Startup Pedia

Ever lost an important warranty card and struggled to get support? That’s exactly what happened to techie Sachin Chaugule—except it cost him a flight back to India just to get his product repaired. In 2014, while living in Malaysia, he faced a frustrating issue. His electronic product had a valid warranty, but the company refused to accept a photocopy. He told Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview that this was when he realized how outdated warranty management was. Determined to change this, he teamed up with Vaikunth Raul, his ex-colleague and friend, and together they built eWarranty Solutions. It is a QR-based digital warranty platform that eliminates the need for physical documents. Sachin, the co-founder, left his high-paying, seven-figure salary job to revolutionize the warranty system through eWarranty Solutions. With eWarranty, manufacturers can upload product details and generate QR codes that consumers can scan to activate warranties, upload invoices, and access product information—all in one place. The platform also provides real-time sales insights, product recall tracking, and extended warranties, making it a game-changer for businesses. Launched in 2022, eWarranty Solutions is already used by over 100 manufacturers, and the founders aim to scale to 5,000+ clients within three years. With a ₹1,000 crore revenue goal, they believe they are on the path to achieving unicorn status. Sachin’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. From working as an ironer and tutor to leaving behind a high-paying corporate job, he took a leap of faith to build eWarranty. He credits his wife’s unwavering support for making this dream possible. As the co-founder of eWarranty puts it in his Startup Pedia interview: "If you want to go somewhere, you need to leave from somewhere." Would you switch to digital warranties? Tell us in the comments! 👇 Website: https://ewarrantysolutions.com/ #eWarranty #StartupPedia #DigitalTransformation #QRcode #StartupJourney #Innovation

Zepto Café, a rapidly emerging player in India's quick-service restaurant (QSR) market, has shown significant growth by achieving 100,000 orders per day. This milestone was hit within two weeks of reaching the 75,000 daily orders mark. This accomplishment puts the QSR on track to reach an annualised Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) run rate of $100 million, indicating remarkable growth in a cutthroat industry. Zepto Café has established itself as a strong rival to well-known QSR chains in India, with an estimated steady-state gross margin of about 50%. Despite being a newcomer, Zepto Café is already capturing significant market share in the QSR industry. CEO Aadit Palicha shared that it is already producing over 10% of the order volume that some of the biggest QSR chains in India receive. This rapid rise demonstrates how well the business operates and how successful its consumer engagement strategies are. Despite the difficulties along the way, Zepto Café's management is upbeat and committed to its ultimate goal - revolutionizing the QSR landscape in India. “Miles to go before we sleep, but I believe this is the beginning of a revolution in India's QSR industry,” shared CEO Aadit Palicha on LinkedIn. Zepto is up against strong rivals in the 10-minute food delivery market, including Zomato-owned Blinkit and Swiggy, both of which have introduced their own quick meal delivery services. Due to increased competition from Swiggy Bolt and Accel-backed Swish, Zomato is also looking into similar services. All that being said, the future of the company looks promising, with plans to expand further into new markets and continue scaling its operations. As other food delivery companies face increasing pressure to adapt to the growing demand, Zepto Café’s ability to execute its vision may place it at the forefront of India’s QSR revolution. #startuppedia #startup #zepto #zeptocafe #qsr #mealdelivery

When millions of devotees are taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam, a man has come up with an unusual “startup” idea of a "digital photo snan" (holy dip) service for those who cannot attend the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. In a video shared on social media, Prayagraj-based Deepak Goyal claims his startup, “Prayag Enterprises” serves by purifying the souls of the remote devotees by immersing a photocopy of their picture in the sacred waters for Rs 1,100. Goyal explains his "startup" business, telling devotees to send their photos on WhatsApp, the printouts of which will then be dipped in the holy water within 24 hours of the payment transaction. User Akash Banerjee shared the video on Instagram with the caption: "Next Level AI Idea Next Unicorn Company Spotted. " This video has turned viral with 124,000 likes and over 4.3 million views. An Instagram user commented, "China has DeepSeek, so what we have DeepSnaan.” "The fact that this is not satire or comedy," wrote another. "Now that is called 'DIGITAL INDIA'," remarked a third user. "I am not lying... just a week earlier I was thinking someone can start a business like this," another individual commented. One user said, "Unemployment has reached a new level and so is start up ventures ... innovation." "Don't hate on him, he's simply cashing out an opportunity. I'd have done the same," admitted another. The world's largest religious festival, Maha Kumbh Mela started on January 13 and is set to conclude on Wednesday, February 26 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. It is considered a sacred event by the Hindus uniting millions of followers who take a dip at the Triveni Sangam - the confluence of the three holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati. Till now, several dignitaries, including the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Governors and Chief Ministers from various states of India, the King of Bhutan, foreign diplomats, leading industrialists, and renowned film personalities have taken a holy dip in the Sangam. #startuppedia #startup #mahakumbh #startupidea

