The Indianaut Podcast

Aditi Handa is the Co-founder and Head Chef of the Baker’s Dozen, India’s largest artisan bakery making breads, cakes, and more using natural ingredients. Started in 2013, The Baker’s Dozen is today present across 33 cities and 2,000 touch points in India. Aditi is a sourdough master, with a Diploma in International Bread Baking from the International Culinary Institute (New York) and a Diploma in Patisserie from Le Cordon Bleu (Paris). In a world where processed and unhealthy bread dominates the market, Aditi and her team at The Baker's Dozen set out on a mission to create a good and honest product. What started as a simple idea in 2013 has now grown into a successful business with a presence in 33 cities across India. Aditi's passion for baking and her commitment to quality have been the driving forces behind the success of Baker's Dozen. In this episode, we will delve into Aditi's journey, the challenges she faced, and the steps she took to ensure consistent quality across all her products. We will also explore the company's adoption of an omnichannel approach and its commitment to sustainability.

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Harsh Pokharna is the Founder and CEO of OkCredit. A YCombinator-backed organization, OkCredit is a digital ledger app for small and medium-sized businesses that facilitates the recording of transactions. OkCredit is available in over 10 local languages and has over 10 million downloads. Our guest did his B.Tech from IIT Kanpur in Mechanical Engineering in 2014.

In this incredible episode, Harsh shares his journey of starting OkCredit and addressing the need for credit recovery and reconciliation in MSMEs. He discusses the impact of YCombinator on the business and how they are approaching digital lending in a competitive market. Harsh also talks about the challenges faced by the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem and how OKCredit is managing during this period. He reflects on past decisions and shares upcoming projects and initiatives.

OkCredit's journey has been filled with surprises and successes. Harsh shared a story from their early days, where they distributed their app through .apk files and relied on personal phone calls for onboarding. He recalled, "We saw that people were loving the product so much that they were sharing it with their friends over ShareIt when it was not available on the Play Store."

Harsh concluded our conversation with valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. He emphasized the importance of understanding the long game and setting realistic expectations. He shared, "It takes at least seven to ten years to be able to build something in full scale, and there are so many challenges along the way." Harsh encouraged entrepreneurs to approach their journey with the right mindset and be prepared for the obstacles that lie ahead. He concluded, "Having the right expectations allows you to have the right state of mind and go in with the right mindset."

Anish Reddy is the CEO and founder of Pursue, a Hard Seltzer brand with a high focus on quality, design, and individualism. A fourth-generation entrepreneur, our guest grew up in a family with varied business interests dating back to World War 2. Our guest holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting and Finance from Purdue University and an MBA from Babson College. Besides Pursue Seltzer, he also has various ventures and investments in the Web3 space.

In this exceptional episode, we delve into Anish's captivating origin story and explore what inspired him to start a seltzer company in India, setting it apart from other beverages. We uncover the intriguing story behind the brand name 'Pursue' and discuss the challenges faced in balancing tradition and innovation to thrive in this evolving industry. Anish also talks about Pursue's strategies for educating consumers and building brand awareness. We also gain a glimpse into Anish's vision for the future of the seltzer industry in India and how Pursue plans to stay ahead of the competition.

Don't miss this engaging conversation, where Anish also sheds light on the challenges of navigating the regulatory landscape for alcohol and offers advice for entrepreneurs venturing into highly regulated industries. Tune in for a dose of entrepreneurial inspiration and valuable insights!

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Subhashish Bhadra is the author of Caged Tiger, a book about how too much government is holding Indians back. An economist by training, he received an MPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford on the Rhodes Scholarship. He is currently a part of the leadership team at Klub, a Fintech platform focusing on growth capital for brands through revenue-based financing. Subhashish has also published several articles in leading dailies like The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and Indian Express. In this eclectic episode, we start off with Subhashish's remarkable journey of earning the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for the University of Oxford. From there, the heart of our conversation revolves around his insightful book, Caged Tiger, which explores the impact of institutional design in India. Caged Tiger uncovers the story of India's institutions, tracing their origins from the British Raj to present-day policies, and identifying areas for improvement. With meticulous research and accessible language, Subhashish equips readers with the tools to understand and address important issues. Join us for an engaging discussion that empowers listeners to navigate the complexities of our society and work towards a brighter future.

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Zain Memon is the Co-founder of Memesys Labs, a cutting-edge cinema studio behind OK Computer, An Insignificant Man, and Ship of Theseus. A storyteller, and game designer, in 2019, Zain created SHASN—the award-winning political strategy board game, kickstarted by the largest-ever Indian crowdfunding campaign. Zain is now designing and producing AZADI, the sequel to SHASN.

In this fantastic episode, Zain shared his fascinating origin story, discussing how he got started in board game design and how he managed to launch successful Kickstarter campaigns for his games as well as film projects. We delved deeper into his creative process and how he balances entertainment value with deeper themes, touching on the critical role storytelling plays in his work. During our conversation, Zain also teased some exciting future projects that he's working on and gives valuable advice to entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the industry. This is an episode you don't want to miss!

