Meetup

eChai’s Airport Startup Mixer was held at Pune Airport

Jatin Chaudhary

Co-Founder, eChai Ventures

eChai’s Airport Startup Mixer was held at Pune Airport

Ever reached the airport too early and got bored?

What if, instead of scrolling your phone, you ended up meeting a bunch of interesting folks?

At eChai, we love startup mixers. So we thought - why not bring that experience to the airport?

Few months back, our friend Jaydip Parikh was attending the India SEO Conference in Pune. On his way back, he called and said, “Remember that airport mixer idea? Let’s do it right now.”

And just like that, eChai’s Airport Startup Mixer was born.

Jaydip, along with Amit from AllEvents, Rakesh Patel from SpaceO, Himani from Missive Digital, and many others, turned their wait time into a great networking session. The feedback? Amazing!

Of course, there’s one tiny risk - getting so deep in conversation that you almost miss your flight! But hey, great connections are worth the adventure.

So, next time you’re at the airport early, let us know. We’ll give a shoutout on eChai and see if we can pull off another eChai’s Airport Startup Mixer.

Would you be up for it? Let’s make layovers exciting :-)

https://x.com/jatin10/status/1885196469751423431

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The eChai Effect - In Their Words

“eChai has been that turning point in my journey. It gave me a platform when I wasn’t looking for visibility but needed direction. Over the years, it became more than just a network. It became my tribe; a place where conversations sparked collaborations, and strangers became trusted sounding boards. What I value most is how effortlessly eChai brings people together - no airs, no filters, just genuine people with shared dreams. I owe a lot to this community and to Jatin, whose consistency and belief in people have shaped journeys like mine. Forever grateful to be part of something so real.”

Rushabh Shah

Managing Partner - STIR Advisors

"If there’s one phrase that sums up my journey, it’s truly ‘The eChai Effect.’ Six years ago, I simply walked into my first eChai event, not knowing what to expect. The honest conversations, energy, and inspiration from founders and entrepreneurs struck a chord within me. That eChai spark became the catalyst for everything to follow. I proudly say: my entrepreneurship journey started—and keeps evolving—because of eChai. Redicine Medsol’s story is integrally linked to this community. I’ve gained so much, not just as a founder but as a forever volunteer and grateful member of the eChai family. With all my heart, thank you Jatin Bhai and everyone at eChai for shaping, guiding, and supporting my dreams. The eChai Effect will always be a part of my story."

Kush Prajapati

Founder, Redicine Medsol

“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

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