The Maharashtra Cyber Cell has issued a show cause notice to Zomato's ticketing platform for selling tickets to popular singer Honey Singh's concert without mentioning the buyer's name. According to sources, the Cyber Cell wants a justification as to why the concert tickets were sold without identifying the buyers. [Source: NDTV] The action comes after the recent alleged ticket black-marketing case during the British band Coldplay's concert. A Mumbai-based lawyer filed a complaint against BookMyShow, accusing them of facilitating the unauthorised resale of tickets for the much-awaited Coldplay concert at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai in January this year. Authorities started scrutinising all ticketing platforms from then on. Now, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell is about to investigate whether Zomato had violated any ticketing regulations or posed security risks. Honey Singh is making a comeback after staying away from the limelight for years, and has announced one of his biggest tours, the 'Millionaire India Tour'. The musician will cover 10 cities across India as part of this tour between February and March 2025. The tickets for Honey Singh’s 'Millionaire India Tour' are available on Zomato and Insider.in. #startuppedia #startup #zomato #honeysingh

An advertisement published by the Ritesh Agarwal-led OYO has landed the hospitality giant in controversy. According to the Financial Express, OYO had published a half-page advertisement in a Hindi newspaper. It has allegedly hurt people's religious sentiments. In its promotional campaign, OYO featured a tagline: “Bhagwan Har Jagah Hai. Aur OYO Bhi.” (Meaning: God is everywhere and so is OYO). Comparing the hospitality giant’s presence across the country to God’s omnipresence was perceived as an insult by some Hindu groups in the country. OYO faced a social media outrage for its promotional campaign. Numerous netizens and Hindu organizations called for the giant’s boycott and even demanded an apology. The hashtag #BoycottOYO started trending across social media platforms. One user wrote, “OYO has attacked Hindu faith! How dare they compare themselves to God? Apologize immediately and remove this ridiculous ad, or OYO will face protests in every city!” Other people also resonated with the same sentiments and asked for the advertisement’s removal as well as an official statement by the company. The promotional campaign wasn’t the only point of contention on social media. The controversy found its way to the hospitality giant’s logo. In a past interview, founder Ritesh Agarwal had said that the giant’s logo design was inspired by the deity Lord Jagannath—the two ‘O’s represent the deity’s eyes and the ‘Y’ represents the deity’s nose. Religious groups in the country were angered by the same and have demanded that OYO issue a clarification and even reevaluate its branding. Critics on social media believe that sacred pictures should not be utilized for commercial branding. They called it inappropriate and disrespectful. #startuppedia #startup #oyo #hotelchain #hospitalityindustry #riteshagarwal

Recently, OYO CEO Ritesh Agarwal shared a video of an interview on Instagram, where he talks about listening to a pitch amid the emergency of using the plane toilet. In the interview, the entrepreneur is seen talking about listening to startup pitches at the most unexpected places including a waiting queue to use the washroom on a flight. “You know startup fever is real when you get pitched regardless of the situation! But honestly, I love the passion and trust young entrepreneurs place in me. If you’re obsessed with your idea, pitch anywhere, anytime,” Agarwal said. Once while travelling aboard and waiting outside the plane’s loo, Ritesh was approached by someone who wanted to present a pitch. After the discussion was over as Ritesh was about to enter the toilet, he was stopped by another person. The CEO of India’s leading hospitality chain humorously added that he had to ask the person to wait by saying, “Mujhe badi tez aayi.” An individual commented on the post, “I have utmost respect for you but I was just wondering Recently oyo has been associated with not so good family stay hotels ,what are you doing to target this issue ? And do you really stay in oyo hotel when you travel for holidays or you go for premium hotels like Marriott Accor etc ?” Another wrote, “That's because you are a very humble guy.” A third individual wrote, “Sharks or bhi bhut h pr aapki baat alag h.” Ritesh Agarwal is one of the Top 10 youngest Indian billionaires according to the Hurun Rich List of India 2024. #startuppedia #startup #oyo #startupfever #startupfounder

