International Men's Day 2023: Celebrating India’s Leading Entrepreneurial Superheroes

International Men’s Day is celebrated worldwide on November 19 to highlight the essential values men bring to their families, communities, and the wider world. And who better to learn exemplary values from than an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurs show that it requires hard work, passion, bravery, and resilience to start a venture and not just good luck and green bills. This International Men’s Day, let's look at the success stories of some of India's leading entrepreneurs who can encourage you to take the leap in your own entrepreneurial journey.  

Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal (Founders – Flipkart)  

Sachin and Binny Bansal, former Amazon employees, initially started Flipkart as an online bookstore in 2007. At that time, online shopping was a distant dream in India. Soon, their hard work and perseverance steered the platform to revolutionise the country's retail industry. They capitalised on the increasing traction of e-commerce and guided Flipkart to become one of the first unicorn startups in India.  

Their hard work and perseverance led the platform to revolutionise the country's retail industry with exclusive product launches and features. Flipkart's success soon reached global heights, inviting investments and partnerships from tech giants and reshaping India's online shopping trends.  

Mukesh Bansal, Ashutosh Lawania, & Vineet Saxena (Co-founders, Myntra)

Founded in 2007 by Mukesh Bansal, Ashutosh Lawania, and Vineet Saxena, Myntra initially started as an online personalised gift shop before becoming a fashion-centric platform. The founders’ commitment laid the groundwork for Myntra's record success, ultimately leading to a strategic acquisition by Flipkart in 2014.  

This partnership provided Myntra with better resources and market reach and further propelled its growth. Myntra raised over $534 Million from over 14 funding rounds, had a Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) of $800 Million as of January 2016, and continues to set new revenue records till date.  

Vidit Aatrey & Sanjeev Barnwal (Co-founders – Meesho)

In 2015, IIT Delhi alumni Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal founded Meesho, which was initially known as FASHNEAR. Initially, the platform focused on local fashion goods but soon underwent a transformation when the founders observed flaws in its model. By the end of 2015, it was rebranded as ‘Meesho.’  

In August 2023, Meesho made headlines as India's first profitable horizontal e-commerce company for processing over a billion orders in FY22, with 85% from repeat customers. After joining the unicorn club in April 2021 with a $300 Million investment, Meesho’s valuation soared to $5 Billion by March 2022.  

Bhavish Aggarwal (Founder – Ola Electric, Co-founder – Ola Cabs)

Bhavish Aggarwal is renowned for revolutionising India's ride-sharing landscape with the launch of Ola in 2010. After putting down his papers at a well-paying job at Microsoft, Aggarwal faced widespread scepticism. Nonetheless, he persisted in his dream, making Ola a household name in over 250 cities worldwide.  

Soon, Ola emerged as one of the most popular ride-hailing and sharing platforms in India. In Forbes' 2015 list of India's wealthiest individuals, he was the youngest entrepreneur to secure a position along with cofounder Ankit Bhati.  

Deepinder Goyal & Pankaj Chaddah (Co-founders – Zomato)

Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah co-founded Zomato in 2008 with a dream to become a stalwart in India's restaurant industry. They started small, in Goyal's Delhi apartment. But Zomato swiftly gained traction, rapidly climbing to become one of the world's largest restaurant discovery platforms.  

With over 5 crore users and around 10 lakh restaurants listed, Zomato operates in 22 countries and aims to further spread its wings. Goyal and Chaddah’s journey showcases that anyone can build a business from scratch and make it a global success.  

Nandan Reddy, Rahul Jaimini, & Sriharsha Majety (Co-founders – Swiggy)

Founded in 2014 by Sriharsha Majety, Nandan Reddy, and Rahul Jaimini, Swiggy has expanded its services to over 500 cities, delivering food, groceries, and liquor. Inspired by the success of Ola and Uber, the entrepreneurial trio identified a massive potential in India's niche hyperlocal markets.  

Starting with just 25 restaurants and 6 delivery boys, today, Swiggy connects consumers to over 10 lakh restaurant partners and operates in over 200 Indian cities. It was valued at $45.76 Million as of March 31, 2023, backed by investments worth $76.78 Million.  

Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Founder – Paytm)

In August 2010, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, a resident of Aligarh and a graduate of Delhi College of Engineering, founded Paytm. Sharma's entrepreneurial journey began with a $2 Million investment in One97, Paytm's parent company. Paytm introduced mobile wallet access, gaining popularity for simplified bill payments and seamless payments via QR codes.  

With services like debit cards and a payment gateway, Paytm became synonymous with digital payments in India. Vijay Shekhar Sharma's story inspires budding entrepreneurs by demonstrating the potential for success through hard work and a willingness to take risks.  

Kunal Shah (Founder – CRED)

Another notable figure in the Indian startup scene, Kunal Shah, the founder of CRED, commenced his entrepreneurial journey in 2015. He co-founded a company called Freecharge, which was eventually sold to Snapdeal for $400 Million. 3 years later, he displayed his innovation with CRED, a revolutionary change to traditional credit card payment management that boasts over 5 million users today.  

Originally an MBA dropout from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Shah's success story is complemented by that of CRED. The company's valuation reached $6.4 Billion after securing $140 Million in funding in June 2022.

This International Men's Day, use these inspiring success stories to fuel your aspirations and draw motivation from these triumphs to spark your own entrepreneurial journey. Whether starting fresh or expanding an existing venture, your journey will require financial support. For this, you can consider a Business Loan from Bajaj Markets, and secure up to ₹50 Lakhs with flexible repayment tenures and affordable interest rates starting from 12% p.a. Elevate your entrepreneurial journey with benefits like simple eligibility criteria, instant approval, and quick disbursal, with Business Loans on Bajaj Markets !