Julphar

Strategic Roles and Responsibilities:
•	Actively contribute to the development of the company’s overall strategy and ensure that relevant goals and objectives are properly incorporated from a human resource perspective
•	Act as a human resource advisor to the leadership team while developing, implementing, and measuring the effectiveness of the HR strategy/plan of the company.
•	Lead the implementation of relevant policies, and governance frameworks and identify opportunities for continuous improvement across the region regarding HR good practices related to performance management, leadership development, recognition, talent management, talent acquisition, and other areas.
•	Establish and periodically revisit the budget requirements of the department, and accordingly take a strategic part in the development of the company’s budget from an HR perspective
Talent Acquisition and Talent Management: Recently, we executed the Emiratization-based Workforce Planning directives in UAE supporting operational budget estimates ensuring the smooth integration of Emirati talent in our ecosystem. I also implement the career path and MDP for internal talent, resulting in an 18-20% YOY retention gain.  Over the last 3 years, the data shows and impressive deployment of internal talent (78 in 2021, 92 in 2022, 32 in H1 2023), resulting in a 30% TAT reduction and 8.5% manpower cost reduction. I also run the ‘Rotational Development Program’ to boost HiPos.

Leadership Development and Diversity / Inclusion: My HR strategy has yielded a 23% rise in productivity through efficient processes and alignment with organizational goals. I've developed 'Middle Management Development' programs and rolled out an automated system for managing the performance and career progression of over 2500 employees across 16 countries.

Head- Talent, Learning & Organization Development

Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited

•I transformed HR policies to support a business partnering approach, initiated 360° Feedback for leaders across key departments, and formulated talent and OD strategies for over 3500 employees. As Head of HR for R&D, I led a team of 5, fostering culture, engagement, and development for 480+ employees, and introduced an agile reporting framework to optimize team performance. 
•Lead workforce planning activities across the business unit and ensure proper implementation of its policies and procedures by various functions, ensuring effective and timely fill up all vacancies

I led strategic HR projects, focusing on employee feedback and culture programs, and spearheaded the drive to meet Great Place to Work standards. 

Cadila achievements :
 	Executed the R&D Leadership Development & Succession Planning Project.
 	Started the Life Science Sector Skill Development Program with Govt of India Pharmaceutical Skill Council in Cadila
 	Executed Organization Effectiveness Project with identified Subject Matter Experts in Jammu & Ankleshwar manufacturing sites
 	Promoted the 5 internal talents to take up the National Sales Head role.
 	Started 9 BOX talent mapping for the whole organization in Managers + job level
 	I launched a Career Pathing Program that led to 28 internal promotions and pioneered Cadila’s first Management Trainee Program with top-tier institutes, which enhanced our leadership pipeline by preparing 60 successors for critical roles.

Head HR - R&D

Deputy General Manager -Talent & Learning Development 

Reckitt Benckiser

As National Head of Capability Building, I established capability development practices as CoE for Bangladesh & Sri Lanka businesses. I also successfully initiated and implemented Functional and leadership Competence Frameworks for Sales, Marketing, Finance, SCM, and regulatory. In addition, I implemented Global Talent Management (GTM) initiatives in collaboration with UK headquarters by streamlining & leveraging talent development plans covering 2,000+ employees, including agents and sales reps. 

Additionally ,I mentored a Team of 4 Regional Trainers to successfully execute leadership and employee engagement programs 


Reckitt Achievements:
•	Introduced the Assessment & Development Centre for internal promotion.
•	Introduced LMS and TMS digital platform for Reckitt India in collaboration with the global HQ in UK
•	Introduced a structured L&D calendar for Departments and other affiliates in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
•	Mobilized ‘Cross Cultural Workshops’ for all global recruits in Southeast Asian market.

National Head -Capability Building (India)

Amway

As Head of Training and Development, I was majorly engaged in establishing a high-performance culture and developing high-performing teams, which led to portfolio achievements and 15% YoY growth. I also led a team of 7 Training Managers and 15 Training Executives to support revenue growth.

