assign role-based access, ensuring data is managed securely.
Weâre also focusing on ensuring the transition is smooth. Our team is deeply committed to supporting customers every step of the way â not just during the integration, but as ongoing partners invested in their success.
Ultimately, this is about creating more value for the restaurant community. By bringing Ordermark fully into the UrbanPiper ecosystem, weâre setting the stage to help restaurants operate smarter, grow faster, and serve their customers better.
Rebranding and Integration of Ordermark into the UrbanPiper Platform
StartupTalky: UrbanPiper processes 8 lakh orders daily in India. What key features or strategies have driven this success, and how do you plan to replicate it globally?
Mr. Saxena: The scale weâve achieved in Indiaâprocessing 8 lakh orders dailyâhas been driven by a few fundamental principles: reliability, seamless integrations, and a deep understanding of restaurant operations.
Our official API integrations with 350+ POS systems and 70+ delivery platforms ensure that orders flow seamlessly and menus are managed efficiently, reducing errors like stock mismatches that often lead to cancellations. With 99.99% API uptime, we provide restaurants with the reliability they need to operate smoothly, even during high-pressure times like weekends or festivals when order volumes peak. This reliability is non-negotiable because, for restaurants, every order matters.
The strategy globally is to replicate this foundation while adapting to the unique needs of each market. The challenges restaurants faceâwhether in India, the U.S., or Europeâare similar at their core, but the systems, workflows, and delivery platforms they rely on can differ significantly. Thatâs where our adaptability comes in.
We focus on building official integrations with local POS systems and delivery platforms to ensure the same level of seamless compatibility. Additionally, we expand our partner network to provide localized support, helping restaurants navigate region-specific requirements effortlessly.
Ultimately, our approach remains the same: listening to our restaurant partners, understanding their challenges, and delivering solutions that simplify their operations. By staying close to their needs and tailoring our platform to regional requirements, weâre confident in our ability to replicate the success weâve seen in India on a global scale.
StartupTalky: With investors like Peak XV, Tiger Global, Swiggy, and Zomato, how has their support influenced UrbanPiper’s growth strategy and market expansion?
Mr. Saxena: The support from investors like Peak XV, Tiger Global, Swiggy, and Zomato has been instrumentalânot just in enabling growth but also in sharpening our focus on what truly matters: building technology that helps restaurants thrive.
These investors bring far more than just financial backing. Platforms like Swiggy and Zomato are deeply embedded in the food delivery ecosystem, and their insights into industry trends, operational challenges, and partner expectations have been invaluable. This close collaboration allows us to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring our platform continues to address real-world challenges that restaurants face daily.
On the other hand, partners like Tiger Global and Peak XV have provided the strategic guidance and resources that have fueled our global expansion. Their confidence in our vision has empowered us to scale our operations to over 30+ countries, strengthen our platformâs capabilities, and deepen our integrations with 350+ POS systems and 70+ delivery platforms.
Together, this support has helped us focus on building a platform thatâs reliable, adaptable, and tailored to meet the diverse needs of restaurantsâwhether itâs a small cafĂŠ or a global chain. Itâs this combination of strategic insight, operational experience, and trust that continues to drive our growth and sets us up to tackle new markets as we expand further.
StartupTalky: What role do integrations with POS systems and delivery platforms play in UrbanPiperâs success, and how do they improve operational efficiency for restaurant owners?
Mr. Saxena: At UrbanPiper, integrations with POS systems and delivery platforms have always been about solving real problems that restaurant owners face every day. Whether itâs a bustling cafĂŠ juggling orders during lunch hour or a multi-outlet brand managing hundreds of deliveries, the operational challenges are the sameâtoo many platforms, too many updates, and too little time.
By connecting with 350+ POS systems and 70+ delivery platforms, UrbanPiper brings all these operations together into a single, unified interface. Imagine a restaurant updating its menu once, and within moments, that change reflects seamlessly across Swiggy, Zomato, and all other delivery platforms. No manual errors, no missed ordersâjust smooth, reliable operations.
For restaurant owners, this isnât just about technology; itâs about freeing up time and energy. Teams no longer need to spend hours reconciling orders or dealing with stock mismatches that lead to cancellations. Instead, they can focus on what truly mattersâserving great food and creating memorable customer experiences.
Weâve seen how transformative this can be. One of our partners told us how they used to update menus for five delivery platforms individuallyâa process that took hours. With UrbanPiper, that time shrunk to minutes. For them, it wasnât just about efficiency; it meant fewer late nights and happier teams.
At its heart, these integrations reflect what UrbanPiper stands for: building tools that simplify the complexities of restaurant operations. Whether youâre running a neighborhood cafĂŠ or a global brand, our goal is to give you the confidence that everything behind the scenes just worksâso you can focus on growing your business and delighting your customers.
StartupTalky: You aim to increase your U.S. restaurant base by 10x by 2027. What specific strategies will help achieve this ambitious target?
Mr. Saxena: The playbook for achieving this target remains clear and proven. At UrbanPiper, we believe that to win a market, you need three non-negotiables: a best-in-class product, world-class customer service, and rock-solid reliability. With the integration of Ordermark, weâve unified the strengths of both platforms, and I can confidently say we now have all three pieces firmly in place to deliver at scale.
Our product is already trusted by over 45,000 restaurants across 30+ countries. Weâve built deep, official integrations with the best POS systems and delivery platforms, ensuring seamless operations. Whether itâs menu management, order flow, or inventory reconciliation, everything works flawlesslyâsaving restaurants time and minimizing errors. And reliability? Itâs a given. With 99.99% API uptime, restaurants can depend on us to perform, especially when it matters most.
What truly sets us apart, though, is the unparalleled 24/7 customer service we provide. Whether itâs through calls, WhatsApp, email, or in-app chat, restaurants can reach us anytime, through any channel they prefer. We donât just build tools; we stay by our partnersâ sides to make sure they succeed.
These strategies arenât theoreticalâweâve seen them deliver results. In markets like India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, some of the worldâs largest brands have been working with us for years. Weâve built trust, and deep relationships, and proven our ability to adapt and deliver in diverse geographies.
The foundation is set, and the path is clear. At the heart of it all is our incredible teamâa group of talented, relentless individuals who work tirelessly to keep us ahead of the curve. For us, itâs about staying close to our partners, continuing to innovate, and consistently over-delivering on the value we bring. We know what it takes to unlock this market, and weâre fully equipped to get there.
StartupTalky: What are UrbanPiperâs long-term plans for innovation, global expansion, and supporting restaurateurs in the face of the evolving F&B industry?
Mr. Saxena: Our focus has always been on solving real problems for restaurateurs, and that commitment drives our plans for innovation, expansion, and support as the industry continues to evolve.
On the innovation front, weâre continuously building tools that address the operational challenges restaurants face every day. Take Periscope, for example. It gives restaurants a customerâs view of their digital storefronts across platforms, ensuring menus, stock availability, and other critical details remain accurate. This visibility, delivered in near real-time, reduces manual errors and helps restaurants avoid lost revenue opportunities caused by inaccuracies.
We also see enormous potential in AI-powered solutions. From dynamic pricing that helps restaurants optimize their margins to integrating AI across multiple tools to streamline workflows, artificial intelligence will redefine how restaurants operate over the next decade. Itâs an area where weâre investing heavily, as we believe it will not only improve operational efficiency but also help restaurants respond faster and smarter to evolving consumer demands.
None of this would be possible without fostering a culture of constant experimentation. At UrbanPiper, weâve always been clear: standing still isnât an option. Innovation means taking calculated risksâsome ideas will succeed, some wonât, but thatâs how we learn, adapt, and uncover solutions that truly make a difference. To drive this forward, we continue to invest in world-class product and engineering talent, empowering our team to stay ahead of the curve.
