Welcome to Season 2 of Onmanorama's Startup Launcher Podcast. This season, we bring you the success stories of some incredible Kerala startups. Episode guest: Anoop Balakrishnan, CEO of Agrima Infotech.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
[00:00:00] Venata Group's online grocery sell a big basket acquired Kerala-based Startup Agrima Info Tech in 2022,
[00:00:19] the plan was to use Agrima's unique computer vision technology platform site at their self-checkout
[00:00:25] counters at retail stores.
[00:00:27] Kerala Startup mission CEO even described the acquisition as a milestone that reiterated
[00:00:32] the strength of state startup ecosystem and as an encouragement for budding entrepreneurs
[00:00:37] to scale up their businesses.
[00:00:39] In this episode, let's get to know more about Agrima Info Tech.
[00:00:44] This is on Manurama's Startup Launcher podcast, a show for budding entrepreneurs who dream
[00:00:49] of turning their ideas into successful businesses.
[00:00:52] Season 2 of Startup Launcher will cover the success stories of some incredible Kerala
[00:00:56] Start-ups.
[00:00:57] I am Adiramaathya, Assistant Producer at Onmanurama.
[00:01:01] In this episode, let's chat with Agrima Info Tech CEO Anub Balakrishnan to understand
[00:01:06] how his company is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to enrich the retail experience.
[00:01:18] Anub, welcome to Startup Launcher.
[00:01:21] So can you introduce your company Agrima Info Tech to our listeners?
[00:01:24] What are the major solutions offered by our company to the retail space?
[00:01:28] Yes, yes.
[00:01:29] So we are into AI in retail.
[00:01:31] So we build technologies which help retailers to build advanced deep-trek technologies
[00:01:36] in their stores.
[00:01:37] So starting with self-checkout stores, a customer can walk into a store that can buy items
[00:01:43] from the store and check out without any help of a cashier.
[00:01:45] That's what the fundamental core of thing we'll be.
[00:01:48] But we started with a small Apple recipe book where anyone can scan an image of a
[00:01:54] footing gradient and get recipes out of it.
[00:01:57] So then when slowly took that competition tech for retail multiple technologies and self-checkout
[00:02:04] is one of the major areas we are in right now.
[00:02:07] Okay, so what are some of the solutions offered by our company to the...
[00:02:13] Yes, yes.
[00:02:14] So first one is called ScanGo.
[00:02:16] It's basically, I said, it's a self-checkout tech.
[00:02:20] And second one is of scale.
[00:02:21] It's a smart weighing scale.
[00:02:23] So if you go to a regular supermarket, there is a fruits and vegetables section.
[00:02:27] So right now if you look at...
[00:02:29] There's a person who's doing the...
[00:02:31] Like entering the PLEO code or SKU code of an SKU to get the print out and then you stick
[00:02:35] on it and you go to the counter.
[00:02:37] So we have a smart weighing scale which will be keeping these vegetables there in the
[00:02:42] weighing machine.
[00:02:43] It will detect and the printout will be generally automatically.
[00:02:46] That's another project.
[00:02:47] And then we have a POS system for retailers which could help them to build a database POS
[00:02:55] stores like retail stores which will help them to analyze the data, how the sales are
[00:03:01] going and it will...
[00:03:02] We have added so many data intelligence into it so that they'll get interesting insights
[00:03:07] from their sales and not.
[00:03:08] So these are the kinds of products we're building and then we have to see offering its
[00:03:12] recipe book where we have almost 4 million downloads and there is around 200,000 recipes
[00:03:17] uploaded by users and that's another product we are...
[00:03:21] Apart from all the B2B solution.
[00:03:23] Right.
[00:03:24] So what kind of impact it...
[00:03:26] Agree Mahoop to make when it launched?
[00:03:29] So we started just right after our college so when we started our company we didn't...
[00:03:34] And the source in which year?
[00:03:36] So we started in 2012.
[00:03:37] I mean, yeah 2012.
[00:03:38] 2012, yeah.
[00:03:39] 2012 is June we started the company and it's been like more than 10 years now.
[00:03:44] So initially when we started we had a small college project where it was...
[00:03:52] We built a robot with artificial intelligence where we built a robot which we can interact
[00:03:59] to and which is basically an H ad bot.