During my association, I received 2 promotions, 1 employee of the year award, and foreign travels for constant L&D strategy development and implementation. I actively helped in achieving the growth of 45+ Platinum-level business owners through product marketing and sales. In this role, I created key learning contents for the first countrywide Silver & Gold Forum launch. I also designed and deployed an LMS to streamline performance-impacting training courses.

Head of Training And Development

Johnson & Johnson

Territory Manager

Novo Nordisk

Marketing Executive

With 18 + years in international HR management, I specialize in business-critical projects and change management. I deliver results in complex environments, aligning HR strategies with evolving business goals.

I lead high-impact changes by crafting strategies with strong governance, ensuring corporate objectives are met while minimizing risks. My experience spans talent acquisition, systems implementations (SAP SF, TIMS LMS), and process improvements.

I focus on aligning HR actions with strategic objectives, leveraging data and analytics. I drive social and cultural value through D&I, ESG, and CSR initiatives, enhancing organizational reputation.

Recently, I led the rollout of PMS across 17 countries, moving to a balanced scorecard-driven system. I also increased internal promotions to over 25% of new vacancies and am developing a new EVP and Culture Transformation model.

I build high-performing, inclusive cultures, adapting to the evolving HR landscape, including remote work and technology shifts. Passionate about positive impact, I am open to executive-level opportunities.

Areas of Expertise

✅ Business Transformation & Change Management
✅ Talent Acquisition & Management
✅ Learning & Development Initiatives
✅ Performance Management Systems
✅ Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (D&I)
✅ Governance & Risk Mitigation
✅ HR Technology Implementation
✅ Culture Transformation & EVP Development
✅ Data-Driven HR Strategy
✅ Organizational Design & Restructuring
✅ Stakeholder Relationship Management
✅ Employee Engagement & Well-being
✅ Succession Planning & Leadership Development
✅ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & ESG Integration

GARGI BANERJEE

What defines a truly effective CHRO today?

It’s not just experience or expertise.
It’s the values they lead with—and how those values translate into business impact.

In today’s fast-evolving work environment, the role of the CHRO has expanded beyond compliance and operations.
Modern CHROs are strategic partners, culture architects, and change catalysts.

To lead effectively, these 10 values and principles consistently show up in high-impact HR leadership:

✅ Lead with Possibility and Accountability – Vision matters, but execution drives results.
✅ Coach and Collaborate for Strategic Impact – Great leadership creates space for others to lead too.
✅ Foster Trust Through Transparency and Respect – Trust is the foundation of every high-performing culture.
✅ Empower Growth Through Coaching and Feedback – Growth happens when feedback is seen as a tool, not a threat.
✅ Drive Business Outcomes with People-First Strategies – Aligning people strategy with business strategy is key.
✅ Build a Culture of Purpose and Action – Culture isn’t a tagline—it’s what people experience every day.
✅ Invest in Personal and Organizational Growth – Continuous learning fuels both individual and organizational performance.
✅ Communicate Vision and Empower Team Performance – Clear vision + empowered teams = sustained success.
✅ Create Trust Through Open Communication – Openness builds alignment and accelerates decision-making.
✅ Balance Employee Well-Being with Business Goals – Sustainable business growth depends on employee wellness.

These principles don’t just enhance HR—they elevate the entire organization.

Because impactful HR leadership:

👉 Turns culture into a competitive advantage
👉 Translates people data into strategic decisions
👉 Builds organizations where performance and purpose co-exist

In the future of work, the CHRO is not just a function—
It’s a force that shapes how business gets done.

#CHROLeadership #HRStrategy #PeopleFirst #FutureOfWork #LeadershipValues #StrategicHR #CultureMatters #EmployeeExperience

Gargi Bannerjee

Thrilled to share my latest article from HRSE Summit 2025 Dubai, where I spoke on “Culture as the Engine, Engagement as the Fuel.”

Across the GCC, organizations are scaling rapidly—but real performance isn’t driven by systems or technology alone. It’s driven by the culture people experience and the engagement they feel.

