Prime Venture Partners Podcast

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  From an IIT Bombay Lab to a ₹1,000 Crore IPO | The SEDEMAC Deep-Tech Story 15.09.2026 1ชม. 26นาที

  What does it take to build original deep tech in India, get some of the country’s largest companies to adopt it, and eventually take the business to a ₹1,000+ crore IPO?In 2007, Professor Shashikanth Suryanarayanan started @SEDEMAC Mechatronics out of an IIT Bombay lab. Nearly two decades later, SEDEMAC has become one of India’s standout deep-tech success stories. The company crossed ₹1,000 crore in annual revenue, ships around 1 million motor controllers every quarter, and its ISG (Integrated Starter Generator) technology is now on an estimated 12 to 13 million vehicles on the road.It also reached a milestone very few Indian deep-tech companies do: the public markets, through a ₹1,087 crore IPO that was entirely an Offer for Sale, with no fresh capital raised by the company.In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Jerome Manuel sits down with Shashikanth to explore how SEDEMAC went from building proprietary control technologies to creating products adopted by major two-wheeler and generator manufacturers.00:00 Introduction00:59 What Does a Motor Controller Do?03:53 What Is Control Technology?08:43 The Sensorless Commutation Problem16:55 How Technology Creates New Markets22:44 How Sedemac Reached Millions of Vehicles27:33 Why India Needs More Original Technology31:34 “You Will Not Produce a Virat Kohli in Spain”41:50 What Made Sedemac Work?47:40 Building a Technical Team54:53 From Professor to Founder1:00:27 Getting OEMs to Adopt Deep Tech1:09:19 ₹36 Crore to ₹1,058 Crore1:20:08 Competitive Advantage, Profitability & ROCE1:22:44 The Road AheadShashikanth explains SEDEMAC’s work in sensorless commutation and Integrated Starter Generators, but the bigger story is how a technology moves from an engineering breakthrough to something millions of people actually use. SEDEMAC had to demonstrate something customers were not asking for, convince large OEMs to test it, validate it over years, and gradually earn adoption across multiple vehicle models.That leads to one of the central ideas of the conversation: technology creators do not always enter existing markets. Sometimes they create the market itself.Finally, Shashikanth breaks down SEDEMAC’s growth from ₹36 crore in revenue in 2016 to ₹1,058 crore in FY26, and makes a provocative argument: if a technology company has genuinely created something differentiated and reached scale, that advantage should eventually show up in pricing power, profitability and capital efficiency.A rare look at what it takes to turn deep-tech innovation into a scaled business in India.Connect with Professor Shashikant LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shashikanth-suryanarayanan-6ba85010/Follow Jerome ManuelX (Twitter):https://x.com/JeromeAndManuelLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromermanuelRead the transcript for the entire podcast here: https://bit.ly/SEDEMAC-Mechatronics About Prime Venture PartnersPrime Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm backing exceptional founders building category-defining technology companies across SaaS, fintech, AI, healthcare, consumer internet and enterprise software.Learn more: Prime Venture PartnersFollow Prime Venture Partners:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2780448/admin/dashboard/X (Twitter): https://x.com/Primevp_inInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/primevp_in/Learn more about:Website: https://www.sedemac.com/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/sedemac-mechatronics#DeepTech #OEM #Innovation #Entrepreneurship
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  How India’s ₹5 Lakh Crore Alcohol Industry Works | 8X Bigger than Bollywood and Jewellery 01.09.2026 1ชม. 25นาที

