Bhagya Panchal - Unit Manager - Sales & Distribution, HDFC Mutual Fund | Ex-Founder, Creative Crunch

Bhagya Panchal

Unit Manager - Sales & Distribution, HDFC Mutual Fund | Ex-Founder, Creative Crunch

I’ve never had a straight-line career.
And honestly, I think that’s my biggest strength.

I started out in marketing experimenting with content, design, social media, and understanding what makes people stop, read, trust, and act. What began as curiosity slowly turned into skill. I learned how brands communicate, how people respond, and how ideas turn into attention.

But life had a different plan.

I moved into sales, and that changed me completely.

Sales teaches you things no classroom will ever touch - persistence, rejection, empathy, listening, reading people, building trust, staying calm, and showing up every single day even when you don’t feel like it. It forces you to understand humans beyond theories.

And somewhere on that path, I discovered finance.

Today, I work in the mutual fund industry - a place where numbers matter, but behaviour matters even more. It’s where I get to see how people think about money, what scares them, what excites them, and what habits shape their future without them even realizing it.

This shift - from marketing to sales to finance - may look random on paper.
But in reality, it all connects.

Marketing taught me communication.
Sales taught me human psychology.
Finance taught me responsibility.
Together, they shaped my identity.

Along the way, I also learned the value of discipline, health, and consistency.
I’m still on that journey - improving step by step, building habits slowly, trying to become someone my future self will thank.

What I really enjoy today is understanding people:
why they buy,
why they delay,
why they fear,
why they switch,
why they trust,
why they decide the way they do.

Money, behaviour, habits, growth - these things fascinate me more than anything.

I’m here to connect with people who are building, experimenting, learning, creating, or simply trying to grow in their own way.

If you’re someone who loves conversations that go deeper than small talk, we’ll get along well.

My journey is still evolving, but one thing is clear -
I’m not chasing a perfect path.
I’m building a meaningful one.

Always learning.
Always improving.
Always open to meeting people who think differently.

Signing up on our website is completely free! If you encounter any issues with profile or notice something unusual, please don't hesitate to report it to us. We're here to help ensure a smooth and secure experience.
Upcoming events in Ahmedabad
Feb
06
Fri
AgriTech Founders Meetup in Ahmedabad
GUSEC
6:30pm — 08:30pm
Feb
07
Sat
Ahmedabad Founders Walk - Riverfront Edition
Riverfront-NID
7:00am — 08:30am
Feb
07
Sat
eChai Women Founders Initiative in Ahmedabad
Venue will be shared with confirmed guests.
11:00am — 01:30pm
Feb
07
Sat
eChai AI Day : Ahmedabad Edition
Upsquare Technologies
5:00pm — 08:00pm
Feb
12
Thu
Climate Startups Meetup : Ahmedabad Edition
GVFL Ahmedabad
6:30pm — 08:30pm
Feb
19
Thu
Ahmedabad Design Meetup
GVFL Ahmedabad
6:30pm — 08:30pm
More stories on eChai

The eChai Effect - In Their Words

“You don’t plan to build a company via eChai. You just keep showing up … and one day, you realize you did.” I’ve known Jatin since 2012, when I was still deciding what kind of second innings I wanted to play as an entrepreneur. Over the years, through events, chai breaks, intros, and seemingly small conversations, eChai helped shape not just Upsquare but also refined the lens through which we see collaboration. At Upsquare, we’ve hired talent, met partners, discovered co-investors, and built lifelong friendships. One of our joint ventures exists today only because a casual eChai memory sparked a deeper trust. Now, as we build House of Starts — our venture builder — eChai continues to fuel our mission: co-creating a shared future. eChai isn’t just a startup network. It’s a trust network. And for business builders like me, that makes all the difference."
Utpal Vaishnav - Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP
Utpal Vaishnav
Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP
"From late-night brainstorming over chai to early morning founder calls, eChai has been more than just a network for me; it’s been home base for ideas, impact, and inspiration. What started as a simple meetup years ago turned into a powerful movement, connecting founders, creators, and dreamers. I’ve had the privilege of seeing startups find product-market fit, marketers (like me) find unexpected collaborations, and most importantly, people finding their tribe. संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं – Let us move together, speak together. It’s not just a verse from the Rigveda — it’s how Jatin and the entire eChai community truly operate. We don’t just network, we grow together. Forever grateful to be a part of the eChai Effect.
Jaydip Parikh - Chief Everything Officer at Tej SolPro
Jaydip Parikh
Chief Everything Officer at Tej SolPro
"eChai has been a game changer in my journey. It connected me with real people, real support and real opportunities. From building HMMBiz to launching Mindalcove, eChai has played a key role at every step. Grateful to be part of a community that truly believes in growing together."
Hardik Manwani - CTO, Mind Alcove
Hardik Manwani
CTO, Mind Alcove

eChai Partner Brands

eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner - working together to explore new ideas, open doors, and build momentum across the startup ecosystem.