In this article, I break down:
🚀 Why culture is the engine of productivity
🔥 Why engagement becomes the fuel that drives innovation & retention
📊 What Gallup data reveals about UAE, Oman, Egypt & the wider region
🏭 A real GCC case study showing a 20% rise in engagement and 12% drop in attrition
🏆 How organizational health (as defined by McKinsey & Company) predicts long-term success
👥 Leadership practices that transform multicultural teams in today’s GCC workplaces

The GCC is one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic talent ecosystems. Organizations that invest in culture, leadership, and employee energy today will define the region’s performance standards tomorrow.

If culture and employee experience are priorities for your organization, I invite you to explore the full article below. Would love to hear your reflections.

#CultureIsTheEngine #EngagementIsTheFuel #HRSEDubai #GCCWorkplace #OrganizationalHealth #EmployeeExperience #LeadershipDevelopment #FutureOfWork #Gallup #McKinsey #GCCHR #UAEHR #TalentManagement #PeopleAndCulture #HRTransformation

Across the GCC, organizations are expanding rapidly, diversifying their talent base, and operating in increasingly competitive markets. While many com

Open article: Culture as the Engine, Engagement as the Fuel: Unlocking Performance in the Multicultural GCC Workplace by Gargi Bannerjee • 4 min read

Culture as the Engine, Engagement as the Fuel: Unlocking Performance in the Multicultural GCC Workplace

Lakhani Financial Services

✔ STARTUP FUNDRAISING - Lakhani Financial Services is India's premier Investment advisory firm which specializes in helping startups raise funds from our network of investors.

✔ BUSINESS PLAN CONSULTING - Lakhani Financial Services helps all its startup clients to prepare the most effective and efficient business plan which eventually helps startups in raising funds. Our team sits down with the founders for 6-8 days and works extensively with them by going into complete details about the business and their vision. Our business plan provides a 99% accurate model of the founder's vision.

✔ PITCH DECK CONSULTATION - They say 'first impression is the last one. Lakhani Financial Services helps startups in preparing beautiful pitch decks which create a WOW impact on the investors. 

✔ 1-2-1 MENTORING - I mentor startup founders on how to build their business, set up marketing and sales strategies, and scale up their business operations.

✔ ESOP DESIGN - From ESOP conceptualization to design to policy documentation and filing we take care of all your ESOP needs.

✔ Startup INDIA SEED FUND SCHEME (SISFS) & GOVT GRANTS FUNDING - We help startups at prototype development stage to raise funds funds from Govt schemes.

✔ STARTUP INDIA/DPIIT CERTIFICATION & TAX EXEMPTION - we do the entire documentation, filing, coordinating with the Govt resource and avail the certificate and tax exemption for startups.


💁‍♀️ WHY LAKHANI  FINANCIAL SERVICES? - We understand the whole startup ecosystem very well and specialize in working with early-stage startups. We eat, breathe, and live STARTUPS.

Thus, as a startup advisor, business plan consultant, pitch deck consultant, & mentor, our core objective is to raise funds for the startups

Director & Startup Fundraising expert

TÜSK

Fundraising Consultant

Tanvi fresh

MagTapp Technologies

1) Streamline Business ops
2) Advise on growth plans
3) Business model revamp
4) Revamping sales, marketing, ops and finance departments
5) Hiring advisory to founder

Strategic Advisor

Vajram Electric

Investor & Business Advisor

Startup India

I help startups with strategies on their growth. Working on achieving Prime Ministers vision of 'Startup India, Stand up India'

Startup Mentor

Rhizobee Innovations

Appliviu is a tech startup that enables a consumer fashion brand to take multiple photos for their website in just 24 hours and at 1/10th of the cost than what a normal photoshoot would cost.

www.appliviu.com 

#majorproblemsolving #startup

Business Advisor

NVS Brokerage

❇ Researched extensively on listed and unlisted companies, met with promoters, built financial models on companies, prepare research reports, pitch to clients including banks, insurance companies and HNI clients

❇ Worked with private limited companies, build business and financial models, pitched to investors, raised funds.

Fundraising and Equity Research Analyst

Vision Securities

❇ Handled stock market and financial issues
❇ Started the journey of a startup consultant here

Chartered Accountant

If you're a founder ready to raise funds, I am the partner investors want you to call.