  India’s alcohol beverage industry is worth around ₹5 lakh crore, and spirits make up roughly three-fourths of the market. But building a successful alcohol brand in India involves much more than making a good drink.00:00 Introduction01:21 How Big Is India’s Alcobev Industry?02:13 Why Spirits Dominate India04:00 The Alcobev Ecosystem & Jobs07:00 India vs Global Alcohol Markets10:00 How the Indian Whisky Market Has Changed14:00 Premiumisation & Changing Consumer Preferences18:00 Building Premium Indian Alcohol Brands24:54 How Radico Kaitan Built Categories27:46 Are Alcohol Companies Profitable?29:05 What Does It Take to Launch an Alcohol Brand?35:00 Building a Brand Beyond a Great Product40:00 Distribution, Retail & Getting on Shelves45:00 Why Every Indian State Is a Different Market50:00 Regulation, Excise & Government Control55:00 How Alcohol Brands Scale Across India1:00:00 Indian Whisky vs International Brands1:10:00 The Future of Premium Indian Spirits 1:18:29 Ankur’s Favourite Spirits 1:21:52 Final ThoughtsAnkur Sachdeva has spent around 25 years in the Alcobev industry, with stints at William Grant & Sons, Radico Kaitan, the Kajaria Group and Allied Blenders & Distillers. He was also involved in bringing Glenfiddich and The Balvenie to India, and today is building premium Indian whisky brands of his own.In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Jerome Manuel sits down with Ankur Sachdeva, Co-founder & CEO of Uppal Brewers and Distillers to understand an industry that most people consume, but few understand as a business.They start with the scale of the Indian market. Ankur explains why India's alcohol industry looks very different from global markets, where beer is the largest category, while spirits dominate India and account for around three-fourths of the market.The conversation then moves into the rise of premium Indian spirits. Ankur discusses brands such as 8PM, Magic Moments, Jaisalmer, Rampur, Indri and Royal Ranthambore, and how Indian companies have identified gaps in the market and built brands around them.But a good product is only the beginning.Ankur explains what it actually takes to launch an alcobev brand: from having a clear idea and building the product to manufacturing, capital, distribution and getting consumers to pick it off the shelf. He also talks about why a clever bottle or an unusual flavour may make an interesting product, but that alone does not necessarily make a successful brand.The episode also gets into the economics of the industry, including why established Alcobev businesses can operate at strong EBITDA levels, and what makes the category attractive once a business has established its model.For anyone interested in consumer brands, whisky, premiumisation, distribution, regulation or building businesses in India, this conversation gives a detailed look at how the alcobev industry actually works.Connect with Ankur SachdevaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asachdeva/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ankursachdevaind?igsi=MTdwNGljOGZ2dWtudg==Follow Jerome ManuelX (Twitter):https://x.com/JeromeAndManuelLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromermanuelRead the transcript for the entire podcast here - https://bit.ly/Prime-Venture-Partners-And-Uppal-Brewers-And-Distillers About Prime Venture PartnersPrime Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm backing exceptional founders building category-defining technology companies across SaaS, fintech, AI, healthcare, consumer internet and enterprise software.Learn more: https://www.primevp.in/Follow Prime Venture Partners:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2780448/admin/dashboard/X (Twitter): https://x.com/Primevp_inInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/primevp_in/Learn more about:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uppal-brewers-distillers/Website: https://soorahi.com/#IndianStartups #Alcobev #Whisky #ConsumerBrands #Entrepreneurship
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  How VCs Choose Founders to Back | Why Accel Backed Flipkart, Myntra & More 17.08.2026 46นาที

  Subrata Mitra, Co-founder and Partner at Accel India and co-author of Down But Not Out, shares what decades of backing Indian startups have taught him about building companies that survive setbacks, adapt through uncertainty and keep going long enough to succeed.00:00 Introduction01:01 Why Subrata Wrote Down But Not Out03:08 The Founder Stories Behind the Book09:29 The Map, the Compass & “Long-Term Greed”13:44 What Makes a Founder Resilient?15:46 How Investors Evaluate Founders17:21 How Founders Learn, Adapt & Evolve21:12 The Role of Mentors, Coaches & Family25:13 Finding Your Mission Beyond Money27:32 From Generalist to Specialist30:01 The 2 Things Founders Should Focus On Every Day30:50 Why Relationships Matter More Than Grades36:55 Find Your Unique Skills & Double Down39:08 Why Startup Culture Should Make Room for Joy43:01 What Subrata Would Tell His Younger Self44:40 Why No Startup Goes Straight Up & Advice for Young FoundersWhen Subrata Mitra wrote the first cheque to Flipkart founders Sachin and Binny Bansal, he says a $200 million outcome would have made them happy. Flipkart crossed that milestone so quickly that nobody stopped to treat it as a major marker. It eventually became one of India’s biggest startup success stories.But the more interesting story is everything that happens before the outcome: ideas that do not work, difficult decisions, founders who have to change, co-founder challenges, unexpected opportunities and the resilience required to stay in the game for 10 to 15 years.On this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Amit Somani sits down with Subrata to discuss the ideas behind his book Down But Not Out, which brings together stories of Indian founders who experienced major setbacks but continued to build. Subrata explains why entrepreneurship is more like a Test match than a T20: you need the stamina to stay long, but you must also recognise the right opportunity and hit the ball when it comes.The conversation explores what Subrata looks for in founders, why it can take eight to nine months to understand whether a founding team has what it takes, and why the ability to evolve may matter as much as what a founder knows when they start. They also discuss coaching, mentorship, family support, complementary co-founder skills and the transition from being a generalist founder to becoming a more specialised leader as the company grows.Connect with Subrata Mitrahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/subratamitra/Follow Amit SomaniX (Twitter): https://x.com/amitsomani?lang=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesomani/Listen/Watch this podcast onSpotify:Apple Podcasts: Read the transcript for the entire podcast here - https://bit.ly/Prime-Venture-Partners-And-Accel-India About Prime Venture PartnersPrime Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm backing exceptional founders building category-defining technology companies across SaaS, fintech, AI, healthcare, consumer internet and enterprise software.Learn more: https://www.primevp.in/Follow Prime Venture Partners:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2780448/admin/dashboard/X (Twitter): https://x.com/Primevp_inInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/primevp_in/Learn more about:Accel: https://www.accel.com/news/portfolio#IndianStartups #VentureCapital #StartupInvesting
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  How India Should Actually Compete in the Global AI Race 05.08.2026 56นาที