For global expansion, weâre strengthening our presence in key markets like the U.S., Canada, the Middle East, and the UK. The playbook remains the same: build strong relationships with local POS systems, delivery platforms, and partners, while tailoring our solutions to meet regional requirements. This approach has worked across 30+ countries, and weâre confident it will drive success in new markets.
At the end of the day, our goal is simple: to ensure that restaurantsâregardless of size or locationâhave the tools, support, and technology they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving industry.
In this interaction with Rahul Goenka, Director at ElectroRide, we discuss the companyâs plans to transform Indiaâs electric vehicle (EV) sector. ElectroRide, building on the legacy of Goenka Motors, aims to make EVs more accessible by removing market barriers and offering end-to-end EV solutions to customers. Goenka talks about how ElectroRide is expanding its reach, improving charging infrastructure, and meeting the needs of last-mile mobility. He also shares details on the companyâs partnerships, challenges in scaling, and how government policies are helping the growth of the EV industry. With a goal to introduce 100,000 EVs, ElectroRide is working towards a greener future for India.
StartupTalky: Give us a brief overview of ElectroRide and its mission in Indiaâs e-mobility space.
Mr. Goenka: Building on the legacy of Goenka Motors, ElectroRide is a leading multi-brand electric vehicle retail chain in India, aiming to revolutionize India’s EV landscape. Our mission is to democratize EV adoption by tackling market barriers for manufacturers, equipping our franchisee dealers, providing end-to-end EV solutions to customers, and improving overall electric vehicle access for the general public.
Dedicated to strengthening Indiaâs E-mobility sector, we have established strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Battery Smart and SAR Group, offering innovative solutions. To make electric mobility adoption simple, economical, and efficient, we have enhanced operational efficiencies, expanded our service offerings, and accelerated growth. Prioritizing EV adoption, we aim to introduce 100,000 EVs on Indian roads, driving a sustainable future for India, one electric vehicle at a time.
StartupTalky: How do you see the e-mobility industry evolving in India, and what key factors will drive its growth?
Mr. Goenka: India, as one of the world’s largest automobile markets, will play a pivotal role in the global transition to electric vehicles. According to the Fortune Business Insights, Indiaâs EV sector will witness a CAGR of 22.4%, growing from USD 23.38 billion in 2024 to USD 117.78 billion by 2032. Driven by the Indian Government’s commitment to sustainable mobility, increasing consumer demand, and collaboration between private players, the electric vehicle sale in India is expected to reach 10 million by 2030.
Facilitating the adoption of electric vehicles, the government has implemented policies such as the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) and the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme. These initiatives aim to reduce India’s dependence on crude oil and promote a cleaner environment. Providing financial incentives, especially to lower-income groups, will accelerate the EV adoption rate across the country. Increasing environmental concerns, rising fuel costs, and improvements in battery technology have further made electric vehicles more efficient and appealing to the masses.
StartupTalky: ElectroRide aims to roll out more than 100,000 vehicles in the next few years. What is the strategy behind this ambitious plan and the challenges you foresee?
Mr. Goenka: As we prepare to deliver over 100,000 vehicles in the coming years, we are proactively working to address potential challenges. Our key focus areas include overseeing logistics and distribution, scaling operations, maintaining supply chain efficiency, and easy financing options. To achieve this ambitious goal, we are optimizing logistics and strengthening our supplier relationships. Our adaptable strategies prioritize smooth delivery and customer satisfaction, promoting the growth rate of EV adoption.
Furthermore, to overcome the critical issue of retail finance, we are collaborating with financiers and establishing our own NBFC, to provide easy financing options for our customers. This approach will enable us to widen our reach in rural markets, where limited financing options hinder EV adoption. By bridging this gap, we are committed to making electric vehicle ownership more accessible and affordable for all.
StartupTalky: With ElectroRideâs focus on charging infrastructure, how are you collaborating with partners like Battery Smart and the SAR Group to enhance accessibility for EV users?
Mr. Goenka: As we are rapidly embracing sustainable transportation, the demand for accessible and efficient charging networks is more significant than ever. A robust charging infrastructure is crucial for providing convenience, mitigating range anxiety, and encouraging eco-friendly transport alternatives nationwide. Two or three-wheeler EVs require basic charging points, which can be established at parking lots, improving the charging infrastructure accessibility.
At ElectroRide, we have teamed up with Battery Smart to augment the charging infrastructure and revolutionize electric mobility in India. Initially, this strategic partnership will set up 50 swap stations across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, with plans to expand to 2,500 locations in the next five years. This collaborative effort aligns with the government’s push towards greener transportation solutions, making electric vehicles more viable for the masses.
By incorporating battery-swapping technology, ElectroRide also plans to deploy 100,000 vehicles, extending their range and fostering a paradigm shift towards cleaner mobility solutions.
StartupTalky: How is ElectroRide addressing the evolving needs of last-mile mobility through its diverse range of electric vehicles?
Mr. Goenka: At ElectroRide, we recognize the paramount role electric vehicles play in transforming last-mile mobility. As an industry pioneer in the e-mobility sector, we provide a diverse range of electric vehicles, meeting the evolving demands of last-mile delivery. Our sustainable and innovative portfolio includes motorcycles, three-wheelers, and eco-mobility products, all designed to mitigate environmental impact, lower costs, and improve air quality. By providing reliable and durable products and continuously exploring new market avenues, EV companies can stay ahead in the e-mobility sector.
ElectroRide is also navigating opportunities in electric two-wheelers and commercial vehicles, to expand its reach to international markets. Additionally, we are also exploring innovative business models, such as rent-to-own and customer leasing options, where customers can gain access to the vehicle without paying the upfront purchasing costs. Our goal is to diversify our offerings, cover new growth areas, and maintain our commitment to innovation and sustainability.
StartupTalky: Could you elaborate on your recent alliances with the largest food delivery, quick commerce, e-commerce, and last-mile logistics platforms? How do these partnerships align with your goals?
Mr. Goenka: We’ve been in discussions with various platforms for a while now to explore opportunities in last-mile fleet operations. Once these partnerships come to fruition, they will mark a significant milestone in our mission to disrupt India’s last-mile mobility landscape. The last-mile delivery market is crowded, but we see tremendous scope for disruption. Most existing players are pure-play fleet operators with limited technological capabilities.
We firmly believe that technology will play a crucial role in disrupting this low-margin market. Currently, our software is in the beta testing phase, and we’ll launch this vertical as soon as we’re technologically ready. Additionally, we’re focused on introducing more durable, reliable, and high-range vehicles, as well as integrating them with our high-density swapping network. This approach will not only provide timely and reliable services to end customers but also enhance the earning potential for riders and, subsequently, for us.
Through collaborations with leading industry players, ElectroRide is expanding its reach and contributing to a more sustainable mobility ecosystem.
StartupTalky: How is ElectroRide expanding its dealer network and retail presence to make EVs more accessible to customers across India?
Mr. Goenka: At ElectroRide, we are committed to making electric vehicles more accessible across India. To achieve this, we are exponentially expanding our dealer network and retail presence through a multi-step strategic approach. By establishing a far-reaching network of showrooms and service centres across India, ElectroRide plans to establish itself as one of the leading EV retail chains. It will allow us to reach a wider audience, providing them with a bespoke customer experience.
By offering a diverse range of Electric Two-Wheelers, Three-wheelers, and cutting-edge eco-mobility solutions, we will allow our customers to explore and choose EVs best fitted for their needs. Furthermore, by providing durable and exceptional EVs and their spare parts to customers, even parts of EV models that are discontinued, we can establish our retail chain as reliable.