[00:04:02] Now A is quite trending across the world and now we started as long back in 2012-13
[00:04:07] and then from there we build a Blackberry app like Siri for Blackberry we called us Vicky
[00:04:13] and that's where we came into startup village in Kuchee
[00:04:16] and Blackberry funded us for the project and it was launched in Blackberry phones
[00:04:21] and then Blackberry...
[00:04:23] I mean, they lost the market and then we started working with other brands
[00:04:28] where we build up...
[00:04:30] There is a company called Asmi Bazaar.
[00:04:32] It's an e-commerce company back then.
[00:04:35] It was a 15-year-old company where we build a chatbot for commerce
[00:04:39] and then from there we were working on multiple projects in A and this thing
[00:04:44] and then we got fascinated by competition in the bit me
[00:04:47] and we started building a visual commerce for retail
[00:04:50] so basically you take an image of a shoes or a bag or any other accessories
[00:04:55] it will go and search online and it will suggest you options where you can buy from.
[00:05:01] So that's where we started
[00:05:02] and then what happened is that we were like a six-member team staying in a flat in Kakar Nad
[00:05:07] figuring out things and then we had this issues in cooking
[00:05:11] so we don't know what to go to the work.
[00:05:13] And this product was just happening but I mean e-commerce companies
[00:05:16] we connected with SnapDale, FlipCut and all these companies we went to
[00:05:20] but we were very early to the market
[00:05:23] so at the same time we had our own issues in the flat in terms of cooking
[00:05:28] and all those things
[00:05:29] and that's how we figure out why don't we build an app for identifying ingredients
[00:05:34] to get recipes so it's a fun thing we build
[00:05:37] and we didn't even think about a name that's where recipe book came
[00:05:40] and we uploaded this thing in the Play Store
[00:05:42] and then what happened is that slowly download starts coming in
[00:05:46] even though our primary business was something else
[00:05:48] so that's why I said we didn't plan anything in the way it would not happen
[00:05:51] but that way because we were not aware about building a startup
[00:05:54] what to do and all those things
[00:05:56] so and this the recipe of slowly got traction
[00:05:59] and we were one of the early apps in Google Play Store
[00:06:02] and using A as a backend and all those things
[00:06:04] and Google got interested in what we were building
[00:06:07] and Google like they featured us multiple times in the Google Play Store
[00:06:11] which actually got us a lot of downloads
[00:06:13] and then we got something called Google Play Editor's Choice
[00:06:16] it's a tag you get for an app in Google Play Store
[00:06:18] and we were on the first app in India to get that thing
[00:06:21] and Google came to Puchi, they shoot our video
[00:06:24] and it was played in Google Ioconference
[00:06:25] and then in fact through that process
[00:06:28] we got funded by Google through Google Launchpad Accentor Program
[00:06:33] and we were taken to US
[00:06:35] so and we had an Accentor Program there in San Francisco
[00:06:40] and then I stayed back in US for a couple of months
[00:06:42] and then I came back
[00:06:44] and then we realized that this recipe book as a product
[00:06:47] is not scalable enough to make lot of money
[00:06:49] but the tech whatever we build for us
[00:06:51] the book is quite interesting
[00:06:53] and in fact we go into the final round of Y-component
[00:06:55] and they're also we got a solution
[00:06:56] that why don't you take out your tech
[00:06:58] and start selling to enterprises
[00:07:00] and that's how we created the site as a platform
[00:07:04] and then we started working with Samsung
[00:07:07] so Samsung had just smart refrigerator
[00:07:09] which is cameras inside
[00:07:11] and they had just smart ovens
[00:07:12] and we did multiple projects with Samsung R&D
[00:07:15] then Samsung had something called Bixby Vision
[00:07:18] it's basically within the camera
[00:07:20] we integrated our computer version tech
[00:07:22] so in Samsung camera if you open Bixby Vision
[00:07:25] scan of fruits and vegetables
[00:07:27] or in the background our technology was running
[00:07:30] so then that gives a lot of limelight
[00:07:32] and we got partnered with IKEA,
[00:07:34] Cap Germany, so many other companies in US
[00:07:37] so I spent like two, three years in US
[00:07:39] going back and started a small office there
[00:07:41] and we were working
[00:07:42] and then suddenly the COVID happened
[00:07:43] so then mostly we were working with all these R&D projects