Vidit Aatrey, Co-founder and CEO of Indian e-commerce company Meesho at the Invest Karnataka event in Bengaluru, remarked that while quick commerce has achieved a product-market fit in the country, its appeal remains restricted to certain categories and a specific consumer base. “There are people buying things from this segment, but it is limited to certain categories, driven primarily by the need for speed,” Aatrey said. “Consumers who prioritise convenience are willing to pay a premium, a platform fee, or a convenience fee. However, the majority of India is not willing to do that—and that’s the real gap we are working to bridge.” He further claimed that Meesho has a unique vision. “Our goal has never been just to solve for convenience, as there have always been players addressing that need, both in the past and today,” Aatrey said. “Many people in Tier-1 cities were shopping on Amazon primarily because of its speed—one-day delivery, same-day delivery. Instead, our focus has always been on bringing the majority of the country online—both consumers and small businesses,” he added. For India’s popular brand Meesho, the USP are affordability and accessibility, rather than ultra-fast deliveries. Incidentally, SoftBank-backed e-tailer Meesho has launched a dedicated platform for content commerce. Meesho’s new platform, Creator Club, will allow content creators to directly collaborate with sellers on Meesho and monetise their content. Content commerce entails creating and distributing content such as videos, social media posts or blog posts, to educate and engage potential customers, driving them to transact on e-commerce platforms. In 2024, Meesho recorded a three-fold increase in order volume on its platform while testing content commerce. #startuppedia #startup #meesho #quickcommerce

Three sources familiar with the matter said Alphabet Inc's Google is close to deciding on locations in India, where it will open its first-ever physical retail stores outside the United States. Google counts India as a key growth market and has already committed to investing $10 billion in the country. Currently, the tech giant has only five physical retail stores for its products such as Pixel phones, watches and earbuds, all in the United States. Google is in the advanced stages of finalising locations in or around New Delhi, and Mumbai. According to sources, the stores could be around 15,000 square feet and will take at least another six months to open, though the timeline could change. [Source: Firstpost] The IT hub of Bengaluru was also considered, but New Delhi and Mumbai are the frontrunners, the source mentioned. "The idea is to compete with Apple ... especially to target the luxury segment," said the person, adding more stores will be considered if the initial ones do well. Google has not yet commented on the matter. Currently, Google sells its products in India through authorised retailers, as does Apple. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited India in 2023 to open its first company-run stores in Mumbai, followed by New Delhi. Evidently, Google is following the retail strategy of its rival, Apple Inc which has 500 plus stores worldwide. Prices of Pixel phones in India range between $370 and $2,000 for top-end models, while for Apple's iPhones, it ranges between $520-$2,130. Incidentally, the tech leader Google has also started making Pixel smartphones in India. #startuppedia #startup #apple #google #businessnews #googlestore

On February 19, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce a “quantum breakthrough” made by the tech company. This marks the launch of Majorana 1, a quantum processing unit (QPU). According to The Times of India, Microsoft claims that the Majorana 1 is the world's first quantum processing unit built on a topological core. It is powered by a state of matter that is newly discovered. In his post on X, CEO Satya Nadella wrote, “Most of us grew up learning there are three main types of matter that matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Today, that changed.” He explained that Microsoft has developed an entirely new state of matter that is unlocked by topoconductors, a new class of materials. They have the capability to enable a “fundamental leap in computing.” It took nearly 20 years to create this new state of matter. Qubits are the building blocks of quantum computers. But for a long time, they've inhibited the growth of quantum computing. This is because they are very unstable and can function reliably only in extreme conditions like near-zero temperatures. According to Microsoft, the company's new topoconductor approach creates a more stable foundation for qubits. Microsoft claims that Majorana 1 quantum processing unit is highly compact and can fit in the palm of someone's hand. Yet, it is capable of functioning more powerfully than all the computers on Earth combined. The Microsoft CEO wrote, “Imagine a chip that can fit in the palm of your hand yet is capable of solving problems that even all the computers on Earth today combined could not!” He concluded by stating, “It’s not about hyping tech; it’s about building technology that truly serves the world.” #startuppedia #startup #microsoft #satyanadella #microchip

