The Indian Startup Show

By Neil PatelBusiness Entrepreneurship News Technology Tech News

The Indian Startup Show episodes

July 08Nikky Kumar Jha, CEO of Saptkrishi on Building the "Fridge Killer" to Hack Global Food Waste.
Marry the problem, not the product! In this episode, I sit down with social entrepreneur Nikky Kumar Jha, the first engineer from his small village in Bihar, India. Nikky initially set out to tackle massive global issues like climate change—until a professor advised him to look in his own backyard. What he found was a devastating local crisis: despite the fertile soil along the Ganges, farmers were losing 40% of their produce to rot because standard refrigeration was too expensive and the rural power grid was too unreliable. From a "hilarious" first prototype that short-circuited in 30 minutes, Nikky went on to build a tech revolution for the "last mile." This episode covers the messy reality of grassroots innovation, why Nikky turned down a massive investment on Shark Tank, and how his hardware is transforming local economies. Finally he shares the amazing story of a visually impaired woman who used his device to boost her profits so much, she built her own home.

Episode Highlights
The Solution: How a portable, 20-watt storage unit extends the shelf life of produce by 3-5x without refrigeration or chemicals.

Massive Impact: The tech is already cutting food waste by over 40% and boosting the income of small marginal farmers and street hawkers by 60% to 70%.

Designing for Reality: Why building for a "utopian world" fails, and how local power fluctuations (110-volt vs 220-volt) forced a complete redesign.

Leverage Design Thinking: Aspiring founders should conduct thorough empathy studies and regularly utilize the Business Model Canvas (BMC) to manage execution.

Management Style: Nikky kumar jha described their management style as encouraging entrepreneurship, stating that they do not fire employees. Instead, they encourage employees to eventually start their own ventures, offering to introduce them to the ecosystem and investors.

IEEE Global Involvement: Nikky kumar jha serves as a lead for IEEE CS Global's special projects, including a global incubation center. They credited their network within the IEEE ecosystem for helping them overcome problems and find new collaborative opportunities.

The Shark Tank Rejection: The real reason Nikky walked away from a Shark Tank India offer to keep his focus strictly on marginalized farmers instead of third-party vendors.

Revitalizing Rural Ecosystems: How moving his factory back to his home village in Bihar created dignified jobs and actively stopped youth migration to the cities.

Co-founder Dynamics: Nikky kumar jha advocated for having family members as co-founders to avoid disputes, provided they possess complementary skills. Their sister, a biotechnologist, and their brother, who focuses on sales, are their current co-founders.

Hometime Hero. Instead of building his empire in a massive tech hub, Nikky moved his factory right back to his village in Bihar. This move created dignified local jobs and actually stopped the migration of youth leaving the village for city work.

What’s Next: A sneak peek at an affordable, modular housing that can be assembled in 15 minutes for flood-prone areas.
The Founder's Playbook
"Marry the problem, not the product." Ideas are worthless unless they execute on a genuine local problem.

Nail the Customer Service: Never launch a hardware product in a geography where you cannot realistically provide service and maintenance.
Resources & Links
Connect with Nikky Kumar Jha on LinkedIn.

Learn more about the technology at https://saptkrishi.com/products/

The Indian Startup Show has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 70 Tech Startup Podcasts on the web.https://podcast.feedspot.com/tech_startup_podcasts/
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
43 min
June 20Rishi Krishna CEO of Symbionic - On building an assistive tech startup dedicated to building affordable, life-changing prosthetic devices.
Giving People a Second Life! We are thrilled to welcome back Rishi Krishna, the visionary Founder and CEO of Symbionic, for his first appearance since November 2021! A lot has changed since our last conversation.
After losing his right arm in a tragic bus accident in 2018, Rishi channeled his personal adversity into founding Symbionic, an assistive tech startup dedicated to building affordable, life-changing prosthetic devices.
In this episode, we dive deep into the massive pivots the business has undergone, what it really takes to build and scale in India, and how Symbionic is quite literally giving people a second life. Rishi also pulls back the curtain on his recent experiences pitching on Shark Tank India Season 4 and Startup Singham, offering invaluable advice for early-stage founders on navigating the noise, securing finance, AI and finally An inspiring story of delivering a prosthetic to a user just before her wedding, allowing her to celebrate with confidence and without self-consciousness.
🎧 What You'll Hear in This Episode:
The Origin & The Human Impact
The Catalyst: Rishi reflects on the 2018 bus accident that changed his life and sparked the creation of Symbionic in 2019.