[00:07:47] because computer version A was quite early at that date
[00:07:50] right
[00:07:51] so by 2019, 20 we came back
[00:07:54] I came back and then we started partnering with Indian companies
[00:07:56] because we feel that
[00:07:58] we are focusing on appliances companies
[00:08:00] then we retail is the way forward
[00:08:02] because vision checker does coming up to be a serious thing
[00:08:06] and we started working with Indian retailers
[00:08:08] so started working with the airlines
[00:08:10] we did some POCs and stuff
[00:08:12] and then we could go to a big basket
[00:08:14] and we got so it was planning to start their offline commerce
[00:08:17] and then we did a POC with them for an year
[00:08:20] we spent a lot of time in
[00:08:22] so building an A model takes a lot of effort
[00:08:24] so training all these fruits and vegetables
[00:08:27] like our period
[00:08:28] like we took commerce in year two
[00:08:30] it capturing majors
[00:08:32] trained these models and all those things
[00:08:33] and then after one year,
[00:08:35] we opened one store in Bangalore
[00:08:38] and the store was quite successful
[00:08:39] and then we decided to scale
[00:08:42] and then big basket gave us an question of
[00:08:44] and then we joined big basket
[00:08:46] and then now we are at like 25 stores
[00:08:49] with our like in three cities
[00:08:51] Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata
[00:08:53] and stores are doing good
[00:08:55] and we are planning to scale too for the stores
[00:08:56] and can you talk a little bit about your educational background
[00:08:59] then how did you come to learn about
[00:09:02] as you said how to launch a startup
[00:09:05] how did you gain that knowledge?
[00:09:06] so I think here we would like to thank a lot of people
[00:09:10] especially from Kerala startup mission
[00:09:12] or there are a lot
[00:09:14] I mean previous start-up village
[00:09:16] and there are so many individuals who helped us a lot
[00:09:18] I think there was a thing
[00:09:19] in Bang within Kochi we were able to create a lot of
[00:09:22] early stage startup just after right after college
[00:09:25] so my education background I studied computer science engineering from MG University
[00:09:29] there's a college called SNGC in
[00:09:31] in college study there
[00:09:33] and then from there I went for masters
[00:09:35] in NID, National Institute as well
[00:09:37] where I studied industrial design and masters
[00:09:40] and then came back to the company
[00:09:43] and then in between
[00:09:44] start-up I went for studies
[00:09:45] masters because we had a lot of pressure
[00:09:48] in terms of societal pressure and thus running a startup
[00:09:50] I think that's a fundamental deterrent for any startup founder
[00:09:54] in Kerala or in our place
[00:09:56] in primarily
[00:09:58] because societal pressure from the family and relatives
[00:10:02] and doing something like a startup is always not welcoming them
[00:10:05] I think now it's changing it's a big risk
[00:10:08] so they always push to do something
[00:10:10] like for a stable life or something
[00:10:12] so push for it
[00:10:13] so I went for a NID and then I came back
[00:10:16] so after going to NID also relays that
[00:10:19] I think entrepreneurship is like I should not lose
[00:10:22] I should pursue it in a big way
[00:10:24] then came back
[00:10:26] and then we didn't have any like a specific plan that we will build
[00:10:29] this like we didn't start from a problem
[00:10:31] so we start from a tech
[00:10:34] why would say
[00:10:34] from the skillset we had in computer vision or artificial intelligence
[00:10:38] that was like our way
[00:10:40] but I won't say that's the right method or not
[00:10:42] where you have a technology and you try to fit into
[00:10:45] multiple problems and we go behind multiple problems
[00:10:47] and finally we arrived in pre-tech that's what happened
[00:10:50] so ideally in the startup areas it usually say that
[00:10:52] you should start with the problem and then you need to
[00:10:54] I think that I believe that itself is the right way of doing things
[00:10:57] yeah but now if you look at like something like chat GPT and all those things where
[00:11:01] we have a tech and now we are figuring out where can fit in those tech
[00:11:04] yeah so this is similar to that
[00:11:06] so that's how we started and educational backgrounds and especially studies at NID
[00:11:11] part of NID I have traveled to multiple places
[00:11:14] been to Europe I did indenture and Italy in one of the leading descent studio
[00:11:19] then all this thing actually you helped me that there is a lot of opportunity in India