Our goal is to establish a strong market presence through a unique value proposition and customer-centric approach. By doing so, we aim to position ElectroRide as the preferred choice for EV enthusiasts and environmentally conscious customers across India. This endeavor will further be supported by our own NBFC to make the acquisition of EVs easy for our customers.
StartupTalky: What trends in EV sales and customer preferences did you notice during the recent festive season, and how does this shape your growth strategy?
Mr. Goenka: The EV two-wheeler sales crossed the 1 million mark as of November 2024 for the first time in a calendar year, highlighting the growing demand for EVs among consumers. During the recent festive season, we witnessed a significant surge in EV sales, particularly among first-time users and young buyers.
As EV owners’ expectations for a seamless purchasing experience have grown tremendously, we see a notable rise in demand for expert after-sales services. To cater to every need of our customers, we prioritise customer satisfaction through our after-sales services. Along with high-end services like Roadside Assistance, Cashless Insurance, and Extended Warranty, we also provide driver training programs to 3-wheeler drivers. Additionally, customers prefer easy finance options or incentives. Creating a streamlined and supportive ecosystem for EV users will therefore drive Indiaâs EV growth.
These initiatives shape our growth strategy, as we focus on establishing an extensive network of dealerships and workshops, leveraging our 50+ years of dealership experience.
StartupTalky: ElectroRide aims to become the ‘Croma’ of the EV industry. How are you building a multi-brand ecosystem that prioritises both innovation and customer experience?
Mr. Goenka: At ElectroRide, our vision is to become the ‘Croma’ of the EV industry, establishing ourselves as a one-stop shop for all electric vehicle needs. We are building a multi-brand ecosystem, prioritising both innovation and customer experience to achieve this. We have created a centralized platform that integrates multiple brands, products, and services, making it easy for customers to navigate and find what they need.
Additionally, we collaborate with leading brands and service providers to expand our offerings and provide reliable, durable, and high-performing EVs, enhancing our overall value proposition. Furthermore, we provide robust post-sales services, ensuring every customer receives constant support and maintenance, improving customer retention and loyalty. By focusing on innovation, customer experience, and after-sales service, we are creating a comprehensive ecosystem, setting us apart in the EV industry.
StartupTalky: What are your long-term goals for ElectroRide, and how do you see the company contributing to Indiaâs EV revolution in the next 5 years?
Mr. Goenka: Our vision at ElectroRide is to revolutionize the electric vehicle landscape by establishing ourselves as the largest retail chain of electric vehicles in India. As the demand for sustainable and ecologically viable transport is on the rise, EVs have emerged as a pivotal solution to tackle climate change. To support Indiaâs EV adoption and achieve our long-term goals, we are committed to making sustainable transportation accessible to all, catering to diverse passenger needs across the country.
Furthermore, to support the growth of charging infrastructure in India, we are partnering with industry pioneers to set up charging and battery-swapping stations across the nation. With plans to set up more than 2,500 charging stations in the coming years, our vision is to mitigate EV anxiety in consumers, promoting widespread EV adoption. By creating a robust ecosystem of electric vehicles, we aim to drive innovation, set new benchmarks in performance and efficiency, and provide end-to-end mobility solutions.
Our goal is to lead the change toward a greener future, where electric mobility is the standard, not the exception.
In this interaction with Sukrit Bhattacharya, Product Head at Jukshio Technology Innovation Pvt. Ltd., we look at the companyâs journey from its start in 2019 to becoming a leader in AI-driven KYC and identity verification. Sukrit explains how Jukshio is changing identity authentication with technologies like facial recognition and fraud detection. We also talk about the challenges financial institutions face with compliance, how Jukshio solves these problems and the companyâs plans for growth. Sukrit also shares his views on how AI will shape the future of KYC and improve onboarding processes.
StartupTalky: Tell us the story behind Jukshioâs founding and how it has grown into a leading AI-driven KYC and identity verification platform.
Jukshio was established in 2019 with a vision to revolutionize identity authentication processes through intelligent digital solutions. From the outset, the company focused on transforming human-machine interactions, leveraging advanced visual AI technologies to address identity verification and access control challenges.
As a game-changer in the AI-driven identity verification and Fraud Detection domain, Jukshio has developed cutting-edge solutions, including facial recognition, liveness detection, personality detection, and document-based identity verification. These technologies create customizable human-machine environments, ensuring high accuracy, security, and user convenience.
Over the years, Jukshio has established itself as a leader in the field and has significantly impacted the industry. Our solutions have enabled businesses across industries to streamline onboarding processes, prevent fraud, and enhance operational efficiency, setting a new KYC and identity verification standard.
StartupTalky: What differentiates Jukshio’s KYC solutions from other providers in the market?
Jukshio’s AI-powered KYC solutions stand out for their precision, speed, and adaptability to varied business requirements. Our sophisticated algorithms enable real-time identity verification with low error rates, achieving 100% compliance and deployment in 48 hours while lowering operating expenses. What sets us apart from other solutions out there is our inclusion of cutting-edge technologies such as fraud detection, liveness checks, and document authenticity analysis, ensuring a smooth and secure onboarding process. Our platform’s scalability and customizability further cater to the diverse needs of businesses, from BFSI to fintech. At Jukshio, we prioritize innovation and security, empowering enterprises to build trust with their customers in a digital-first world.
StartupTalky: How does Jukshioâs fraud detection model effectively address KYC-related fraud, and what enables your team to deploy these solutions within 48 hours while maintaining accuracy?
Jukshio’s fraud detection model effectively addresses KYC-related fraud by leveraging its state-of-the-art DFraud solution, which safeguards against document manipulation and identity duplication. The advanced platform ensures robust data privacy with end-to-end encryption and compliance controls, preventing breaches while maintaining trust. A key enabler of Jukshio’s swift deployment is its proprietary, adaptable AI supported by a stringent MLOps pipeline. This system achieves industry-leading accuracy, processing over half a million onboardings daily.
Jukshioâs Continuous Learning Platform combines AI with human expertise to identify fraud patterns using a dynamic genuity map. This innovative approach allows the company to detect, address, and deploy solutions for emerging fraud vectors within 48 hours, ensuring agility and reliability in combating KYC-related fraud. By integrating digital KYC tools, including Video KYC and real-time fraud prevention, Jukshio minimizes onboarding delays, offering a seamless and secure experience for businesses and customers alike.
StartupTalky: What are the key compliance challenges financial institutions face today in their KYC processes, and how does Jukshio address them?
Financial institutions grapple with compliance issues due to evolving regulatory changes, such as the RBI Master Directions on KYC and AML/CFT requirements. These changes increase operational complexity, especially when implementing robust KYC processes across multiple locations or digital platforms, often constrained by legacy systems. The shift to digital KYC approaches, like the Video Customer Identification Process (V-CIP), further complicates matters, necessitating substantial investments in technology, training, and infrastructure.
Additionally, institutions frequently encounter sophisticated document forgeries, such as counterfeit Aadhaar cards and altered ID documents, making identity verification more challenging. Data privacy and security concerns are particularly significant, with the Aadhaar Act and the impending Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023) mandating stringent measures to safeguard sensitive customer information.
StartupTalky: Jukshio has clients, including Jio Telecom, Jio Payments Bank, Bajaj and Mannapuram. How have these partnerships influenced the development of your platform and expanded your market presence?
Jukshio has partnered with several prominent clients across various sectors, significantly influencing the development of its platform and expanding its market presence. Each client faced unique pain points that Jukshio was specifically equipped to address, leading to the successful implementation of its solutions.