Wearing Prosthetics in Public: Overcoming stigma and the emotional reality of living as an amputee.
Building the Tech & The Business
Engineering Robotic Arms in India: The challenges of R&D, hardware design issues, and combating prosthetic abandonment rates.

The Major Pivot: How the product and the company’s trajectory have drastically evolved since 2021.

Scaling Up: A look at the numbers—revenue targets, distribution channels, and building a robust customer data engine.

The Team: How Rishi's childhood friend, Naranjan, stepped up as Co-Founder and Head of Engineering, and how Rishi’s own role as CEO has shifted over the years.
Pitching, Funding, & The Future
Under the Lights: Behind-the-scenes insights from pitching on Shark Tank India Season 4 and Startup Singham.

Mastering the Pitch: Rishi’s top tips for founders preparing to pitch their startups on television or to investors.

The AI Advantage: The good, the bad, and how Rishi currently spends 60% of his day leveraging AI tools like Claude to streamline operations.
💡 Rishi's Top Advice for First-Time Founders
"In an era where technology makes building products easier, the real challenge is managing the endless possibilities. Figure out exactly what to do, rather than trying to do everything. It is far more effective to perfect one thing than to do many things inadequately."
Persistence is Non-Negotiable: Too many founders pivot or give up at the first sign of a minor obstacle. Stay the course and trust your R&D.

Lean on Your Support System: Success is rarely a solo endeavor. From early collaborators to incubation teams, finding the right support network is crucial to scaling.
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned
Learn more about Symbionic: https://www.symbionic.co/

Watch Rishi on TV: Search for Symbionic Shark Tank India Season 4 or Startup Singham on YouTube/SonyLIV.
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
41 min
June 07Alankar Chandra CEO & Founder of Wild Voyager & Ilora Retreats on Leaving the Corporate World to Build an Experiential Travel Startup
Turning Wanderlust into a Business. Can falling in love with a place completely change the trajectory of your life? For Alankar Chandra, a trip to the Masai Mara did exactly that.
Today, I speak to Alankar Chandra, the CEO and Founder of Wild Voyager and Ilora Retreats. An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Alankar left his comfortable corporate job to pursue his true passions: wildlife and travel.
In this episode, we discuss how he turned his hobby into a thriving experiential travel company, born out of a desire to rekindle a true sense of wonder through authentic adventures.
Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a travel enthusiast, Alankar’s journey from having zero background in the travel industry to building a successful business is packed with incredible insights.
In this episode, we discuss:
The Lightbulb Moment: How falling in love with the Masai Mara inspired him to leave the corporate world behind.

Starting from Scratch: Navigating the industry without a travel background and treating the first year as a "discovery phase."

Building the Business: Effective marketing strategies, getting early customers, and lessons learned from what didn't work.

Team Dynamics: The challenges of hiring and retaining great staff.

Founder Life: What a typical day looks like and the realities of being a solo founder.

The Travel Industry: Dealing with competition, prioritizing sustainability in tourism, and exciting expeditions like tracking snow leopards.

