Rebuilding a Startup Life in India After 8 Years in Canada — And Finding a Community That Got It

Rebuilding a Startup Life in India After 8 Years in Canada — And Finding a Community That Got It
Almost 8 years in Canada, and now back in India for the past 8 months.

I call this the ultimate reset, starting everything from zero.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t question if I made the right decision.
Reverse culture shock is real.

So is building something that doesn’t exist — and maybe won’t, unless I do it.
I want to say I love it.
 
But I also hate it at the same time.
This new journey comes with a weird fog.

You feel like you’re doing something wrong, just because you don’t see anyone around you on the same path.

No like-minded people. No similar shoes. Just you, jumping without a parachute.

When I moved back, I didn’t want to do it alone.
 I wanted to start a community, not just a product.
 A crew of people inside the ecosystem who were also figuring it out from scratch.

That’s when I found eChai Ventures and Jatin Chaudhary
What they’ve built over more than a decade is impossible to replicate.
It’s the kind of force that holds together the chaos of India’s startup system.
And the more I spent time around them, the more I realized: their impact is bigger than you can see upfront.

They’ve been part of people’s journeys for so long, they see things the rest of us miss.
Insights you won’t get anywhere, not even if you’re paying.

I started going to their events. They do a lot of them.

Not just across India. Globally.

They made the ecosystem feel less like a club and more like a campfire.

From weekly box cricket to being in the rooms where real AI conversations happen at Upsquare®.

Startup Stream

The eChai Effect - In Their Words

"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
"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
"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
Kush Prajapati
Founder, Redicine Medsol

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