eChai Wall of Love

I led the marketing track at eChai’s Ahmedabad Startup Day and clarity came up more than campaigns

I led the marketing track at eChai’s Ahmedabad Startup Day and clarity came up more than campaigns
Marketing for Startups ≠ Big Budgets. It’s about Big Clarity.

At the #AhmedabadStartupDay hosted by eChai Ventures and @iHubGujarat , our panel on "Marketing" dived deep into what marketing truly means for startups & or anyone interested in taking "business to a brand".

Some golden nuggets from our speakers :

1. Choose your medium wisely. Tools don’t replace thinking, clarity does. Get feedback from audience and keep improving.

2. Great marketing isn’t about selling a product. It’s about telling a compelling story. Build resonance, not just reach.

3. If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to nobody. Peel the onion, define your real market, and speak to them with relevance.

4. Behaviour before branding. Understand your audience’s motivations, fears, and desires. Anchor your storytelling in their reality.

5. “Does your brand even need a voice?” Maybe it needs empathy first.

6. Embrace AI tools, tinker with it, learn and experiment. The rules of the game are changing, so dont get caught on the wrong foot in the market.

7. Marketing is a bridge between real value and real people. And no, your distribution strategy can’t be an afterthought, content needs proper distribution. Just creating a content piece is not the end but a beginning of your marketing effort.

Thanks to all the brilliant minds and marketeers who joined the discussion.
NEHA SINGH Shrijay Sheth Vani Herlekar Priyanka Challa Kudos to Jatin Chaudhary & @Kunal 
Let’s continue making marketing smarter, not just louder.

O7 panels 
25+investors 
35+speakers 
350+startup founders & enthusiast & insane energy. 


First eChai Women Founders Meetup at J Startup House Sets the Tone for What’s to Come in Jaipur

First eChai Women Founders Meetup at J Startup House Sets the Tone for What’s to Come in Jaipur
We honestly didn’t know how it would go.

The first Echai Women Entrepreneurs Meet in Jaipur was a let’s try and see moment.

But what happened last evening blew us away.

The event wasn’t just successful, it was deeply interactive.

The audience had endless questions. The panelists were vulnerable, raw, and bold.

We had funny moments, inspiring stories, and so many nods from the audience that said, “Yes, I feel that too.”

Alpana ma’am called her son back from his job in Bangalore to build Nuskha with her.

prabjyot is raising 2 sons, 7 and 14 years old and managing her startup like a pro.

CS Radhika Balasaria left Kolkata at the peak of her career, locked herself in a room for 6 months after moving to Jaipur, and now she’s absolutely killing it.

My biggest takeaways

→ You need to have deep passion for your startup. Your customers should feel it.
→ Talk to your customers. Every single day.
→ Decide your priorities daily—some days it's family, some days it's work.
→ Don’t give up. Ever.

Also so happy to see more women in the audience this time. That made my day.

This was just the beginning. Jaipur has so many powerful women building quietly, we’re here to make more noise now.

Until next time!

J Startup HouseeChai Ventures l Jatin Chaudhary

Celebrating 10 Years of LegalWiz.in and the eChai Connections That Made It Personal

Celebrating 10 Years of LegalWiz.in and the eChai Connections That Made It Personal
10 Years of Legalwiz and a decade of meaningful connections.

Note : AI se nahi dil se likhta hu ...

Big congratulations to Shrijay Sheth and the entire LegalWiz.in team for completing 10 amazing years.

I have seen this journey very closely and been inspired all the time, not only business but the clarity and values Shrijay brings with him.

But todays celebration is more then just legalwiz but also about eChai Ventures, a community which is connecting people even before networking was a cool word. Almost a 10 years ago when I came across eChai and met Jatin Chaudhary at a Chai ki tapri in pure raw form of startup scene in city. And I met some amazing people through eChai , and Shrijay is one such gem of a person I met in an eChai event.

and in eChai , I have not only met founders and business but friends for lifetime, friends who play cricket together , party together , travel together.

It's incredible how one small communiy first idea by Jatin Chaudhary has connected so many of us and kept going on and on across the globe.

so Here's to Shrijay Sheth for 10 years of strength and leadership and to Jatin Chaudhary , kya bolu Jatin, bhai tu to OG hai .... 

eChai Hosts Top AI Leaders from Meta, NVIDIA, Zoom and Walmart at Zoom HQ in California

eChai Hosts Top AI Leaders from Meta, NVIDIA, Zoom and Walmart at Zoom HQ in California
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” - Michelle Obama
The Women in AI – SF Edition was one of those rare evenings that left us all a little more inspired, a little more hopeful, and a lot more connected.

