I believe weekends are for introspection and reflecting on our journeys and I'm so grateful I got to do that with the eChai Ventures community in Mumbai.
Sharing the story of NUVO Wallet and our future trajectory was a privilege.
The ambiance was beautiful.
While my core message was aimed at inspiring women to follow their hearts and choose entrepreneurship - it was fantastic to see so many men there who also championed the value of building something from the ground up.
Mumbai, your never-say-die attitude never ceases to amaze me.
Thank you to Jatin Chaudhary & Harsha Bhurani for inviting me to share my journey and a special thanks to Pooja Dhole whose skillful moderation made the session so dynamic.
To every woman dreaming of starting her own venture - don't wait for the perfect moment.
That moment is now.
Your journey will have its ups and downs…but the chance to build… to create… and to lead… is an unparalleled experience.
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®.
It was a true honour to speak at the "Sales Masterclass for Startups : Ahmedabad Edition" organized by eChai Ventures yesterday,
A massive thank you to Jatin Chaudhary and the entire eChai Ventures team for creating such an impactful platform for startup founders. It was a privilege to share the stage with another insightful speaker, Yash Shah (Co-founder, Momentum. Ex Clientjoy), and delve deep into how founders can truly leverage sales strategies for early-stage success.
I had the fantastic opportunity to discuss critical aspects including:
- Getting Customers in the Early Stages: Practical approaches to land those crucial first deals and build initial traction.
- Mastering the Pitch: Crafting compelling narratives to effectively present to prospects and turn rejections into valuable relationships.
- Defining a Winning Pricing Strategy: Insights into setting prices that reflect value and drive growth.
The energy and engagement from all the attendees were incredible. Your insightful questions and active participation made the session truly interactive and rewarding. I hope the frameworks and real-world stories shared will provide actionable strategies for your entrepreneurial journeys.
Looking forward to more such enriching discussions!
This Sunday, from 3 to 6 pm, a group of rebels gathered ... not for gyaan, but for AI-first workflow rewiring.
We didn’t talk about “what AI can do.” We showed what we are doing ... with it.
From rocket .new to Claude.code agents, ChatGPT + Gemini to granola .ai, lovable, hume, emergent ... each tool had a champion. Each workflow, a story. Each person, a perspective.
We explored:
→ Why Business Process Reengineering is no longer a Six Sigma luxury—it’s survival. → Why AI Horror Stories start with blind use, not bold use. → Why Full-Stack Thinking beats tool-stacking.
No slides. No spectators. Just hands-on demos. Laughter. A few “oh damn” moments.
We didn’t leave with answers. We left with upgrades ... mindset, skillset, drive... and toolsets to execute next.
We had a packed room, some super interesting founder pitches, and a whole lot of wisdom and warmth.
Huge gratitude to Pras Hanuma, who literally came straight from the airport after a delayed flight - thank you for showing up with such presence and generosity 🙏
Thank you to the amazing team at DevX for the vibrant work space, and to Jatin Chaudhary and eChai Ventures for giving me the opportunity to host this incredible session!
We need more mornings like this in Mumbai! One where founders show up, ask better questions, and leave a little more inspired than when they walked in.
"For me, eChai is a second home. I've been associated with it since the early days, when it was already setting a different tone for how startup communities could work. As a traditional business owner entering the new-age D2C space, eChai supported me in every direction. Over the years, it became my window to the startup world — and also gave me lifelong friends who continue to show up, for business and beyond."
Pankaj Bhimani
Founder, 58miles
"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
"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
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.
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