[00:11:23] for doing a startup so there is no other way you could grow
[00:11:27] and you could do things so I thought
[00:11:29] what inspired you to say venture into the technology side of retail space
[00:11:34] ah so I think a fundamental thing in retail is that
[00:11:37] for example if you look at the retail technology like especially in offline retail
[00:11:41] online or e-commerce or ground tremendously in the last decade or so
[00:11:45] but if you look at the offline retail having changed for the last 20-30 years
[00:11:49] so we have been using the same barcode same pure systems and everything for there
[00:11:53] so that seems that there is a big like opportunity there in that area
[00:11:58] and also India being a mostly offline economy and people would like to purchase
[00:12:03] from Kirana stores or nearby stores or supermarkets and online
[00:12:07] so that's a fundamental reason I think there is a there is a big opportunity in retail
[00:12:11] because in this tech before retail we are working on appliances, smart home and those things
[00:12:16] but we know that those are niche but retail was quite a big market so that's the reason
[00:12:21] we started focusing on retail tech that's the reason I came back to India to start
[00:12:25] working on retail so when I was in US we were working mostly on the appliances or other tech
[00:12:29] but retail I feel that there was a huge opportunity that's the reason we came back and
[00:12:34] started working with retail. Right and your company has been working on artificial
[00:12:39] intelligence for the last couple of years to you know develop the computer vision technology
[00:12:44] can you describe that technology to our listeners and how in what way is it implemented into your
[00:12:50] say recipe book? Sure, sure so for example it's like you're teaching a three-year-old kid
[00:12:56] like I have a three-year-old girl so if you want to teach a visual to him like you show some
[00:13:01] images and then you train like a also similar so what we use is a deep learning computer vision tech
[00:13:06] where we show a lot of images and say that this is Apple this is Apple this is Orange this is
[00:13:12] Orange and when you see multiple varieties of an image multiple orientation of an image
[00:13:17] and the system will start learning patterns from it and then whenever you show that image I can
[00:13:23] do it it's as simple as that nothing more than that so but there are so many open source
[00:13:28] softwares across the world who will help you to learn these technologies and then slowly you
[00:13:33] would be able to build something by your own. So what we have built us basically a simple
[00:13:37] deep learning tech where you feed in a system with certain images and it will it will create a model
[00:13:43] and then that will be used for inference for other things so for example for when you start
[00:13:49] the recipe book in the first phase so we had a model which can detect like I think maybe 2030 a
[00:13:54] major fruits and vegetables so what we did is that we took images of these items and
[00:14:01] trained the model and it was feed into the system and what happened this book is that when people
[00:14:06] started using recipe book when they started clicking images we use those images for further
[00:14:11] raining the model so that has created a immense potential in the system and that's the reason if you
[00:14:18] look at all these big companies like Samsung another partner with this primarily because
[00:14:22] we had all these samples or all these a stronger model because of the images we are being
[00:14:28] getting and which we use for building this model so in retail for example self checkout tech the
[00:14:34] fundamental thing is that you need to identify an object through the camera. So same logic we use
[00:14:38] it's a fundamental code technology remains the same and we further enhance with adding more images
[00:14:45] and all those things and this is most difficult one if you ask me there are so many competition
[00:14:49] techs out there in the world but it's very easy to detect FMCG product for example Amul butter
[00:14:55] you can scan and detect very easily but orange or an apple it would have been multiple varieties or
[00:15:02] it would be in it will change in different season. So the only way to do that is like do ask
[00:15:10] many get as many images and train the system in such a way that it can detect so this is it's like
[00:15:16] a human like now if you look at the capable right if you train that with the right images you will
[00:15:20] get the right results like you just need to feed in the right images to get the model train.