In an interview with Fox News aired Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that it would be "unfair" to the United States if Tesla were to establish a factory in India in order to get around that nation's tariffs. India & Tesla have been in discussion on and off for years now, but Tesla never made a move due to India’s high import tariffs. Right after PM Modi's meeting with President Trump and Elon Musk in Washington last week, Tesla has renewed its interest in India. Elon Musk's Tesla Inc. took a big step towards its eagerly anticipated debut in the Indian market by advertising 13 positions in Delhi and Mumbai at the beginning of this week. During the interview with Fox News, US President Trump reiterated his steadfast position on global exploitation of the US through tariffs. "...every country in the world takes advantage of us, and they do it with tariffs. They make — make it — it's impossible for him to sell a car, practically, in, as an example, India. I don't know if that's true or not, but I think —" President Trump said during the interview. Musk verified this by saying, "The tariffs are like 100% import duty," to which Trump concurred, describing the tariffs as "so high." Both Musk and US President Donald Trump have previously voiced their worries regarding India's high import taxes on automobiles. "Now, if he built the factory in India, that's okay, but that's unfair to the US. It's very unfair," Trump said in the interview about Elon Musk-led Tesla potentially setting up a factory in India. #startuppedia #startup #pmmodi #elonmusk #tesla #trumph

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu remarked that India should decline all forms of foreign aid, following reports that stated USAID (the United States Agency for International Development) had allocated millions of dollars for electoral processes in the country. “India should decline all foreign ‘aid’ as a matter of principle. This policy is also good for US (and Western) taxpayers,” Vembu wrote in a post on X. Incidentally, US President Donald Trump questioned the former administration’s decision to allocate $21 million to “increase voter turnout” in India. At the FII Priority Summit in Miami, Trump said, “Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they (Biden administration) were trying to get somebody else elected. This is a total breakthrough.” The US President pointed out that India is financially strong and among the “highest-taxing” countries in the world. The controversy flared up after the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, announced the cancellation of several international funding programs, including the $21 million designated for voter turnout efforts in India. As disclosed, the decision of the former US government was part of a broader rollback of US-funded initiatives, including $29 million for “strengthening the political landscape” in Bangladesh, $39 million for “fiscal federalism and biodiversity conservation” in Nepal, and $47 million for “improving learning outcomes in Asia.” Recently, eminent economist Sanjeev Sanyal called USAID “the biggest scam in human history.” In a post on X, he wrote, “Would love to find out who received the US$21mn spent to improve ‘voter turnout in India’ and the US$29mn to ‘strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh’; not to mention the US$29mn spent to improve ‘fiscal federalism’ in Nepal.” #startuppedia #startup #zoho

India’s renowned award-winning nutrition expert, Rujuta Diwekar has slammed Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s remark praising Singapore’s no-kitchen culture. "Do not listen to rich boys; eating at home is a healthy practice. One that can prevent many diseases, lead to sharing between communities, and deepen bonds of love and security," the dietician tweeted without taking any names. Recently, Nikhil Kamath shared on platform X, “I was in Singapore this week; most I met said they never cook at home, and others don’t have a kitchen.” The Zerodha boss said India still lacks large-scale restaurant brands comparable to those in Southeast Asia. He pointed out that only 30 per cent of India’s food industry is organised compared to 55 per cent in the US. “If India were to follow this trend, investing/opening restaurants would be a massive opportunity, but we don’t have restaurant brands that have close to the scale Southeast Asian chains do. What’s different in our consumption behaviour? And will this change say when GDP per capita crosses 5K USD, and labour costs increase?" Kamath wrote. Meanwhile, expert Rujuta Diwekar said, "Learn to cook. Practice it often. Irrespective of gender, age, or income. #gharkakhana (home-cooked meal),” she added. The winner of the 'Nutrition Award' from the Asian Institute Of Gastroenterology, Diwekar is amongst the most qualified and sought-after sports science and nutrition experts in the country, and the only nutritionist to have an associate membership from Sports Dieticians, in Australia. Netizens have supported Diwekar on X. A user commented, “Absolutely. Ghar ka khana is indeed the most healthy choice you can make for yourself.” Another remarked, “Rich boys also advised live on rent while buying their own home.” A third individual wrote, “Rich boys are discovering singapore now and thinking it’s the panacea for India’s woes.” #startuppedia #startup #zerodha #nikhilkamath #foodindustry #packagedfood