  Piyush Shah, a legendary Indian Founder of 2 Unicorns (InMobi & Glance) shares why India's AI strategy has to look nothing like Silicon Valley's or Beijing's, and what founders should build instead.00:00 Introduction00:48 Why the Country That Invents AI Rarely Wins02:16 US vs China vs India: India's AI Opportunity03:55 How China Is Winning the AI Race09:38 AI Startup Ideas for India12:52 Consumer AI vs Enterprise AI14:20 Why Consumer AI Can Bankrupt You16:45 Why Enterprise AI Will Win First19:57 Distribution Is Still the Biggest Moat21:43 How AI Startups Should Go to Market25:14 Physical AI Startup Opportunities28:37 What US Enterprises Want From AI Startups32:45 Why Purpose Is a Competitive Moat35:58 How InMobi Uses AI Internally37:47 AI Sales, AI Agents & Enterprise Automation42:16 How Leaders Should Drive AI Adoption44:50 AI Won't Replace You. Fear Will.46:09 The Fastest Way to Learn AI47:32 My AI-Native Chief of Staff48:52 How AI Changed My Personal Life52:38 Final ThoughtsEvery general purpose technology gets invented once and scaled somewhere else. Germany invented the printing press. Britain built an industry on it. America turned that industry into an economy. Piyush Shah, Co-founder of InMobi and Glance, thinks the same pattern is repeating with AI right now, and he's convinced most founders are drawing the wrong lesson from it.On this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Amit Somani sits down with Piyush to make the case that copying America's invention-first approach or China's industrialisation-first approach would be the wrong move for India entirely. Instead, Piyush lays out what he believes India's real opportunity looks like: not the smartest AI for the world's most sophisticated users, but AI that raises the floor for a billion people who've never had access to a tutor, a doctor, or a financial advisor in their life.The conversation doesn't stop at strategy. Piyush and Amit get into why consumer AI has a cost problem nobody's fully solved (he calls it inference CAC), why distribution remains the real moat even in an AI-native world, and why "purpose" might be the one advantage that's genuinely hard to copy. Piyush also opens up about how InMobi and Glance have rebuilt themselves around AI internally, and how AI has changed the way he runs his own life, from an 18-year-old AI-native chief of staff to using AI to understand his family's health reports.If you're building an AI startup, thinking about India's AI strategy, or trying to figure out whether your business model can survive the AI shift, this conversation offers a real framework, not another hype-cycle.Connect with Piyush ShahLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/piyush-shah-0583412/Follow Amit SomaniX (Twitter): https://x.com/amitsomani?lang=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesomani/About Prime Venture PartnersPrime Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm backing exceptional founders building category-defining technology companies across SaaS, fintech, AI, healthcare, consumer internet and enterprise software.Learn more: https://www.primevp.in/Follow Prime Venture Partners:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2780448/admin/dashboard/X (Twitter): https://x.com/Primevp_inInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/primevp_in/Learn more aboutInMobi: https://www.inmobi.com/Glance: https://glance.com/?c=BAU&pid=Social_X_bio&shortlink=6md9fteh&source_caller=ui
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  Global B2B GTM for Enterprises in the AI-first World 21.07.2026 46นาที