[00:15:25] So with big basket the one I don't know we had is that we had access to the warehouses and we are
[00:15:31] able to snap images or capture images of all these varieties across locations across seasons
[00:15:37] and which actually help them to build a very strong model. In fact the current competition model
[00:15:41] is one of the best model in terms of accuracy rates if you look at maybe in global standards in
[00:15:46] terms of accuracy rates and stuff. Right and big basket acquisition was you know it created a lot
[00:15:52] of bus in the Kerala status space and it was considered like a milestone and an encouragement
[00:15:57] for budding entrepreneurs. So like how did it all come together in the first place and
[00:16:02] how is the journey after acquisition? If your company want to get acquired there are multiple
[00:16:06] things and do it like for example if a big company wants to acquire a small company either they will
[00:16:12] acquire for the team or they'll acquire for the tech whatever. So in our case it was a tech so whatever
[00:16:17] tech we built was I think it was one of the first company from Kerala to get acquired for the IPO
[00:16:22] of the tech. So I would say it's very difficult to explain like how we got acquired it was
[00:16:29] right thing happened on right time I would say because of the covid we didn't have much other
[00:16:34] options to look around in terms of partnering and all those things and then after covid we are
[00:16:40] figuring out ways to scale and we're in fact we're raising a serious round at the moment we
[00:16:46] called this offer. And one thing I liked about big basket is that the company gives a lot of
[00:16:53] value to these kind of things and the founders is also really aligned and our journey was quite
[00:16:59] straightforward so we partnered with big basket whatever things we worked like and we find a lot of
[00:17:05] sync between the team who is heading this project and whatever we were doing and we decided
[00:17:10] to collaborate that's how this happened. But the decision of acquisition was quite quick
[00:17:14] primarily because because of the covid and other things our business was also not doing good apart
[00:17:19] from big basket we didn't have enough clients out there. So I think they came with the good offer
[00:17:24] we actually did and we joined and it was a good thing for us like we also learned a lot after
[00:17:30] joining big basket so if you look at before joining big basket as a team we were only we didn't
[00:17:35] know much about retail now now I can understand how retail works across online and offline
[00:17:42] and we could build stronger technologies and stuff looking at what's really there.
[00:17:47] So I think it's a big learning it's a day today it's a big learning for us so and within
[00:17:52] big basket we are working like a startup so we are getting a lot of freedom in terms of how
[00:17:57] we operate and how do you do things and the team is also closely in it together and we also scaled
[00:18:03] I think we have seen that sealer 2 1 journey in big basket so it was quite fun like now we are
[00:18:09] enjoying it and we're taking it further forward. Right and the cashierless self checkout stores
[00:18:15] are getting popular in big cities even the logistics games have changed right with the drone delivery
[00:18:21] and food delivery robots. What do you think will be beyond this like what's your prediction how
[00:18:26] do you think AI will transform retail space? I think I think now with a right now before if
[00:18:33] you want to build something it used to take lot of time like for now systems are learning systems
[00:18:38] are learning quite fast and the fundamental change I would say in retail is that right now we have
[00:18:43] been thinking in like either offline or online this Omni channel retail will going to boom in
[00:18:50] across the way like for example offline it's basically offline plus retail model so if you order
[00:18:55] something the nearest store will deliver to you so for example even government does doing something
[00:19:01] with the OINTC and all those things will create lot of bus or create lot of opportunities around
[00:19:05] this place so fundamentally we are trying to say is that every store right every every small store
[00:19:11] will have or will be online and every online retailers will have offline it will go in hand in hand
[00:19:18] and if you look at technologies is a obviously cashier or all other because people don't want to spend
[00:19:23] time in standing in queues so I would say that is a fundamental thing which is getting
[00:19:28] removed from you would see in almost all supermarkets going forward will have some kind of
[00:19:33] self-check out other options which will which will eliminate queues in the super market and like
[00:19:38] you said there are so many opportunities where for startups in India to work on this space
[00:19:45] and still India is one of the largest untapped commerce market in the world even only 5 or 8%
[00:19:52] of commerce is online so there's a huge opportunity for both offline and online retailers
[00:19:57] but I would say the fundamental change would be like Advertions in Omni channel retail
[00:20:02] like for example all big retailers like RLIMS and everyone is doing a lot in Omni commerce
[00:20:07] like where if you if you use their own app they will get delivered from the nearest store
[00:20:11] so those kind of because everything will be get connected so it will it will create a lot of change
[00:20:16] in the system and as a whole if you look at future technologies and it'll like drawn deliveries
[00:20:22] or all these things will be you'll start seeing quite soon I think everyone is working on that
[00:20:28] and deliveries yeah I think I think already there are a lot of middlemen's are getting
[00:20:34] so for example like big bus care what I realized is that around 95% of the products fusion
[00:20:40] vegetables we procure it's directly from farmers and and we don't really like middlemen's are
[00:20:46] quite less and we are I think we are one of the biggest retailers in terms of fruits and
[00:20:52] vegetables selling online so so you are seeing the impact everywhere like so I think
[00:20:57] that is a big thing so before we wind up this chat I wanted no a bit more about your you know startup
[00:21:02] so what is the biggest lesson you have learned as a CEO?