I’m Devansh Lakhani, Founder & Director at Lakhani Financial Services (LFS) and a trusted partner to 450+ startups that have collectively raised over ₹ 300M in funding over the last 5 years.

Whether you’re preparing for your first investor meeting or scaling up, we help you get investor-ready through:

--> Fundraising Strategy & Investor Outreach
--> Financial Modeling & Virtual CFO Support
--> Business Plans & Pitch Decks
--> ESOP Structuring, Debt Advisory & Mentorship

My team and I have evaluated over 1750 startups and worked closely with founders across diverse industries like SaaS, D2C, Fintech, Impact, and more.

Beyond strategy, we actively connect startups with verified investors from a pool of 400+ , ensuring you're not just pitch-ready, but fund-ready.

We also host the Level Up Podcast, where I talk to India’s top entrepreneurs and investors to uncover real, raw startup journeys.

We are the host of India's first and only sports based startup pitching event- Indian Startup Premier League.

If you’re a startup founder looking to raise funds with clarity and confidence, let’s connect.

🔗 www.lakhanifinancialservices.com

➤ Follow me for weekly fundraising insights
➤ DM for 1-on-1 startup advisory
➤ Let’s connect : 9137212139

Devansh Lakhani - Angel Investor

On Pitch To Get Rich, Karan Johar looked at a founder and said “Beta, we will make money off you.”

It made for great TV. But terrible startup wisdom. 

See, here’s the thing, founders aren’t your content. 

They’re the reason the content exists. 

We’ve reached a strange place where business shows are entertainment first, empathy later. 

Where a witty one-liner gets more applause than a founder’s 5-year struggle.

Celebrities and influencers love talking about “the hustle,” 

But very few of them have faced payroll panic, pivot pressure, or product failure. 

And when they mock founders on national TV, they’re not being “real” — they’re just glamorizing ignorance. 

Founders don’t need validation from celebrities. 
They need belief from builders. 

Let’s not confuse drama with due diligence. 

What did you think of that comment was it entertainment or entitlement?

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

Devansh Lakhani

Angel Investor I Tie Mumbai Charter MemberI Startup Fundraising I Raised Rs.300 Mn+ I Deal - Rs. 2 Crore + I Series A + I Level Up Podcast I ISPL I Speaker | Venture capital

Most “Shark Tank India startups” go viral for drama.
This one grew because it solved a painfully real problem.

In a country where homes are shrinking and mobility is rising, Store My Goods built something simple: A spare room, on demand.

Founded by Sudeep Gupta & Swati Gupta, the company offers tech-enabled storage and warehousing for consumers and SMEs.

Today, they're active across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune, and have already sold 50,000+ months of storage to 5,000+ customers.
And the growth didn't stop at the show.

They secured a deal on Shark Tank India Season 1: Rs.50 lakh for 4% equity + Rs.50 lakh debt (12% interest) from Namita Thapar & Peyush Bansal.

Three years later, they raised '4 crore in a new funding round led by JITO INCUBATION & INNOVATION FOUNDATION(JIIF) and family offices part of their ongoing $1M round.
 
Why? Because they aren't a “storage company.” They're a space-as-a-service company.

For consumers:
—  No space at home
—  Renovation/relocation storage
—  Seasonal items
—  Personal belongings

For businesses:
—  Inventory overflow
—  Marketing stock
—  Archived documents
—  Flexible warehousing without leases

In two lines: More stuff. Less space. No flexibility.
	Store My Goods solved all three. And the timing was perfect:
•       Urban density t

•       Home sizes t

•       Rent costs }

•       Consumer mobility t


As JIIF said: “This is a rapidly emerging need in urban /India.”and Sudeep summed it up: “This round isn't just capital, it's acceleration.”

 Sometimes the smartest businesses aren't sexy. They’re the ones solving a problem everyone feels but no one was fixing.