One common challenge among these clients was the need for a robust identity verification (IDV) process that could scale seamlessly while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Many organizations struggled with fragmented solutions that failed to provide a comprehensive approach to identity verification, leading to increased operational costs and potential security vulnerabilities. Jukshio was built to overcome these issues by offering a holistic AI-driven KYC and IDV solution that seamlessly integrates scaling, compliance, and security into a single platform. This approach has impressed clients, as it serves as a “silver bullet” for their identity verification challenges.
Moreover, several clients have transitioned from their previous solution providers after implementing Jukshio’s solutions, recognizing the sophisticated yet straightforward performance and reliability of Jukshio’s offerings. The platform’s ability to adapt to emerging fraud vectors has been particularly noteworthy, as it leverages AI-driven technologies to deliver unmatched results in the industry.
As Jukshio continues to grow, it remains committed to addressing newer, more complex issues arising from fraud’s ever-evolving nature. By focusing on innovative, AI-driven solutions, Jukshio aims to stay ahead of the curve and provide its clients with the tools they need to navigate the challenges of the future.
StartupTalky: How can regulators like RBI support innovation in KYC while ensuring consumer protection?
Encouraging the development of interoperable KYC platforms is essential to expediting and enhancing the KYC procedure. By using these solutions, customers can safely share verified KYC information with several financial institutions, eliminating the need for duplicate steps and lowering compliance expenses. Additionally, by integrating fraud detection with the KYC procedures of individual institutions, the development of a centralized fraud prevention ecosystem contributes to improving the financial system.
A consolidated database of blacklisted clients would act as a deterrent to repeat fraudsters throughout the BFSI sector, and this technology would identify and report suspicious activities. Promoting public-private partnerships (PPP) can also have a transformative effect by uniting fintechs, traditional financial institutions, and technology companies to develop reliable and expandable KYC systems.
StartupTalky: The demand for secure and efficient KYC processes is growing across industries. What trends or innovations do you see shaping this space globally?
The need for safe and effective KYC procedures is revolutionizing how companies onboard clients worldwide. Driven by innovations, this transformation offers unmatched speed and precision, blockchain technology, biometric authentication, and AI-powered verification. We observe a trend toward hyper-automation at Jukshio, where procedures are optimized to minimize human involvement, guaranteeing adherence while improving user experience.
Furthermore, legal frameworks are changing to support digital-first strategies, opening up smooth, cross-border verification possibilities. Scalable and flexible KYC solutions will prevent fraud and foster consumer trust as sectors, including BFSI, FinTech, and e-commerce, prioritize secure onboarding.
StartupTalky: What are Jukshioâs plans for scaling, and how will AI shape the future of KYC in the next 3-5 years?
AI, blockchain, and collaborative ecosystem advancements are poised to significantly disrupt the KYC and identity verification landscape. AI and machine learning will improve efficiency with capabilities such as AI copilots, better fraud detection utilizing behavioral biometrics, advanced face-matching algorithms, and real-time document authentication. Blockchain adoption will allow decentralized digital wallets and self-sovereign identities, allowing users more control over their data while improving privacy and security. Collaboration between financial institutions and fintechs will stimulate innovation, streamline KYC processes, and combat fraud.
Jukshio has extensive plans to scale up rapidly â in India and overseas â and establish its ID Verification platform as an enterprise standard to build a secure and trustworthy onboarding system for digital customers.
Jukshio is driving innovation in two primary areas: deepening its technological capabilities and expanding its service offerings. On the technological front, it is enhancing its ability to detect and counter emerging fraud techniques by developing advanced architectures and models. In terms of service breadth, the company is evolving from offering point solutions to providing a collaborative platform using facial biometrics to enable the secure sharing of fraudster information across financial institutions, empowering companies to collectively combat fraud in our digital world by serving genuine customers more effectively.
Jukshio envisions a future where every individual possesses a digital certification accessible via personal devices and the cloud. This system will enable seamless and secure digital interactions, reflecting the company’s commitment to shaping the future of online security with innovation and integrity. The companyâs dedication to advancing digital verification and cybersecurity positions it as a key player in fulfilling the ever-changing demands of the digital age.
In this insightful conversation with Bhawana Khetan, Co-founder of Address Advisors, a leader in Indian real estate consultancy, she shares insights into the companyâs vision of becoming the first Indian property consultant with a global presence. Khetan discusses the company’s journey over eight years, key milestones, team expansion, and service diversification. She also highlights the role of technology, emerging trends like co-working spaces, and the growing importance of warehousing in Indiaâs economy. Khetanâs mantra, “Nothing is Impossible,” drives Address Advisors as they work towards global expansion while keeping transparency and client focus at the core of their business.
StartupTalky: What inspired you to start Address Advisors, and how has the company and its vision evolved over the years?
Ms. Khetan: Our vision is to be the first Indian Property Consultant which is global and we are on the path to achieve the same. Real Estate has always been our passion and that coupled with entrepreneurial spirit inspired the first steps and initial phase. The robust nature of the Indian Real estate scenario over the last decade and the fact that real estate will be a key component as India is poised forward in the next few decades has only nurtured the initial belief and also guided the vision further.
As I said, our vision has always been to take India to a global platform. We have never had an Indian property consultancy that has a global presence and we wanted to disrupt that. We have always strived to be different in our services-oriented behavior and be a transparent real estate consultancy.
Our vision has always been single-focused, however, how the path to get there has definitely evolved. We always work to discover new business opportunities and focus on key verticals. Having said that, our core values remain the same, and how we do business has consistently evolved.
StartupTalky: Address Advisors recently completed 8 years in the industry; how has your team contributed to it, and what key milestones have you achieved in this journey?
Ms. Khetan: We follow the principle of âeach one teaches oneâ. Nurturing, and guiding growth have been a foundational principle for us. All the growth, expansion, and diversification we have accomplished has been the confidence that comes to me from our team. Our team has always been our source of existence, we are a peopleâs company and teamwork is one of our value pillars that we believe in. We have many key milestones, one being strong trust received from our clients who give us repeat business.
It all started with two of us – Sunny and me but today we have 170+ employees. It started with commercial leasing and today we have expanded to warehouse / industrial leasing, land transactions, and residential verticals.
StartupTalky: How does Address Advisors address a diverse range of real estate needsâcommercial, residential, industrial, and hospitality?
Ms. Khetan: We are able to achieve a wide range of services with our specialised team members. Residential is a B2C vertical, commercial office leasing and warehousing is B2B, so the kind of skill sets required are very different. We focus on evolving learning protocols and advocating our core values – ethics, integrity, and transparency.
Having started with the commercial real estate vertical we grew exponentially with the startup boom and continue to serve an elite list of clientele from the start-up space. With GST, growth of E-commerce, and global China +1 strategies we sensed a big wave of demand in the Industrial and warehousing space and set up the desk soon after the CRE division.
When the world wrote off real estate during the COVID we saw opportunities in the residential sector with growing demand for bigger homes on account of work from home. In summary, it is a combination of our core values coupled with sharp business acumen that has contributed to our success in each of the business verticals.
StartupTalky: What role do emerging real estate trends, such as shared spaces and coworking hubs, play in shaping your companyâs services?
Ms. Khetan: The startup scenario in India in general and Bengaluru, in particular, was a game-changer as far as commercial real estate is concerned. Flexibility, non-formal environment, set-ups inspiring collaboration started taking center stage. Shared spaces and co-working hubs came across as the perfect recipe for the occasion. These spaces help us cater to the growing needs of millennials and Gen-Z work culture.
As businesses and individuals we have to be very agile and adaptive to any business trend or environment we are exposed to and managed office space was one such business trend that emerged in the real estate space in the last three years. We understand the business and client needs, and giving them a solution that suits their needs has been an important trend for us.
StartupTalky: With operations across various cities like Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad, how do you tailor your services to meet the specific real estate demands of each market?