- Zain's origin story

- On 'An Insignificant Man'

- How he got started in board game design (Shasn and Azadi)

- How he launched the largest-ever Indian Kickstarter campaign

- How he balances entertainment value with deeper themes

- Zain's future plans

- Zain's advice for other entrepreneurs

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Prabal Baghla is the Co-founder of Solesearch, one of India’s leading marketplaces for authentic Sneakers, Streetwear, Accessories, and Collectibles. Prabal finds his roots in Bathinda, Punjab, where he did his schooling, post which he graduated from Jindal Global Law School. 

In this electrifying episode, SoleSearch Co-founder Prabal Baghla walks us through the world of sneakers and streetwear. From his childhood in Punjab to his background as a lawyer, Prabal brings together all aspects of his life and tells us how SoleSearch formed. We then talk about SoleSearch's rapid growth, the challenges of running a marketplace, SoleSearch's recent nine­-city Sneakerfest, called SneakinOut, SoleSearch's community initiatives, and the sneaker and streetwear culture of India in general.

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Sujith Nair is the CEO and Co-founder of FIDE – the Foundation for Interoperability in Digital Economy. FIDE is a not-for-profit organization that is the genesis author and angel donor to the Beckn Protocol. Sujith was instrumental in the setup of ONDC in December 2021 and co-authored the ONDC Strategy Paper. Before launching FIDE along with Nandan Nilekani and Dr. Pramod Varma, he headed Management Consulting practices and Internet businesses in urban mobility and digital payments.    

In our 23rd episode, we delve into the world of Digital Public Goods (DPGs) with Sujith Nair. From learning about his early days at EY to contributing to the Aadhar program between 2010-2012 to understanding how the Beckn Protocol and ONDC work. Sujith tells about how FIDE is supercharging the Beckn Protocol and promoting its adoption across countries beyond India.   

We then switch gears to ONDC, which has entered a pilot phase essentially, with close to 4000 successful transactions being completed in January 2023. Sujith shares his predictions for the ONDC network for 2023 and what will it take for ONDC to be as successful as UPI one day. Sujith also talks about the future of the Beckn Protocol and its exciting applications we can see one day.  

Arpit Agarwal is a Director in Blume Ventures' investment team, one of India’s most prominent early-stage VC funds. He previously co-founded Headstart Network, one of India's largest startup communities with more than 100,000 entrepreneurs associated with it. He also co-created India DeepTech, an industry alliance for promoting deep-tech startups.

In this masterclass in entrepreneurship and growth, Arpit tells us about what drew him to venture capital and what keeps him going a decade later. Arpit delves deep into Blume's investment philosophy and what he looks for in a startup. Arpit also walks through the current macroeconomic environment and his predictions for India's entrepreneurial ecosystem in 2023.   

- Arpit's Origin Story - Blume Ventures' $250 Million Fund Raise
- 'Why India & Why Now?'
- Indian Macroeconomic Environment
- How Arpit Picks Startups ('Secret Sauce')
- Predictions for 2023  

Aneesh Bhasin is the Co-founder of Svami, a craft non-alcoholic beverage company. Not only is he a successful entrepreneur, he is also the host of a niche thing, a podcast on various subcultures like gin, rum, watches, sneakers, and more. He is one of GQ’s 30 most influential young Indians of 2022. 

In the 1st episode of Season 3, Aneesh walks us through his adventures around the world, exploring craft spirits here and there. From launching his own wine application in 2012 to launching Svami, Aneesh tells us in detail about his personal growth throughout this time. Aneesh also talks about his personal philosophy behind building Svami, which has not only become a household brand in the eyes of the consumers but a success story as well from an entrepreneurial perspective. Finally, Aneesh talks about his latest project, 'A Niche Thing', a Spotify chart-breaking podcast based on various subcultures such as wines, watches, coffee, and more.   

- Aneesh's Origin Story, from Wine Photography to Svami
- Svami's Meteoric Rise, Reaching a Revenue of $2 Million in FY22
- Community Building, Partnerships & Distribution at Svami
- A Niche Thing, Aneesh's Newest Podcast on Various Subcultures
- Aneesh & Svami's Future
- Aneesh's Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs  

Anirudh Suri is the Founding Partner of the India Internet Fund. Founded in 2011 as one of the first few venture capital funds, IIF focuses on early-stage technology investments. Previously, he has worked with McKinsey & Co., Goldman Sachs, and the Government of India. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the Wharton School. In addition to all of this, Anirudh is the author of the recently published book ‘The Great Tech Game’. His book focuses on how technology is not only shaping our daily lives but the fate of nations as well. 

In our season 2 finale, Anirudh walks us through his fascinating origin story, from early education to launching IIF. Anirudh walks us through the topic of the day, his book ‘The Great Tech Game’, which talks about how technology is not only profoundly interconnected with the global economy but geopolitics as well. According to Anirudh, Planet Earth has gone through different geopolitical periods such as Pax Romana, Pax Islamica, Pax Mongolica, Pax Britannica, and Pax Americana. In his book, he describes the current period that we are now living through as "Pax Technologica”. In this episode, we find out, what is 'Pax Technologica' and what is ‘The Great Tech Game’.