If you're building something in a tough but high-need category, my DMs are open.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

Investment Banker I Tie Mumbai Charter Member I Pre-Series A Startup Fundraising | Ticket - Rs. 2 Crore+ I Raised Rs.300 Mn+ I Level Up Podcast I Indian Startup Premier League I Speaker | Angel Investor| Venture capital

What started as a 3-day college hackathon project turned into one of India’s most interesting luxury startups.

Meet Culture Circle , a marketplace for verified luxury and hype fashion, founded by Devansh Jain Nawal (IIM-A) and Ackshay Jain.

Their idea? Simple but powerful: Help people buy authentic sneakers, streetwear, and handbags at the right price without getting scammed.
Because here’s the ugly truth of luxury resale in India:

- 86% chance you overpay.
- 36% chance you buy a fake.

Culture Circle fixes both : using authentication tech trusted by billion-dollar global companies.

They even built Source X, a backend intelligence system that helps 3,000+ verified sellers compare, price, and fulfill orders  with a 99.2% success rate.

And the numbers? Wild.
  2.5 lakh active users in 11 months.
  ₹22.2 crore in gross sales YTD.
  ₹2.5 crore in revenue, ₹10 lakh in profit.
  Growing 30% MoM.

When they walked into Shark Tank India asking for ₹1.2 crore for 0.5% equity (₹240 crore valuation), the sharks thought they were crazy.

But growth talks louder than opinions and they closed with Ritesh Agarwal and Kunal Bahl at a ₹100 crore valuation.

Culture Circle didn’t just sell sneakers they sold trust in a market built on hype.

It’s proof that in India’s next decade of startups, credibility will compound faster than capital.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

Most founders don't fail because they make bad decisions. They fail because they stop thinking beyond the first move.

When funding slows, the first instinct is to cut marketing.

It makes sense it saves cash.
But what happens next quarter, when the pipeline dries up and CAC shoots through the roof?

When business picks up, the instinct is to hire fast.
You fill seats, not gaps.
But six months later, you're managing people who were never aligned with your culture.

When you discount to boost sales, revenue spikes.
But retention drops, and suddenly, your top line looks great while your brand feels cheap.

That's the trap of first-order thinking doing what feels right now, without seeing what it breaks later.

The best founders don't react fast.
They think deep.
They play chess, not carrom.
They look two, three, five moves ahead anticipating how each choice compounds.

Because in startups, the hardest decisions aren't about what to do.
They're about what your decision will cause next.

Short-term logic builds movement.
Long-term thinking builds momentum.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

I was in Delhi yesterday.

The air looked like it had a filter on but it wasn’t aesthetic.

It was toxic. AQI? 400+. 
Visibility? Barely 200 meters. 
Masks? No one had it. 

When I asked my Uber and Rapido drivers how they manage this every day, both smiled and said 

“Saab, humko aadat ho gayi hai.” (We’ve gotten used to it.) 

Because that’s the story of Delhi right now, a city gasping for air, but pretending it’s fine. Everyone’s adapted to pain instead of fixing it. 

Factories running. Traffic jammed. Construction dust swirling. 

Kids going to school wearing the same masks they wore during COVID except now it’s for pollution. 

And the saddest part? The normalisation. 

Nobody complains anymore. Nobody even pauses. 

Maybe that’s what happens when survival becomes routine. 

Adaptability is Delhi’s strength, but when adaptation turns into apathy, it becomes our biggest weakness. 

It’s not about air quality anymore. 
It’s about mindset quality.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

If you’ve ever walked past a temple or a corner shop at 6 a.m., you’ve smelled that faint, smoky calm of burning agarbatti.

It’s a smell of routine, of beginnings, of India itself.

But behind that scent is an empire. A ₹10,000 crore industry built on faith, family, and flawless distribution.

Most agarbatti businesses start small, often from homes in Bengaluru, Mysuru, or Nagpur.

One mixing tray, a hand roller, and a day’s worth of bamboo sticks.
A single worker can roll about 3,000 sticks a day earning ₹250–₹300.

From there, the scaling happens quietly:

 → Local units supplied to small wholesalers.
 → Wholesalers package under local brands.
 → Big players like Cycle Pure, Mangaldeep, and Zed Black buy up regional markets.

