Inspiring Indian Start Up Stories That Prove Nothing Is Impossible

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” –  Micheal Jordan

This is a sentiment which all founders in the Indian startup space will swear by. They have faced ridicule, disapproval and adversity before overcoming it all and building corporate empires.

1. Sachin and Binny Bansal – Flipkart

For the Bansals, it’s a story of resilience. Flipkart initially would only sell books online. Sachin and Binny Bansal used to stand outside Gangaram Book Stores on Church Street and hand over Flipkart bookmarks to the people coming out of the shop. In order to make sure that their targeting was right, they would give bookmarks to only those who were coming out with books in hands; the people who have made purchases.

Initially when their volumes were very low, their courier partners would refuse to pick up items from their apartment. With no connections in the industry and ofcourse not being born with a silver spoon, they used to get on a motorbike themselves, hold the shipment in their hands and personally deliver them to Bangalore customers.

Inside Scoop : “I remember meeting two shy IIT juniors at the 2 States book launch saying, Sir we run a small e-bookstore. I asked what’s the name? They said Flipkart” – Chetan Bhagat

2. Mukesh Bansal – Myntra

Mukesh Bansal does not have a fancy MBA degree to his name. He used to fix WiFi connections and troubleshoot hung computers in the IT department during his stint in the US. They said Indians won’t buy clothes without trying them on. However, his passion for entreprenuership never deterred. What started as a corporate gifting site has now turned into India’s most loved fashion e-tailer.
Inside scoop : In 2009, Sachin Bansal reached out to Mukesh to request him to put Flipkart Bookmarks in all the packages that Myntra delivered to their customers.

3. Ritesh Agarwal – OYO Rooms

Ritesh Agarwal, a college dropout, walked into a meeting with a venture investor with a rucksack and attracted immediate attention. When you hear why, you will be amazed. Ritesh left home in Orissa as a teenager and carrying all his possessions with himself wherever he went became second nature to him. Not your average founder in which you will put faith to invest your money, but Ritesh had a lot more to himself than appearances. His inspiring story establishes that neither age nor a fancy college degree are pre-requisites for a successful startup as much your persistence and perseverance is.
Inside Scoop: Ritesh used to sell SIM cards in his hometown to make ends meet before he eventually moved to Delhi to create one of the most valuable Internet startups in India.
So what’s common between these stories?

 
None of them come from glamorous b-schools, none of them were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, and none of them had any “connections”. All they had was resilience and a fighter spirit. They converted every “Naa” in their path to a “Haan”.

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