[00:21:06] so basically it's it's it's all about seeing the dreams like whatever you want to be
[00:21:12] and it's like it's like benchmarking yourself high like one of the problems which which
[00:21:17] you and I have been in while starting something from careless that here it's like it's it's
[00:21:23] very taken granted you can run a startup quite easily in care like we we don't scale like we get
[00:21:30] we get into a comfort zone and we don't get out of it like because we come close our compare ourselves
[00:21:35] within the startups in this ecosystem but there are so many things happening outside despite
[00:21:40] so even we were in a in a mode where they're feeling that we are doing good in carela
[00:21:46] and we don't need lot of money to run a startup in carela compared to be the you get good
[00:21:51] good resources for less money and you would find good places to work with less money so you will
[00:21:58] you will start like fitting into the thing and you don't really scale so that's something I learned
[00:22:03] once you move out of the system right then you start comparing yourself with the companies around
[00:22:08] the world then you realize that you need to work a lot to match up with the competition
[00:22:13] so that's the biggest learning so once you come out like that is one advice or one suggestion
[00:22:18] I always give to startups in carela or where it is I'm not saying that they should move out of
[00:22:23] but stepping out of the comfort zone yeah stepping out of the comfort zone and start comparing
[00:22:28] yourself with the big companies out there it's like now with all these access to technologies right
[00:22:32] anyone can build cutting it technology sitting at their home it's not like it's only possible
[00:22:38] with a bigger company with a bigger team if you look at all these big advancements there
[00:22:42] it's coming from people of like five six member team or 20 member team like all these big
[00:22:46] companies who are having billions of dollar valuation the total team said should be less than 20 or 10
[00:22:51] because you could build a very big thing sitting at your place or it doesn't need to be
[00:22:56] you need to be a bigger city but thinking is that you need to have the thinking like whether
[00:23:00] should have that thinking that you are capable of doing or doing things bigger things all right
[00:23:05] I think things are changing a lot but still I think that's biggest learning I had so if someone
[00:23:10] was there to tell me maybe three four five years ago you should you should push yourself and do
[00:23:16] see bigger dreams things would have been much different so now I want to tell everyone that just
[00:23:23] do bigger when benchmark was high do I mean see bigger dreams that's what I would say I think
[00:23:29] everything is possible I think next decade is for us in terms of startup or technology founders
[00:23:35] especially in India so world is looking at us like how we are doing things and
[00:23:39] so if you look at in the technology space India has grown a lot like even though you would see
[00:23:45] lot of people going out of India for job some better job but if you look at if we compare the technology
[00:23:50] what we have in India it's not there in Europe or other big country for example UPI is a
[00:23:55] fundamental example yeah since I was traveling to Europe recently and then I realized that
[00:23:59] still there they're paying things in cash if there is no something like UPI in India so there are
[00:24:05] a lot many tech patterns in India which is which we can proud of which is not of the outside the world
[00:24:09] so same thing like for everyone that's kind of opportunities we created here in India
[00:24:14] so I would suggest everyone to do their part I would want more startups to be
[00:24:20] built from Kerala build from our place or so that and it can build bigger startups like it's
[00:24:27] you need the right people right members right funding and everything
[00:24:31] you started from Kerala and now we have moved to Bengaluru so seen best of both worlds
[00:24:36] how do you think we can make Kerala more startup friendly I think it's all about the ecosystem
[00:24:41] it's like how do it's not like even if one or two companies decided to work from Kerala also
[00:24:47] there are a lot of lot of other challenges to it so I think the fundamental thing is that
[00:24:51] perception from the people and access to certain resources like funding and other things
[00:24:56] also matters but before that I think this perception of a person who is an entrepreneur in Kerala
[00:25:04] is a lot different in other cities like so especially from your starting from your family