What's Next: Exciting future plans for Wild Voyager and Ilora Retreats.
Please enjoy the show!
Links
https://www.wildvoyager.com/
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
23 min
February 14Nishant Sharma founder & CEO of Rutland Square Spirits on building a fast-growing premium spirits brand.
The India–Scotland Entrepreneurial Journey! Today’s guest is Nishant Sharma. the Indian-born, Edinburgh-based entrepreneur whose company blends Indian heritage with Scottish craftsmanship. Nishant’s story is one of resilience, legacy and bold reinvention.
After leaving a successful career in financial services, he set out to build a brand with long-term meaning. Inspired by his late grandmother — and a family history that traces back to his great-grandfather becoming a whisky distiller during the British Raj — he brought his Assam roots into the heart of Scotland’s spirits industry.
The journey, however, was anything but smooth. At one point, the business had just £25 in the bank with major bills due. The stress led to a near-fatal heart attack at just 35. He survived. Rebuilt. And came back stronger. In this episode, we discuss building a global spirits brand against the odds. Operating in highly regulated markets; India's complicated relationship with alcohol, building a global brand. Great advice for first time founders. Why ignorance can be bliss; raising investment; and even how to drink it — ice or no ice? And finally… if India plays Scotland at cricket, who is he supporting?
We also talk about:
Growing up in India and moving to Scotland
First impressions of Scotland: cold, rainy… but kind people
Working as a waiter, dishwasher and cleaner in Glasgow
The family whisky connection during the British Raj
Why he chose spirits
Spending 4 years perfecting the recipe
Creating the world’s first oolong white tea infused chai-spice spirit
Why 2021 failed… and why 2022 failed again
building without industry experience
Building a global premium brand in a crowded market
Expanding into India — why it’s not for the faint-hearted
The aspirational Indian consumer market
Links
https://rutlandsquare.com/
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
29 min
January 28 Kanupriya Poddar, CEO of MagickWorld on building India’s first travel platform for kids.
Reinventing Kids Hospitality in India. Today my guest is Kanupriya Poddar, CEO of MagickWorld. She is building a platform to help parents discover kid-friendly stays, experiences, shops, and enrichment services across cities. In this episode, she shares how she launched MagickWorld alongside her 8-year-old daughter (a mini-entrepreneur, Shark Tank fan, business mindset!), onboarded 100+ local businesses within two months of soft launch, and cracking the distribution model. She reflects on lessons from her McKinsey background, explains why she prefers top-down strategy over bottom-up execution, and talks about bootstrapping, investor interest, the pressure of startup life , and staying grounded with advice from her father. And finally she shares must visit Jaipur recommendations, including places to see, do, and eat, along with advice for anyone considering leaving a corporate career to build a startup and much more!
In this episode we talk about:
🚀 Building MagickWorld
Creating the world’s first kids-focused lifestyle & travel ecosystem
The problem MagickWorld is solving for parents & families
Launching with a free directory model
Onboarding 100+ local businesses in 2 months
Cracking distribution and early customer acquisition
Managing supply & demand in a two-sided marketplace
👩‍💼 Founder Journey
Going from McKinsey to startup life
Lessons learned from McKinsey: simplifying complexity
Tackling “elephants in the room” in business
Bootstrapping vs investor interest
Managing early-stage pressure
Getting advice from her father
Building a startup while raising an 8-year-old daughter
Her daughter as a mini-entrepreneur (Shark Tank fan, business mindset)
🧠 Strategy & Product Thinking
Top-down vs bottom-up strategy — and why she prefers top-down
Developing the product roadmap
Pricing & discovery challenges for small businesses
Pay-to-play discovery vs affordable visibility
Solving real customer problem statements
🤖 AI, Tech & Future Vision
Being optimistic about AI
Building an AI recommendation bot
The future of kids hospitality & family travel
What hospitality in India looks like in 2026
🌏 Geography, Culture & Hospitality
Running hospitality businesses in Singapore & India
Why Indians are great at hospitality globally
Why Jaipur is the hospitality capital of India
Staying in Jaipur instead of moving to Bangalore
Jaipur’s rise in tech talent & innovation
Predictions for Jaipur in the next 5–10 years
🍽️ Jaipur Recommendations
Best things to see, do, and experience
Weekend itinerary ideas
Food & restaurant recommendations
Why she’s obsessed with Jaipur’s culture and energy
💡 Advice & Takeaways
Advice for people thinking of quitting corporate jobs to start a company
Hiring strategy: young talent & unconventional thinkers
Staying resilient as a founder
Links
https://magickworld.in/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@magickworldindia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magickworldindia

Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/magickworld

LinkedIn: @magickworld
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
42 min
January 19Ritesh Arora, Co-Founder of TRU.BIKE, on building India’s first global bicycle brand.
Building a global brand from India. Today my guest is Ritesh Arora, Co-Founder of TRU.BIKE, TRU.BIKE designs premium, lightweight and safe bicycles for children, and is now exporting e-bikes to Europe.
In this episode he talks about why India, despite being the second-largest bicycle manufacturer, has no global brand, and how TRU.BIKE is changing that.
Ritesh shares their journey from bootstrapping in year one to raising funds, achieving product–market fit, and growing fast. He talks about building a strong marketing engine.
Being mentally prepared for the startup journey. Why your first hire should be a finance person. He talks about taking Indian products global that comes from a deep sense of patriotism and finally some great book recommendations and much more.
In this episode he talk about
Bootstrapping.
His Co-founders.
Competing in a crowded market (and why you shouldn’t overthink it)
The primitive nature of India’s domestic bicycle market.
Attending global bicycle exhibitions.
Maintaining quality standards and pricing correctly.
Opening retail stores.
Why bikes aren’t e-commerce friendly and how they overcame that!
What excites Ritesh most about the future.
And much more
Links
https://tru.bike/
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
30 min
March 05, 2025Saurabh Nigam, author of People-Powered Startups: Building a Culture of Collaboration, Innovation, and High Performance.
In this episode, I sit down with Saurabh Nigam—HR leader, angel investor, and author of People-Powered Startups: Building a Culture of Collaboration, Innovation, and High Performance.
With over two decades of experience, Saurabh shares actionable insights on building a thriving startup culture, avoiding common HR mistakes, and hiring the right people at the right time.
We dive into: Why startups struggle with HR—and how to fix it. The role of AI in recruitment. How to retain top talent and manage toxic high performers. Managing mental wellness in a high-growth startup environment. The three non-negotiables in any startup culture. Red flags that indicate a new hire isn’t working out. The best time to hire your first HR professional and much more.
In this conversation we talk about:
How Saurabh became a LinkedIn Top Voice and his strategy for success
Top HR Skills: Why empathy and resilience are key traits for success
Remote Work: Myths and best practices for building a distributed team
Giving Tough Feedback: How to deliver criticism without demotivating employees
Angel Investing in HR Tech: What Saurabh looks for in a startup
Links
https://www.amazon.in/dp/0143473743
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
36 min
February 27, 2025From Mumbai to NYC: Leia Tyebjee on Building Pylot Studios, a global platform empowering emerging artists
Showcasing emerging artists—today, my guest is Leia Tyebjee, co-founder of Pylot Studios, an interdisciplinary creative platform dedicated to artistic design, curation, and community engagement. In this episode, we discuss the challenges of creating spaces for artists, breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry, and how Pylot Studios is redefining art curation. Leia also shares her thoughts on AI in art, mistakes emerging artists make, the importance of community, and why she still chooses to work with film photography in the digital age. And finally, we talk bananas, interesting first impressions of New York, travel photography tips, and much more!
In this episode we talk about:
The Birth of Pylot Studios – From a coffee-fueled idea in 2019 to a thriving creative platform
The Problem They’re Solving – Helping artists find space and opportunities to showcase their work
The Hardest Part of Curation – Reaching out, building trust, and bringing themes to life
Leia’s Background – From Mumbai to New York, studying photography, and her artistic influences
Why She Still Shoots on Film – The tactile, immersive experience of analog photography
Photography Trips & Creative Rituals – Habits that fuel her artistic process
Mistakes Emerging Artists Make – And how to navigate the art world more effectively
Art & Technology – Thoughts on AI’s impact on creativity
Breaking Barriers – Navigating a male-dominated industry and standing up for yourself
The $6.2M Banana?! – The wild side of the contemporary art world
Building Community – How to start from scratch, make connections, and find your creative tribe
and much more
Links
Pylot Studios Website
Pylot Studios Instagram - @pylotstudios
Leia Tyebjee Instagram - @leiatyebjee
Yitzhak Franco Instagram - @__ytzk__
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
31 min
November 25, 2024Indie Hacker Special: Piyush Patel founder of AmplifyX Labs on Building Micro-SaaS, Bootstrapping, and Scaling.