Curated with deep intention and powered by Zoom Developers and eChai Ventures, we brought together powerhouse of women leaders from Meta , NVIDIA, Zoom, and Walmart to share their journeys—not just in building with AI, but in navigating leadership, responsibility, and community.

Each of these women brought their own light:
Sathiya Panneer (Engineering Lead, Zoom) grounded the conversation with her warm, no-fluff answers. Her realism and quiet strength reminded us that you can lead with empathy and impact.

Syamla Bandla (Senior Director, Production Engineering, Meta) shared details at a scale that made us pause and say: “Whoa.” Her clarity and calm as she spoke about infrastructure and engineering depth was simply masterful.

Rupali Deshpande (AI Learning Specialist, NVIDIA) brought laughter and learning together—sharing how she educates partners on GenAI while keeping the human context alive. (P.S. Don't forget your promise about NVIDIA stocks 😉)

Mamta Suri (Sr. Engineering Leader & AI Evangelist, Walmart) made us reflect deeply. Her concern about the long-term impact of AI on future generations was raw and real. She also dropped wisdom from her recent podcast on ethics and AI that still lingers in my mind.

💜 But beyond the panel, what made the evening unforgettable was the room — filled with women (and allies!) who showed up, supported, and sparked real conversations.

It wasn’t just an event. It was a mirror of what we’re capable of when we choose community over competition.

Huge thanks to eChai Ventures and Jatin Chaudhary for powering this powerhouse.

And to every person who showed up, asked a question, or just listened with intent — thank you. You made this evening truly magical.

Let’s keep showing up for each other. Let’s keep building. Together.

P.S. The last photo says it all — we’re still debating who actually won the “Chai with Khyati” rapid fire round. But honestly, we all walked away with the best prize: each other’s energy. ☕ 💞

AI

When AI Met IRL: eChai AI Day in Bengaluru

When AI Met IRL: eChai AI Day in Bengaluru
Thank you for joining us at the eChai Ventures AI Day at Urban Vault HSR!

We gathered. We discussed. We fuelled our minds with food for thought - what will the differentiator be when AI brings parity to ship out faster, how do you garner trust, do we need to worry about something here, and more.

We unpacked stories of the startups we are building and how AI can be leveraged to save time and increase efficiency among other things.

We fielded questions from curious minds on quantum computing and beyond!

Thank you for taking out the time on a Saturday evening to be with us and collectively experience the joy of gathering IRL! Signing off with Kuldeep Meel, Mehul Jain, Rabi Shanker Guha, Vijaypal Singh and an audience that believed in authentic interaction!

TAG someone who's building in the AI space and we'd love to have them for our future gatherings :)

*Ghibli version by one of our attendees, Rakesh Sahni.

** Baked eggless coconut cake and muffins to share with everyone coz baking is therapy!

https://x.com/rakeshsahni_/status/1908583072536420738

https://x.com/johurulmaz/status/1908559254161699146

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
Mehul Shah
Co-Founder at Counselvise & Ivy Growth
"eChai has played a truly pivotal role in HummingBird’s journey — even before Day Zero. From ideation to establishment and into growth, it’s been a constant source of support. It connected me with incredible people who’ve become more than just friends. One of the biggest reasons I chose to stay in Ahmedabad is because of the eChai community. It has shaped my growth — both personally and professionally — in ways that are hard to articulate. Honestly, words fall short when I try to express what eChai means to me. I’m deeply thankful and forever grateful to eChai for being such an integral part of my journey."
Harsha Bhurani - Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group
Harsha Bhurani
Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group
"The eChai platform has been super valuable for me - it has helped me gain a deeper understanding of domains in the startup and tech ecosystem. What stands out most is the celebration of knowledge, professional growth, and entrepreneurship - it’s one of the best for the Indian ecosystem. Along the way, I’ve also been fortunate to make some great friendships and connections too."
Shalin (Shawn) Parikh - Founder, MyCPE One
Shalin (Shawn) Parikh
Founder, MyCPE One

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.

Legal
LegalWiz.in

Online legal services for startups and MSMEs.

FinTech and Financial Services
MYCPE ONE

Comprehensive suite of services for CPA & Accounting firms.

Climate Tech
Oizom

Oizom offers Environmental IoT and Environmental Ai solutions for a sustainable future.

CoLiving
Draper Startup House

Living and working spaces for startup communities.

Blockchain Development
Timechain Labs

Global blockchain development services.

D2C Brands
Perrian

Affordable gold and diamond jewelry with over 1600 designs.