Ms. Khetan: The myth that Pune is Automobile, Bengaluru is Software, Hyderabad is Pharmaceutical is fading away. With infrastructure development, telecommunication, and central tax planning, each city now boasts a wide range of industries and some even overlap. Organisations and corporations now have a footprint in multiple cities which has also resulted in breaking real estate stereotypes. We concentrate on absolute client requirements and are not seeing trends based on geographies dominate any longer.
StartupTalky: How has technology impacted the real estate sector, particularly regarding client engagement and operations?
Ms. Khetan: Technology is creating a multifaceted impact on the Real Estate Sector. It is making information segregation and customisation for products like tech parks or residential homes, a lot easier and faster. With a click of a button, one can create and deliver required data points to unique customers, thus making the whole process transparent and agile.
It starts at the acquisition stage, where a property developer or consultant can collect detailed specific requirements from prospective customers without having to meet in person. Next comes the shortlisting of products based on customer requirements and eligibility. There are specialised CRM tools that review and analyse multiple projects/products and recommend the best possible ones based on clients’ financials as well as lifestyles. Last but the most impactful is the operational part where the entire process of pre-sale, sale, and after-sale documentation is done largely digitally and within no time.
The entire cycle of digital marketing, client acquisition, engagement, information dissipation, shortlisting of products, financing, documentation, and deal closure can happen in a matter of a few days. Hence we call ourselves an end-to-end platform.
StartupTalky: What are the main challenges facing the Indian real estate industry today, and how do Address Advisors respond to these challenges?
Ms. Khetan: The Indian Real estate sector has a notorious image, lack of transparency, and statutory complexities to name a few. Each situation or transaction is unique in its own way and so are the challenges associated with it. However, having a very strong core in our ethos and culture has helped us overcome challenges; some easy, some difficult and some failed. The strong ethos and culture I refer to are basic in nature but require discipline to be upheld. Integrity, professionalism, emphasis on learning and development, and perseverance are key to us.
StartupTalky: How important are warehousing, industrial, and logistics real estate in Indiaâs economy, and what steps are Address Advisors taking to engage with this segment?
Ms. Khetan: Warehousing/Logistics and Industrial are two different large asset classes in themselves which are essentially clubbed together due to the apparent similarities in their buildings. Warehousing and Logistics form the backbone of any distribution network whether B2C or B2B. With India banking on its internal consumption to leap into the league of largest economies in the world, warehousing, and logistics will play a crucial role in connecting businesses to end users.
We currently serve an elite list of clients for their warehousing/logistics requirements, and this was possible through focused business development and a focused mapping of the market. Also, having teams seamlessly coordinating across different cities has given us an edge in serving the same client in different geographies.
India’s real estate market is expected to reach USD 1 trillion by 2030. The logistics sector alone contributes significantly to Indiaâs GDP, estimated at around 12-14% (including warehousing and industrial components). Major e-commerce and quick commerce players like Amazon, Flipkart, and Zepto depend on modern warehousing and distribution facilities to efficiently store, sort, and deliver products to customers. This makes warehousing and distribution networks very critical.
To handle the surge in demand, India needs a growing network of state-of-the-art warehouses strategically located in urban and rural areas, connected to major transportation hubs. The increase in demand for warehouses for e-commerce fulfillment is one of the key drivers of growth in Indiaâs logistics and warehousing market.
StartupTalky: In a competitive market, what makes Address Advisors stand out from other real estate consultants and firms?
Ms. Khetan: We have always believed in building strong client and employee relationships, with client retention as one of our biggest strengths. In addition to this, the core principle to consistently improve (our market knowledge/business acumen/process) has always been a point of appreciation from clients. At Address Advisors, weâve focused on building the brand through modern channels utilizing social media, and creating relevant content to educate our customers.
StartupTalky: What is your business model, and how does it highlight the growth of Address Advisors?
Ms. Khetan: We operate as a brokerage house across all real estate divisions, building name recall throughout every vertical starting from Corporate real estate, Warehousing land & Industrial to Residential real estate. Beyond the brokerage house, we also operate under different brand names to offer design & build, facility management, and even underwrite properties. To share perspective on our growth trajectory, we are a bootstrapped firm expanding to multiple cities and expanding our team in multiple cities, while taking pride in double-digit CAGR across the 8 years since our inception.
StartupTalky: How have recent events like the Property ExpoâProperty Buffetâcontributed to Address Advisors’ growth and client engagement, and what feedback have you received from attendees?
Ms. Khetan: The biggest challenge for any real estate buyer is the complexity of the product selection process. There are multiple real estate developers, having a variety of products in all the possible micro markets in a typical metro city. It is a daunting task to collect, assimilate and analyse all the information, then visit the property sites and interact with the sales team of multiple developer companies. We at
Address Advisors decided to solve this and thus started doing a property expo where we invited all the key developers in Bengaluru, and provided them the opportunity to showcase all the products and projects in one place. The idea got tremendous traction and we were overwhelmed with the response. We were able to cater to a large customer base of more than 2700 just in 2 days. The customers were very happy to get all the information and interaction under one roof resulting in business for us.
We also got good and diversified feedback from customers which we are in the process of implementing. Overall it was a great experience and we are looking forward to and have started prepping for the next expo.
StartupTalky: How does your belief that âNothing is Impossible,â shape your leadership and influence projects at Address Advisors?
Ms. Khetan: As a founder, I truly believe in “Nothing is Impossible,” itâs more than just a statement for me. Itâs this growth mindset that shapes everything we do as a company. It represents our unwavering belief and commitment that we are capable of achieving extraordinary things.
In todayâs real estate business scenario, the challenges we face are often complex in nature and hence it becomes even more critical to recall innovation, resilience, and critical thinking. This vision pushes us to think relentlessly about cultivating a growth mindset, inspiring us to tap into our full potential, deliver exceptional value to our customers, and break through our own boundaries.
Our leadership lies within our people, with this vision at the forefront of our strategy, aligning every aspect of our business to this. We constantly put ourselves in a position to achieve great deals â and thatâs what sets us apart.
StartupTalky: Looking ahead, what are your future goals for Address Advisors, and how do you plan to expand the companyâs reach and services over the next 5 years?
Ms. Khetan: The next 5 years are absolutely critical when our vision comes to success. Along with building strong teams across the country, we will expand beyond boundaries to offer our services globally by establishing in various markets across South Asia, the Middle East, and North America. We aspire to set a benchmark and establish Address Advisors, the first Indian property consultant that is global. We also intend to expand in different verticals from facility management, project management, to consulting and thereby becoming a one-stop solution for all our clients.
On this International Menâs Day, StartupTalky connects with Sajja Praveen Chowdary, Director of Policybazaar for Business. In this exclusive interaction, Chowdary sheds light on how technology is transforming business insurance, making it more accessible and affordable. He discusses the role of digital tools and data in changing the industry, while also offering insights into the future of insurance, including the shift towards preventive measures and tailored solutions. Chowdary also shares his perspectives on mental health and work-life balance, providing valuable advice for men in demanding roles.
StartupTalky: How has your experience in product and technology management influenced the development of business insurance solutions?
Mr. Chowdary: Coming from a tech-driven background, Iâve always approached problems with a solution-first mindset. I remember working on one of our earliest business insurance projectsâit was eye-opening to see how fragmented the process was for business owners. It wasnât about selling a product; it was about making their journey simpler. This experience reinforced the idea that technology isn’t just an enablerâitâs a bridge between businesses and the solutions they didnât know they needed.
StartupTalky: How do digital tools and data analytics help you tailor products for businesses at Policybazaar for Business?
