Throughout the early years of my career, I longed for freedom—both financial freedom and the ability to control how I spent my time. This was something I couldn’t achieve while working for others. When I eventually took the leap into entrepreneurship, I was determined to create that same freedom for my employees and stakeholders.
Today, seeing Hearty Mart empower rural youth—many of whom didn’t have the opportunity to receive a good education or complete their studies—brings me immense satisfaction. These individuals, who once had no option but to work as daily wage laborers in the industrial estate near their village, now hold key managerial positions at Hearty Mart and are successfully running the show.
This transformation is, for me, the most rewarding aspect of my business. It’s a constant source of motivation to keep pushing forward and striving for even greater impact.
Today, seeing Hearty Mart empower rural youth—many of whom didn’t have the opportunity to receive a good education or complete their studies—brings me immense satisfaction. These individuals, who once had no option but to work as daily wage laborers in the industrial estate near their village, now hold key managerial positions at Hearty Mart and are successfully running the show.
This transformation is, for me, the most rewarding aspect of my business. It’s a constant source of motivation to keep pushing forward and striving for even greater impact.
The eChai Effect - In Their Words
"I have evolved from role of Community Builder to Startup Consultant to Startup Ecosystem Enabler to Angel Investor and now launching a Venture Studio and eChai has been a catalyst in my overall journey as Startup Evangelist since 13 years."
Mehul Shah
Co-Founder at Counselvise & Ivy Growth
"I attended my first eChai event 3 yrs back, and no one knew me in the market. Over the next three years, eChai didn’t only help me with knowledge or networking, but it gave me an identity from being unknown to now being recognized by a group of inspirational entrepreneurs connected with eChai, who have been gracious enough to acknowledge me and Digipple."
Viraj Rajani
Co-Founder, Digipple
“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
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.