It’s one of India’s most unassuming success stories:

 - Over 8 lakh families are employed.
 - Exported to 160+ countries.
 - A domestic market crossing ₹10,000 crore.

All driven by a product that sells for ₹5 a packet.

Tradition doesn’t need disruption to grow, it needs consistency.

While the world chases the next unicorn, India quietly builds empires that smell like sandalwood.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

Last week, a founder from Jalna said something that stayed with me:

“In India, real wealth was never built in flashy businesses.
 It was built in steel, cement, and pipes.”

So I dug in.
 And what I found is something most startup founders overlook completely.

Almost 70% of India’s steel pipe supply still comes from family-owned units across:

-  Gujarat (Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad)

-  Maharashtra (Mumbai, Pune, Jalna)

-  Punjab (Mandi Gobindgarh)

-  Haryana (Hisar)

-  Chhattisgarh & Odisha (near the steel belts)

Most of these businesses are 20–40 years old, started by a father or grandfather with one small furnace and a handful of workers.

No pitch decks.
No VCs.
Just pure operational discipline.

A typical mid-sized unit not a giant like quietly does:

-  ₹40–₹120 crore annual turnover

-  4–7% net margins

-  30–45 days inventory turnover

-  Steady working capital cycles

-  Consistent demand from builders, factories, engineering firms, and traders

Low margin? Yes.
Low glamour? Definitely.

Low risk? Surprisingly, yes.
High volume? Always.

These businesses don’t chase virality.
They chase predictability.

And that’s why they survive economic cycles better than many funded startups.

In a world where everyone is trying to “disrupt, ”India’s steel pipe families remind us of a deeper truth:

Wealth compounds fastest in businesses that don’t collapse when the market mood changes.

Just consistency over decades.

And sometimes, the most “boring” business is the one that quietly builds generational wealth.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

“Before Starbucks charged ₹400 for a latte, South India was selling loyalty for ₹20 a tumbler.”

The other morning, while on a trip to Bengaluru, I stopped at a small filter coffee stall tucked between a stationery shop and a temple.

No app. No branding. No “limited edition roast.”

Just the familiar sound of steel tumblers and fresh decoction.

What struck me wasn’t the aroma, it was the loyalty. People came in by name.

Some had been visiting that same stall for over 10 years.
The owner didn’t need a CRM,  he had memory.

On average, these stalls sell 800–1,200 cups a day, earning ₹4,000–₹6,000 daily all cash flow positive, all bootstrapped.

Margins are thin, but trust is thick.

No investor decks.
No marketing spend.
Just consistency, quality, and community.

And that’s the real insight:  Businesses don’t have to be built on disruption.

Some of the most sustainable ones are built on rituals.

In an age where startups fight for retention rates and brand loyalty, these filter coffee stalls have had both for decades at ₹20 a tumbler.

Because sometimes, community > convenience.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

Every founder I know is drowning in execution.
Investor calls. Team escalations. Growth fires.
Everyone is “working hard,” but very few step away long enough to think.

And that’s the real trap.

Because when you’re buried inside the day-to-day, you stop seeing the bigger picture:

Where the market is heading.
Where your energy is slipping.
Which decisions will actually matter 12 months from now.

Over the years, I’ve seen one pattern across the strongest founders, they give themselves 3 uninterrupted hours every week away from the company.

Not to relax. Not to plan a to-do list.
But to think in silence.

Three hours where there are no meetings, no notifications, no dashboards just space to zoom out and ask:

-  What’s truly moving the needle?

-  What problem am I avoiding?

-   What decision have I delayed for too long?

-  Where am I operating out of fear instead of logic?

In those silent pockets, clarity returns.

Most startups don’t lack effort, they lack perspective.

Because real strategy doesn’t come from sprints. It comes from silence.

If you’re a founder reading this, try it once this week:
- Block 3 distraction-free hours.
 - Step outside the noise.
 - Look at your company like an outsider.

You’ll be surprised how much changes when you finally stop long enough to think.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

It started with a simple thought: “If bread is bad for you, why not build a better one?” That is how The Health Factory started a startup which made India’s first protein bread.