Mr. Chowdary: Iâll give you an example. A while back, we noticed a pattern: smaller firms were hesitant to buy employee health coverage because they assumed it was costly. Using data, we crafted scalable policies that addressed their affordability concerns while offering value. Digital tools help us listen to what our customers arenât saying. They give us the power to fine-tune our offeringsâmaking them practical, affordable, and relevant for each business type.
StartupTalky: What trends do you foresee in the Indian business insurance market over the next 5 years?
Mr. Chowdary: The next five years will see a fundamental shift from âreactive insuranceâ to âpreventive insurance.â Businesses will lean on technology and insurance providers for predictive risk management. Cyber insurance, for example, will evolve from being optional to essential. Another key trend will be a rise in bundled offeringsâtailored packages for specific industries like retail or logistics, where risk profiles vary significantly. Insurance will stop being a âpurchaseâ and become a âpartnership.â
StartupTalky: How does Policybazaar for Business simplify complex insurance products for business owners?
Mr. Chowdary: Simplification is about empathy. Imagine explaining a complex insurance term to someone whoâs hearing it for the first timeâthatâs the challenge we solve every day. At Policybazaar for Business, weâve built tools that make comparisons clear, language relatable, and the process frictionless. But the real differentiator is the human touch. I believe no technology can replace the comfort of talking to someone who genuinely wants to help you make the right decision.
StartupTalky: What sets Policybazaar for Business apart in providing a seamless insurance buying experience?
Mr. Chowdary: Itâs the ecosystem weâve builtâa combination of cutting-edge technology and a team that understands the nuances of Indian businesses. From personalized consultations to real-time claim support, weâve made it our mission to remove the usual headaches associated with insurance. Businesses trust us not just for what we offer, but for how we deliver itâwith transparency, speed, and care.
StartupTalky: What are the most pressing risks that businesses face, and how do your products address them?
Mr. Chowdary: The risks businesses face are evolving faster than ever. Take cyber threatsâjust a decade ago, they were hardly a concern. Today, a single breach can paralyze an entire operation. Then thereâs employee well-being, which directly impacts productivity and retention. At Policybazaar for Business, we constantly ask ourselves: âAre we building solutions that can keep up with these changes?â Our products, like Cyber Insurance and Group Health Insurance, are designed to provide security, so businesses can focus on their growth story.
StartupTalky: What marketing strategies have been most successful in reaching business clients with insurance solutions?
Mr. Chowdary: Weâve realized that education is the best marketing strategy. Businesses donât wake up thinking, âI need insurance today.â What they do think about is protecting their people, their assets, and their reputation. Our campaigns focus on showing them how insurance solves real-life challengesâwhether itâs through stories of claims weâve processed or data-driven insights into their industries. The key is to build trust before trying to sell anything.
StartupTalky: On International Men’s Day, the focus is on mental health. How do you maintain work-life balance, and what advice would you give to men in demanding roles to protect their mental well-being?
Mr. Chowdary: At Policybazaar for Business, we often emphasize the importance of holistic well-being, and mental health is a crucial part of that equation. Balancing work and life in a leadership role can indeed feel like a tightrope walk. Personally, I try to prioritize non-negotiable family time every day and make room for short breaks to rechargeâwhether itâs a quick walk or stepping away from my screen.
To men in demanding roles, my advice would be: recognize that your mental health is as critical as any professional target you aim for. Just as you would strategize for business growth, plan for your mental well-being. Remember, you donât always have to carry the ‘provider’ mantle; sometimes, simply being present for yourself is the greatest act of leadership.
On this International Men’s Day, StartupTalky connected with Davinder Bhasin, Founder of One Health Assist, a platform transforming health management through digital solutions. Bhasin explains how his personal challenges with the healthcare system led him to create One Health Assist. He talks about how technologies like AI and machine learning help offer personalised health insights and makes healthcare more accessible. Bhasin also shares advice on maintaining work-life balance and why men in leadership should prioritise their mental health. His journey shows how One Health Assist is shaping the future of healthcare.
StartupTalky: What inspired the creation of One Health Assist, and how did your experience across different industries shape this vision?
Mr. Bhasin: One Health Assist was born out of the challenges faced by us when dealing with the healthcare system. When my mother was diagnosed with a serious condition, I had to travel between cities for her treatment. Being mindful of every document was difficult amidst the rush. The constant worry is a heavy burden because misplacing a document can have consequences. One Health Assistâs journey began when Karan (co-founder of One Health Assist) and I discussed our ordeals. Given that he has also faced similar circumstances, realizing the commonality of this problem was quick.
We set out with a vision to build a holistic health and wellness care ecosystem. Our professional and personal experiences highlighted to us, not only how big the challenge was, but also how big the opportunity was. My diverse experience across industries highlighted a consistent gap: the need for integrated, user-centric solutions. In every sector, data serves as the backbone for informed decisions, but in healthcare, it’s even more critical â as my personal experience exhibited. Thus, keeping data central, we designed the interface with a vision that eventually the platform will evolve into the go-to support system for individuals to follow a wellness-oriented lifestyle.
StartupTalky: One Health Assist is aiming to become the largest health data repository. What key strategies are you using to scale and expand this platform?
Mr. Bhasin: To scale and expand One Health Assist, we’re focusing on strengthening our health repository. It is a free & user-friendly feature, that serves as the backbone of our ecosystem, that can be a transformative support system across the wellness journey. This platform is designed to digitize and centralize medical records, addressing the challenges of managing physical documentsâespecially for those traveling for treatment, whether within a city or internationally.
Handling physical health records can be cumbersome and time-consuming, and the risk of damage to the documents or outright misplacement is ever-present. By offering a digital solution such as storage, viewing and sharing all health records like angiography, X Ray etc. we eliminate these risks, ensuring critical information is secure, easily accessible, and protected from damage.
However, our health repository is more than just a digital storage solutionâit’s about changing the way individuals engage with their healthcare. We are moving beyond basic record-keeping to include advanced features like health scoring and personalized treatment plans, which provide actionable insights tailored to individual needs. Our commitment is to make healthcare management not only more convenient but also genuinely transformative, empowering users with timely and accurate insights to improve their wellness journey.
StartupTalky: How does One Health Assist differentiate itself from other digital health platforms in terms of technology and user experience?
Mr. Bhasin: One Health Assist stands out by offering a comprehensive health-tech ecosystem, with our health repository serving as the platform’s dynamic core. We leverage advanced algorithms to transform stored data into personalized insights, including the One Health Score, which gives users a comprehensive view of their well-being. This score is a proactive tool, that helps individuals manage health risks with expert-driven recommendations.
Privacy and data security are our top priorities. Our platform is HIPAA-compliant, featuring end-to-end encryption to safeguard user information. Partnerships with AWS and TTML further enhance our data security, ensuring a reliable and private environment for accessing health records and diagnostics.
Additionally, we are one of the few platforms to integrate pet care, offering telemedicine services that connect users to licensed veterinarians. This holistic approach makes healthcare not only accessible but also secure, personalized, and family-inclusive.
StartupTalky: What role do emerging technologies like AI and machine learning play in the development of One Health Assistâs services?
Mr. Bhasin: Emerging technologies like AI and machine learning are the cornerstone of our vision at One Health Assist. These technologies allow us to offer a seamless and personalized wellness journey by analyzing vast amounts of data to generate predictive insights.
For example, AI helps us provide tailored lifestyle recommendations based on individual health records, enabling proactive management of chronic conditions. Machine learning also drives our predictive models, which can anticipate potential health risks, providing users and their healthcare providers with critical early warnings.
This is why AI is embedded across our ecosystem to ensure that health insights are not only accurate but also easy to understand and act upon. By harnessing these technologies, we aim to enhance the accessibility and quality of care, transforming health management into a continuous, data-driven experience.
StartupTalky: How does One Health Assist simplify health management and make critical health data more accessible for users?