Indie Hacker Special! I speak to Piyush Patel, the founder of AmplifyX Labs and a prominent voice in the micro-SaaS and indie hacking space. From bootstrapping projects to building in public and exploring AI-powered tools, Piyush shares invaluable insights into his personal journey, product development strategies, getting your first customers and the future of micro-SaaS. This episode is packed with actionable advice for aspiring indie hackers, developers, and entrepreneurs who want to build and scale meaningful projects without funding. He also shares how numerology and astrology influence both his personal and business decisions, and reveals the surprising story of how he used Bumble to gain new customers!
in this conversation we talk:
Why most people don’t know what indie hacking is, and how the small but vibrant community in India is shaping the space.
Piyush's step-by-step ideation process for identifying and validating product ideas.
Building Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and finding your first customers without breaking the bank.
Common mistakes to avoid when developing and scaling a micro-SaaS product.
The key strategies Piyush uses to scale his projects while staying bootstrapped.
Why he prioritizes “selling before building” and “distribution before product” as the foundation for success.
Navigating tough calls, feature prioritization, and knowing when to pivot or shut down a project.
His thoughts on the rise of "AI for X" products and how indie developers can leverage AI to innovate.
Opportunities and threats AI presents for the indie hacking community.
Learning from failure and building emotional resilience as a bootstrapped founder.
Tips for indie developers to build their personal brand on YouTube and social media.
How to prioritize marketing efforts across channels like SEO, Meta, TikTok, and email marketing.
Why networking is crucial for indie developers and Piyush’s advice for making meaningful connections.
How public speaking has helped him grow personally and professionally, with tips for beginners.
Where Piyush sees the micro-SaaS industry heading in the next 5–10 years.
Advice for aspiring indie hackers: Qualities you need, mistakes to avoid, and how to stay motivated.
What he would do differently if he had to start over from scratch.
and much more!
Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/whatsuppiyush/
https://bento.me/whatsuppiyush
https://x.com/WhatsUpPiyush
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
42 min
November 17, 2024From Spicy Dreams to Market Domination: Mikhel Rajani co-founder of Naagin Sauce on building India’s No.1 hot sauce brand.
Chicken and hot sauce are a match made in heaven! In this episode, II’m joined by Mikhel Rajani, co-founder of Naagin Sauce, India’s first and favourite hot sauce brand. Mikhel and his team spotted a gap in the market about five years ago and have since transformed Naagin Sauce into a household name, now partnering with KFC India and reaching both domestic and international customers.
We dive deep into the story of building Naagin Sauce and what it takes to pioneer a brand in an untapped market. Here's what we cover:
Why India didn’t have a hot sauce brand before Naagin and how they championed Indian Ghost Chillies.
The challenges of being first movers in the market—and how they overcame the heat, both figuratively and literally.
Creating and testing recipes that balanced nostalgia and innovation.
Mikhel’s insights from 15 years in the F&B industry: branding, marketing, and growing a team from 3 to 50 employees.
His hiring philosophy: "Loyalty over certificates."
Overcoming the challenges of Covid, raising funding, and why every business idea should be stress-tested by smarter people who can punch holes in it.
We also touch on fascinating behind-the-scenes stories:
The quirky inspiration for the brand name, involving cricket and the iconic "Naagin dance."
Mikhel’s preference for low-key launches instead of flashy events.
His incredible marketing innovations, including the world’s first pizza delivery by drone in 2012, which was featured on BBC and CNBC.
Mikhel also shares valuable advice for founders:
Why India is not for beginners, and how to handle 100 rejections without taking them personally.
How his management style has evolved over the years and why documenting mistakes is crucial for growth.
Practical tips on working with co-founders and maintaining healthy partnerships.
Finally, Mikhel’s closing advice for first-time founders:
“Don’t accept defeat. There will always be someone willing to help you on your journey.”
Links
https://www.naaginsauce.com/
The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil Patel
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes
https://www.indianstartupshow.com/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@indianstartupshow
Music by Punch Deck.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
35 min