The idea was born from a simple habit. Vinay ate six slices of bread every morning before work.

His parents told him to stop.
Instead, he decided to build a bread they’d actually approve of.

Their claims were ambitious:

- 300% more protein

- 20% fewer carbs

- Zero cholesterol, low fat, no trans fats

But numbers told a tougher story.
The founders pitched for ₹75 lakh for 2.1% equity at a ₹35 crore valuation.

And while loyalty was strong, some subscribers prepaid 3 years in advance and their unit economics were still tight: high wastage, premium pricing, and delivery costs that strained margins.

When they entered Shark Tank India, the pitch fell flat.
The sharks weren’t convinced.

Their reasons were blunt:

- “Healthier” doesn’t necessarily mean healthy.

- The space already had faster players like Theobroma and Baker’s Dozen.

- The delivery model would be hard to scale.

- Co-founder equity imbalance raised red flags.

All five sharks backed out.

But here’s the real story : The Health Factory didn’t “struggle” or “fail.”
They pioneered a category India didn’t even know it needed.

Innovation doesn’t wait for consumer habits to catch up. innovation creates new habits.
And that’s exactly what they did.

They built the Protein Bread and Zero Maida Bread category from scratch and the market followed. National players followed.
A space that barely existed 5 years ago is now mainstream because they pushed it there.

In fact, they’ve grown 150x, reached pan-India distribution, and are now one of the fastest-growing FMCG brands in the country.

This isn’t a story of “market fit vs timing.”
It’s a story of what happens when founders believe deeply enough to change consumer behaviour itself.

Just because Sharks did not invest, this wasn’t a story of failure.
It was a story of pioneering execution in a brutally hard industry.

When a legacy giant like Nokia commits $4B to AI, it’s more than an upgrade.
 It’s a message:

Telecom isn’t about towers anymore.
 It’s about intelligence.

Nokia’s new vision is bold. Networks that can:

• Fix themselves
• Predict faults
• Optimise traffic in real-time
• Run 5G/6G with minimal human intervention

This is not “better connectivity.”
This is AI becoming the operating system of infrastructure.

Why this matters for founders
Everyone is building AI features. The real wealth is in AI infrastructure.

AI that powers:
 • smart cities
 • industrial networks
 • logistics rails
 • utilities
 • enterprise-grade operations

If Nokia is putting $4B here, the next decade is clear: Infra + AI = the new frontier.

Why this matters for investors

This is the type of shift that rewrites valuation logic.
 Earlier, infrastructure tech felt slow and expensive.

 Now, with AI embedded, it becomes:
• scalable
• defensible
• globally relevant

The next breakout startups won’t be building the next chat app.
 They’ll be building the intelligence layer the world depends on.

India’s opportunity? 

We have engineers.
We have the cost advantage.
We have ambition.

What we need now are founders who build deep not just fast.

Nokia’s announcement isn’t about telecom.

It’s a reminder: Every company becomes a tech company.
Every tech company becomes an AI company.

The ones who move early will own the next decade.

What do you think? Is AI finally entering the infrastructure era?

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

No one warns founders that optimism is heavy.

You’re expected to be the one who believes  when numbers dip, when funding delays, when the team loses faith.

You’re the one saying, “It’s fine, we’ll figure it out,”even when you’re not sure yourself.

But optimism isn’t free.

 It costs sleep. It costs silence. It costs moments when you just want someone else to carry it for a while.

In every startup, there comes a quiet phase when the story outside looks strong, but the story inside feels tired.

That’s when real leadership begins.

Because leadership isn’t about pretending to have energy It's about protecting the team’s belief while finding a way to refill your own.

The founders who last aren’t the loudest.

They’re the ones who learn how to stay soft even when the world demands steel.

Being an optimist is your superpower  but even superpowers need recharging.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

India Didn’t Just Lose a Test Match.
We Lost Our Standards.

I’m not someone who gets emotional about every cricket result.
But yesterday’s Test defeat to South Africa at home felt different.

Not because we lost. But how we lost.

Loose shots. Zero patience and no match awareness.

Moments where our players some of the best in the world,  looked childish in conditions they’ve dominated for a decade.