Mr. Bhasin: One Health Assist simplifies health management by offering a single, centralized platform for all medical information. By digitizing health records, we address the common issues associated with physical documentsâstorage space, degradation over time, and accessibility during travel. Our platform ensures that vital information is always within reach, whether youâre consulting a local doctor or seeking specialized treatment abroad.
Additionally, our technology includes features like personalized health scoring and tailored recommendations, which transform static data into actionable insights, guiding users toward better health outcomes.
These digital storage solutions is free for everyone and we hope that we are able to serve the masses and hopefully ease the pain.
StartupTalky: What corporate wellness solutions does One Health Assist offer to enhance employee health and productivity?
Mr. Bhasin: At One Health Assist, we believe that healthy employees are the foundation of a thriving business.
Our corporate wellness packages are crafted to prioritize proactive employee well-being, going beyond traditional mediclaim policies.
Our Preventive Health Care Package focuses on sustaining good health rather than merely addressing illness.
Through comprehensive health screenings, lifestyle assessments, mental health support, fitness programs, and personalized wellness workshops, we empower employees to lead healthier, happier, and more productive lives.
By investing in prevention, an organization can reduce absenteeism, enhance employee engagement, and cultivate a culture of wellness.
StartupTalky: On International Men’s Day, how do you manage work-life balance and what advice would you give to men in leadership roles to protect their mental health?
Mr. Bhasin: People are often subjected to some unique challenges, especially in leadership roles, where societal expectations often place undue pressure on their mental and physical health. The perception that men should be stoic and unaffected by stress can lead to a reluctance in seeking help, contributing to higher rates of mental health issues like anxiety and depression, which are often underreported.
This is why balancing work and personal life is a continuous effort, and it requires conscious prioritization. For me, managing work-life balance involves setting boundaries, making time for family, and dedicating moments to recharge. My advice to men in leadership roles is to make mental health a priorityâjust as we prioritize strategic decisions in business, we should also plan for self-care and mindfulness. Itâs important to normalize conversations around mental well-being and seek professional guidance if needed.
Effective leaders understand that taking care of their mental health not only improves their decision-making but also sets a positive example for their teams. Encourage open dialogue, be transparent about the challenges, and ensure youâre taking steps to stay well-rounded and resilient in every aspect of life.
In an insightful interaction for International Menâs Day, Dr. Harshit Jain, Founder and Global CEO of Doceree, speaks with StartupTalky about his inspiring journey from physician to healthcare entrepreneur. Dr. Jain shares how his medical background inspired the creation of Doceree and influenced his approach to healthcare marketing, focusing on the importance of relevant, data-driven solutions for healthcare professionals.
He discusses the challenges of scaling the business, such as addressing data privacy issues and improving ad relevance. Dr. Jain also touched on the importance of work-life balance and mental health, urging men in demanding roles to prioritise self-care and open discussions about their well-being.
StartupTalky: What inspired you to transition from being a physician to a healthcare entrepreneur?
Dr. Jain: Growing up, I vaguely remember my parents talking about my curiosity and knack for coming up with ideas to collaborate with others and help them. As I matured, I thought, what better way to channel that passion than by becoming a doctor? After earning my medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago in 2006, I practiced medicine for over eight years as a physician.
During this time, I began noticing unaddressed gaps in the healthcare industryâissues that required creative problem-solving. This inspired me to step beyond the traditional boundaries of a physician’s role and explore the âcreativeâ side of the healthcare industry.
Despite scepticism from some industry peers, I trusted my instincts and pursued my transition into healthcare advertising, eventually giving me opportunities to hold leadership roles at McCann Health across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Along the way, I thankfully earned some of the industryâs most prestigious awards, including the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Good, for my marketing campaigns.
However, my journey didnât end there. My instincts pushed me further, inspiring me to combine my expertise in medicine and marketing through entrepreneurship, leading to the launch of Doceree in 2020. This transition to entrepreneurship was driven by my aspiration to reduce the rising healthcare costs and improve HCP-patient engagement.
StartupTalky: How did your medical background influence the creation of Docereeâs âsmart nudgesâ in healthcare marketing?
Dr. Jain: As a practicing physician for over eight years, I witnessed firsthand the frustration caused by irrelevant advertisements, which disrupt care delivery and doctor-patient engagement, ultimately impacting overall health outcomes. However, my subsequent transition into marketing and entrepreneurship inspired me to turn this challenge into an opportunity to âsmartly nudgeâ the concept of âpurposeful adsâ in global healthcare advertising.
By delivering only relevant ads tailored to doctorsâ medical backgrounds and patient dataâwithin strict regulatory complianceâ we are able to minimize distractions for HCPs and parallelly also help marketers achieve higher returns on advertising spend (ROAS). This move ultimately helped us address two critical issues of the industry: reducing rising healthcare costs and alleviating the mental clutter in a field where life-altering decisions are made daily.
StartupTalky: What were your biggest challenges in scaling Doceree, and how did you overcome them?
Dr. Jain: Given that the global healthcare industry is the worldâs third-largest producer of data, there were not many solutions capable of systematically harnessing these datasets to make them more marketing and healthcare business-friendly. This is the gap where Doceree sought to differentiate itself by developing data solutions that are not only optimized for marketing but also capable of tracking business outcomes for pharmaceutical marketers.
As a result, we became the worldâs first and only programmatic marketing network exclusively for HCP-only platforms, enabling marketers to directly target the key decision-makers impacting their business outcomes, eliminating unnecessary marketing expenses.
Once we overcame this challenge, the next hurdle was addressing data privacy concerns. With the rise in data breaches and cases of data misuse, the industry grew increasingly sceptical about digital solutions. To address this, we leveraged our extensive HCP and patient data responsibly, utilizing only the datasets that were relevant and precise for specific moments of care for HCPs. This approach enabled our technology to achieve certification under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and secure a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), earning the trust of key stakeholders in the process.
After addressing privacy concerns, the next and perhaps the most significant challenge was tackling inefficient messaging to HCPs. With many solution providers capitalizing on the limited awareness of programmatic marketing in healthcare and claiming to be âexpertsâ in delivering the right ads at the right time, HCPs started to receive a flood of ineffective advertisements, further burdening HCPs and complicating their already demanding work schedules.
To solve this concern, Doceree introduced its âAI-powered smart nudgesâ which allowed only relevant ads to be delivered to HCPs in real-time during critical points of care, allowing them to make informed decisions within the limited time available. This allowed HCPs’ engagement to become more targeted and quality-driven, empowering both – HCPs in their care delivery and pharma marketers in achieving better script lift outcomes beyond campaign impressions.
StartupTalky: How does Docereeâs data-driven approach to healthcare marketing differentiate it from traditional marketing methods?
Dr. Jain: While programmatic advertising isn’t new to healthcare and has been leveraged by brands across sectors for many years, the healthcare industry needed to realize how the lack of relevance and effective messaging led to only half of its true potential, contributing to no tangible healthcare outcomes.
Understanding the cause behind this gap, I attempted to reshape it into an extraordinary framework by integrating real-time context relevance to improve patient outcomesâa solution that went unnoticed at the time. By making the best use of HCP data and clinical data with our HIPAA-certified and patented technology, our data-driven approach to healthcare marketing clearly suggests how technology can create the biggest healthcare impact â if employed wisely.
Doceree takes a responsible approach by utilizing patient data only at critical moments of care, eliminating the risk of misuse. This precise and conscientious use of HCP and patient data enables us to nudge HCPs toward informed decision-making and enhance HCP-patient engagement.
What sets us apart is our commitment to delivering meaningful context for impactful outcomes, all while maintaining strict data compliance. Furthermore, as the worldâs first and only âHCP-only dataâ marketplace, we have a reputation for the extensive focus on data safety and integrity.