[00:25:10] from your friends and everyone so if you say that you're working with a startup or you're building
[00:25:14] you're on startup there'll be too many questions on you like how you're going to so you will also
[00:25:18] feel like whether I'm doing right or not I should do start joining workers so that kind of starting
[00:25:23] from that like every there are lot a lot many things need to be changed and I think things are
[00:25:27] changing it will take some time but if you look at a city like Bangalore it's like there are so
[00:25:32] many startups you're seeing those things in front of your eyes right people are scaling people are
[00:25:37] growing and all those things so that kind of sense will always create that inspiration to work hard
[00:25:42] and do something good I think in Kerala also it will happen I think thankfully right now for the
[00:25:48] last couple of years what I've seen in terms of government and everyone is putting a lot of effort
[00:25:52] in terms of getting the startup on track but it's it's a matter of getting that ecosystem right I
[00:25:57] think slowly it will come like slowly people will start believing in startup one fair advantage we
[00:26:03] have is that building something from Kerala is quite cheap it's like at least five times or
[00:26:08] ten times cheap you can build things because you have access to right especially tech you you have
[00:26:13] access to bright minds here so you can you can so for example anyone who was building a startup
[00:26:18] so I think one of the good things like Kerala can do is that like what we can do is that anyone
[00:26:24] from the world right we should attract at least they start up to come to Kerala start their
[00:26:30] startup here maybe zero to one journey they can build the product here like a build a prototype here
[00:26:36] and once a big they can scale and move to other places and things like that but the initial
[00:26:41] the one of the best thing what we can offer them is that very cost effective building products
[00:26:48] like tech products like we have that capability I think that's something we should I think it
[00:26:54] will slowly become like I don't think there's a challenge but but I think it's it's it's a matter
[00:27:00] so many things it's not just one small thing but I think a lot of things need to be changed
[00:27:04] and as an entrepreneur what are you most proud of?
[00:27:08] I was able to touch so many people like so when we moved to Big Basket we were like eighteen
[00:27:13] members team like so I'm happy that I was able to and everyone who was in our company
[00:27:20] you've been quite happy about the move so whatever things with so the biggest proud feeling I have
[00:27:26] is that I have a normal middle-class family and then I were able to help a couple of my friends
[00:27:32] and all those things with the jobs and all these things so I think what I what I'm proud of is
[00:27:37] that I was able to give jobs to few individuals and they go like what you can say they had a growth
[00:27:44] in their life and when they're moving on so that's what I feel that I think one of the proudest
[00:27:49] thing I have done like whatever it is right and finally what advice would you give to
[00:27:53] budding entrepreneurs who want to launch startups in say redense please?
[00:27:57] I think I think like I said this is the right time I think I think even though if the funding scene
[00:28:03] is quite low I think the market is not right in terms of access to fund but if you build a viable
[00:28:08] business or a good business model and start if you have an idea around retail if you want to do
[00:28:14] something is the right time start with a very small team get the product market fit and then
[00:28:20] you will find a lot of investors to put money into it and then you'll be able to scale I think
[00:28:24] the biggest advice is to start up now do something create a startup I think within a year or
[00:28:30] something if you if you have some ideas in your mind you want to start up don't wait a further you
[00:28:36] can start the startup and start looking at things I think I think next few years would be really
[00:28:42] interesting I think the downturn will come back soon like maybe this year or next year or next year
[00:28:48] things would be back in shape there will be lot of funds access to lot of funds so by the time
[00:28:53] if you have product ready in your hand which is scalable enough we'll be able to grow quite fast
[00:28:58] so I think it's a good time to start something
[00:29:07] that brings us to the end of this episode thank you for listening and be sure to check out our next
[00:29:11] episode the start of launcher podcast is produced by Ornmano Ramav with technical production by
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