It reminded me of something I see often in startups too:When you get too comfortable at home, you forget what it takes to win.

Great teams,  in sport and in business collapse not because they lack talent…
 but because they stop respecting the basics:

• Discipline
• Adaptability
• Accountability
• Fight

In cricket, you can’t bully your way to victory with reputation.
In startups, you can’t “brand” your way out of sloppy execution.

Both expose you.
Watching yesterday’s collapse, one thing hit me : Success makes you sloppy. Pressure makes you better.

And sometimes, you need a painful defeat to remind you that your past doesn’t owe you future wins.

But here’s the part that lifted my mood…

While the men’s team looked lost, the Indian Women’s Blind Cricket Team quietly went and won the T20 World Cup.

Same country. Same sport. Different mindset.

One team took winning for granted.
The other earned it.

Plenty of lessons in there for founders, leaders, and anyone chasing excellence.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

Managers optimize. Builders imagine.

And that’s the difference between a company that grows and one that simply survives.

I’ve seen it happen too often.
A startup raises capital, scales fast, builds a team… and somewhere along the way, the founder stops building.

Meetings replace whiteboards.
Reports replace curiosity.

Instead of asking “What if?” they start asking “What’s next on the dashboard?”

That’s when innovation dies quietly, but completely.

The best founders I’ve met never lose that builder’s hunger.
 Even when they’re leading hundreds, they still sketch ideas on napkins, tinker with new features, and walk factory floors to see what’s breaking.

Because leadership isn’t about managing what exists  it’s about imagining what’s next.

The moment you get too comfortable reading reports, someone out there is already busy writing the next big one.

Building never stops.

You can hire managers to run operations but only you can keep the vision alive.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

What if I told you solar at home can cost just ₹1 lakh after subsidy — and pay for itself in 3 years? 🌞⚡ Free electricity for the next 20 years sounds like a smart deal.

Aditya Damani, CFA  CREDIT FAIR

 #solarenergysystem #smartlivin #greenfuture

Cut your electricity bill by 75%! ☀️

💡 Solar isn’t just for the rich—it’s for every Indian home. 🌍✨ 

Aditya Damani, CFA CREDIT FAIR

#solarpowered #saveelectricity #cleanenergy♻️

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

⚡ Electricity bills in Maharashtra are soaring — ₹12 to ₹20 per unit! But the solution is shining right above us. 

☀️ Solar isn’t just about saving money, it’s about building sustainable communities. 🌍💡

👉 Would you choose solar for your housing society?

Aditya Damani, CFA CREDIT FAIR

#solar #maharashtra

Every founder I know tracks one balance sheet. Almost none track the second one : The emotional balance sheet.

On paper, the company looks fine. Money in the bank, team hired, growth steady.

But internally?

Overwhelm piles up like liabilities. Uncertainty compounds like interest.
 And ego ego is the biggest hidden cost centre.

I’ve seen founders lose companies not because the idea was wrong not because the market was small.

But because they ran out of emotional bandwidth.
A tired mind makes expensive decisions.An anxious founder hires the wrong people.

 An insecure founder overbuilds products.

 A stressed founder burns bridges they later need.

The truth is simple: Our business can only grow at the speed of your emotional stability.

The founders who last aren’t the smartest or fastest they’re the ones who’ve learned emotional hygiene:

• Taking time off the grid to think
 • Saying “I don’t know” without shame
 • Making decisions without ego
 • Learning to rest without guilt
 • Asking for help before the fire starts
Numbers matter.

 But clarity, patience, and emotional control matter more.

Because every startup fails twice. First emotionally, then financially.

We have raised funds for 26 startups. DM me if you want to raise funds for your startup.

taplio

The Battle

GARGI BANERJEE

Devansh Lakhani - Angel Investor

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreGARGI BANERJEE's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreDevansh Lakhani - Angel Investor's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

GARGI BANERJEE

Devansh Lakhani - Angel Investor

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}GARGI BANERJEE's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreDevansh Lakhani - Angel Investor's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreGARGI BANERJEE's LinkedIn Performance