StartupTalky: What role does collaboration with pharmaceutical brands play in Docereeâs growth, and how do you maintain strong relationships with them?
Dr. Jain: We currently collaborate with over 600 pharmaceutical brands worldwide, including the top eight global players, who have been pivotal to Docereeâs growth. What began in 2020 as a modest three-member team has now grown into a thriving organization with over 200 talented professionals spanning Asia, America, and Europe.
As an entrepreneur and marketer, my vision is straightforward: focus on adding value to your customersâ growth with purpose, and profits will naturally follow. Through our highly precise and real-time context-relevant messaging, our clients save significantly, leveraging solutions like Doceree Insights to optimize campaign performance. This allows them to reinvest those savings into more strategic campaigns. This approach not only enhances value for our clients but also plays a critical role in retaining and renewing partnerships with brands across the globe.
StartupTalky: With Doceree expanding globally, what future innovations or products are you most excited about?
Dr. Jain: Thereâs much more in store for the global healthcare advertising industry and the broader healthcare business ecosystem from Doceree. As we recently entered Australia in association with WARD 6 and are looking to secure more global partnerships and mergers to offer our clients solutions that are high on innovation with safer and smarter integration of AI. Overall, we plan to add 5 cutting-edge solutions to our offerings in 2025, that will give new heights to an efficient healthcare marketing ecosystem.
Further, with the core purpose of elevating HCP-patient conversations Doceree will continue to deliver innovative pharmaceutical marketing solutions, while also exploring opportunities for broader business collaboration and growth. Perhaps something transformative is on the horizonâ stay tuned!
StartupTalky: On International Men’s Day, how do you maintain work-life balance, and what advice would you give to men in demanding roles to protect their mental health?
Dr. Jain: Working across three time zones, Iâve come to realize that maintaining work-life balance in todayâs fast-paced world is no easy feat. Yet, setting boundaries and prioritizing time for yourself and your loved ones is vital for recharging and staying productive. Whether itâs regular exercise, mindful breaks, or occasionally unplugging from work, find what helps you feel your best.
This International Menâs Day, I urge everyone to challenge the stereotype that men must always appear strong, embrace open conversations about mental health, seek support when needed, and remember that self-care is as crucial as professional success.
In this exclusive interaction with StartupTalky, Khushboo Jain, Co-Founder and COO of CarePal Group, shares her journey of transforming healthcare financing in India. She discusses the inspiration behind CarePal, its unique ecosystem of crowdfunding, insurance, and lending, and how technology is improving healthcare access. Jain also talks about her shift from fashion marketing to healthcare, the challenges of being a woman entrepreneur, and offers advice for others. Discover how CarePal is breaking barriers to ensure that quality healthcare is accessible and affordable for millions across India.
StartupTalky: What inspired you to start CarePal, and how has your vision for healthcare financing in India grown over the years?
Ms. Jain: The vision behind CarePal Group is rooted in ensuring that no one suffers or faces financial ruin due to unaffordable healthcare. Recognizing the dire impact of medical expenses in India, where millions are pushed into poverty annually, we set out to create a transformative solution. CarePal Group integrates medical crowdfunding, health insurance and benefits, and a lending marketplace to establish a comprehensive healthcare financing ecosystem.
This innovative approach caters to varied needs, from high-cost treatments to smaller medical expenses, ensuring quality healthcare is accessible to all. Guided by a commitment to community impact, we have surmounted numerous challenges through persistence and creativity. Our mission is to save one million lives in the next decade by revolutionizing healthcare financing in India.
The mission has evolved to not only alleviate immediate financial burdens but also build long-term solutions for affordable and accessible healthcare, to impact a million lives by 2030.
StartupTalky: ImpactGuru.com has helped thousands of patients raise funds. What unique strategies have made this possible, especially in connecting patients with supporters?
Ms. Jain: Medical crowdfunding serves as a lifeline for middle and lower-middle-class families facing financial barriers to healthcare. Through focused marketing initiatives, we have extended this support to underserved and impoverished communities, enabling rapid fundraising for critical medical needs. Our ongoing efforts center on enhancing the platform’s features and reach, ensuring every beneficiary receives optimal assistance and an improved experience.
StartupTalky: CarePal offers multiple services, from crowdfunding to health insurance and lending. How do you make sure each service meets its purpose and also fits into the bigger mission?
Ms. Jain: At CarePal, we ensure that each serviceâcrowdfunding, health insurance, and healthcare lendingânot only fulfills its specific purpose but also aligns with our broader mission of making healthcare affordable and accessible. Each service is designed to address distinct challenges: crowdfunding for urgent medical emergencies, insurance for preventive financial coverage, and lending to bridge funding gaps for uncovered treatments including for critical illnesses like cancer. These offerings are integrated into a cohesive ecosystem, enabling us to deliver tailored solutions based on individual needs.
By leveraging data-driven insights and maintaining a customer-centric approach, we continuously refine our services to meet user expectations. All our initiatives are guided by our mission to ensure no one suffers due to lack of funds for healthcare, making every effort meaningful and impactful in transforming Indiaâs healthcare financing landscape.
StartupTalky: How do you see technology like data and AI shaping the future of healthcare financing, and what steps is CarePal taking in this direction?
Ms. Jain: Data and AI are set to revolutionize healthcare financing by enabling more personalized, efficient, and accessible solutions. AI can analyze vast amounts of medical and financial data to predict costs, assess risks, and tailor financing options to individual needs. It will also play a key role in driving our storytelling narrative, which is a critical component of medical crowdfunding. At CarePal, by staying at the forefront of technological innovation, we aim to build smarter, more scalable solutions that align with our mission to make healthcare accessible to all.
StartupTalky: You moved from fashion marketing to healthcare. How did you make this change, and what skills and lessons from your early career help you today?
Ms. Jain: Transitioning from fashion marketing to healthcare was both challenging and rewarding. The shift required me to adapt quickly to a new industry with different dynamics, but many skills from my early career proved invaluable. In fashion marketing, I honed my abilities in storytelling, branding, and audience engagementâskills that are equally critical in healthcare crowdfunding, particularly in connecting with donors and patients on an emotional level.
Additionally, my experience in fast-paced, consumer-driven environments helped me develop agility and a focus on customer-centric solutions. These qualities now enable me to design innovative strategies that resonate with diverse audiences in the healthcare financing sector. The lessons of resilience, creativity, and adaptability have been essential in navigating the complexities of healthcare financing and driving impactful initiatives at CarePal.
StartupTalky: As a woman entrepreneur in healthcare and finance, what challenges have you faced, and how did you turn them into opportunities?
Ms. Jain: In the early days of CarePal Group, we encountered several significant challenges. Attracting top-tier talent, gaining the trust of investors, connecting with patients in need, and effectively targeting donors were all formidable obstacles. However, our unwavering commitment to our mission and focus on innovation enabled us to overcome these hurdles. This perseverance has been instrumental in driving meaningful progress in healthcare financing, making quality care accessible to more people.
StartupTalky: What advice would you give to other women who want to make a difference through their business?
Ms. Jain: As a woman entrepreneur, my advice would be to stay resilient and adaptable. There will always be challenges, but trust in your instincts and donât be afraid to take bold risks. Seek out mentors and build a strong support networkâhaving people around you who believe in your vision can make all the difference.
Itâs also important to stay true to your goals while being flexible enough to pivot when necessary. Balance your personal aspirations with your business ambitions, and remember that your unique perspective as a woman is a powerful tool for innovation. Use it to create solutions that are inclusive and forward-thinking. Most importantly, never underestimate your ability to lead and create change. You have the power to pave the way for other women in business and make a lasting impact.
Tripti Agarwal