  What You’ll Learn:00:00 Introduction02:13 Why Marketing Owns Zero Board KPIs08:54 There Is No Killer Marketing Campaign15:41 Why Your First 10 Customers Matter More24:16 The Biggest GTM Mistake Founders Make33:48 How AI Is Changing Customer Discovery43:11 Demand Generation Beats Chasing Leads53:02 Why Value Wins Over Price1:02:47 The New Rules of B2B Go-to-Market1:11:26 Rapid Fire with Alon WaksRethink your B2B SaaS GTM strategy from pipeline to persona SpotDraft’s CMO Alon Waks shares the framework behind $100M raised and 450+ customers.Ask a B2B founder about their killer marketing campaign and most will have an answer ready. Alon Waks will tell you that answer is wrong. There is no killer campaign. There is no one channel. And most of what founders think of as marketing is stuck in one-to-many land when it should be one-to-few.That is where this conversation starts, and it does not slow down.Alon is the CMO at SpotDraft, the AI-powered contract lifecycle management platform backed by Vertex, Qualcomm, Prosus, and P&G Invest, now serving customers across the US, UK, and APAC. In this episode with Prime Venture Partners, he opens up the playbook he actually runs day to day:- How he defines persona versus segment (and why founders keep starting with the wrong one)- What changes as a company moves from 0 to 1 to 10 to 100- Why he thinks paid marketing has become a race to the bottom that most founders are still throwing money at.He also opens up his playbook for B2B influencer marketing, an angle most CMOs will not talk about publicly. He explains why validation has quietly shifted away from Gartner and toward peer-to-peer conversations on Reddit, LinkedIn, and community forums. And for the Indian founders trying to crack the US, he lays out exactly which cities matter, what not to do on outbound, and when to make your first local hire.Toward the end, Alon gets uncomfortably honest about what marketing actually owns on the board KPI list (spoiler: almost nothing) and why that changes everything about how you should measure your team.If you are a founder, a marketer, or a CMO building a B2B SaaS GTM strategy from scratch, this is the one to bookmark.Connect:Alon Waks on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alonwaks/Spotdraft: https://www.spotdraft.com/Prime Venture Partners: https://www.primevp.in/Jerome Manuel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromermanuel/About Prime Venture Partners:Prime Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm partnering with exceptional founders building category-defining companies from India.#GoToMarket #B2BMarketing
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  Six Times They Almost Shut Down; Today It Makes ₹60 Crore Every Month | Akshayakalpa CEO - Shashi Kumar 23.06.2026 1ชม. 27นาที

  Akshayakalpa is known as India’s first certified organic dairy enterprise. But in this conversation, Shashi Kumar makes it clear that the deeper story has always been farming.In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Jerome Manuel speaks with Shashi Kumar, Founder & CEO of Akshayakalpa, about building at the farm level for 16 years, far away from the usual startup playbook of fast growth, quick scale and easy metrics.Akshayakalpa began with dairy because farmers needed reliable cash flow. Once that started working, the model expanded into animal care, soil management, manure-making, beekeeping, backyard poultry and diversified farms.Today, Akshayakalpa is a profitable ₹60-crore-a-month business working with 2,800 farmers, including 1,200 women farmers. Last financial year, the average monthly payout to each farming family was ₹1.28 lakh.The conversation explores:• Why Akshayakalpa raised no institutional money for 9 years• Why Shashi refused to sell investors a hypergrowth story• How Nithin Kamath invested ₹5 crore in 5 days during the pandemic• Why 27 people took equity in the company when it was struggling• Why each cluster takes nearly 7 years to build• How 2,800 farmers produce what would conventionally need nearly 100,000 farmers• Why 45,000 customers visited Akshayakalpa farms• Why premium pricing is a value play• What founders can learn from building with patience and truthFor founders building in India, this episode is a reminder that every great company does not have to be built by chasing the fastest story.Some are built by saying the harder thing early, and still finding the right people to believe in it.Episode Timestamps00:00 - Introduction00:38 - What Akshayakalpa is really building02:06 - Why young people are moving away from farming10:17 - Making farming economically viable again15:37 - Scaling through role models, clusters and culture32:16 - Why Akshayakalpa started with dairy39:13 - The first 9 years: struggle, frugality and survival46:02 - Building customer trust through farm visits48:09 - Why premium pricing is a value play51:08 - Organic food and the challenge of fundraising in farming1:15:42 - Investor expectations, Nithin Kamath and long-term capital1:18:10 - What still keeps Shashi up at nightSubscribe to the Prime Venture Partners Podcast for more conversations with founders building enduring companies in India.#AgriCapital #FarmEconomics #FoodSystems
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  How are Indians investing? Angel One CEO on SIPs, ETFs, AI and wealth creation 07.06.2026 44นาที

  India’s UPI moment changed how money moves.But that may only be the first chapter.As millions of Indians become comfortable with digital payments, a bigger question is beginning to emerge: how will they save, invest, and build wealth over the next decade?In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Amit Somani speaks with Ambarish Kenghe, CEO of Angel One, about India’s shift from payment adoption to wealth creation.From his journey across Google, Myntra, Google Pay, and Angel One, Ambarish has seen India’s digital consumer evolve up close. In this conversation, he talks about what changed after Aadhaar, Jio and UPI, why Indian consumers remain deeply value conscious, how SIPs are becoming a default investing habit, and where the next wave of fintech opportunities may come from.The conversation also explores:• Why 2015 became a turning point for India’s digital economy• How UPI changed everyday money movement for consumers and merchants• Why India’s wealth creation story still has massive headroom• What is driving SIP adoption among new investors• How AI could create a personal CFO or family office like experience for more Indians• How Angel One is using AI across products, operations and customer education• Why learning, unlearning and ownership matter when building teamsFor founders building in fintech, wealth tech, AI, or consumer products in India, this episode offers a sharp view of where the market has been and where it may be headed next.👉 Subscribe to the Prime Venture Partners Podcast for more conversations from India’s startup ecosystem.Episode Timestamps00:00 - Introduction02:22 - Why AK came back to India in 2015 after 18 years in Silicon Valley06:26 - The ₹25 checkbox that Myntra shut down in two hours09:41 - What UPI changed beyond transaction volumes11:04 - The Google chef who used to get looted walking home with cash13:12 - India now has million dollar millionaires. What does that mean for wealth creation.15:57 - Where Indian retail wealth actually sits: 50% real estate, 15% gold, 15% FDs16:37 - Equity investing at 5 to 8% in India versus 44 to 45% in the US17:13 - Only 5% of Angel One users trade F&O exclusively21:15 - The real opportunity for founders building in India's wealth space27:30 - The family office for everyone and what agentic AI could make possible29:35 - How Angel One is using AI today with Ask Angel35:10 - What AK looks for when hiring: learn, unlearn, ownership40:58 - The Indian founder worth a billion dollars who spends every Saturday on AI
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  Why mChek Failed Before UPI Took Over India | Sanjay Swamy on Building Too Early 19.05.2026 55นาที

  Long before UPI, smartphones and Aadhaar transformed digital payments in India, mChek was trying to turn mobile phones into wallets.The vision was ambitious.The execution was complex.And the ecosystem was still years away from catching up.In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Shripati Acharya speaks with Sanjay Swamy, former CEO of mChek and Managing Partner at Prime Venture Partners, about one of India’s earliest attempts at building mobile payments.They discuss what it feels like to build ahead of the market, the hidden cost of ecosystem dependency, and why timing is often the hardest variable for founders to get right.The conversation also explores:• Why being early can sometimes look exactly like being wrong• How telcos, banks and regulators shaped the mChek journey• The operational chaos of building fintech in 2006 India• Why distribution does not always lead to adoption• What changed between mChek, Paytm and the UPI era• Why products depending on too many stakeholders are harder to scale• The difference between having the right idea and having the right timingIf you are building in a market that still feels early, this episode is worth your time.👉 Subscribe to the Prime Venture Partners Podcast for more conversations from India’s startup ecosystem.Episode Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:07 - “Unsuccessful” vs failed entrepreneurs02:25 - Why timing is the hardest thing to judge03:05 - The moment Sanjay saw phones as payment devices05:40 - India’s telecom ecosystem in 200609:49 - The original thesis behind mChek17:14 - The hidden problems nobody anticipated27:35 - Building a payments app inside a SIM card39:00 - The moment Sanjay felt it might not work44:04 - The biggest lesson for founders
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  The Psychology of Exceptional Founders | Dr. Julie Gurner, Executive Performance Coach 22.04.2026 45นาที

  Some founders build solid companies.A few build something far bigger than what looked reasonable at the time.What explains that gap?In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Amit Somani, Managing Partner at Prime Venture Partners, speaks with Dr. Julie Gurner, Executive Performance Coach on the psychology behind exceptional founders.They get into the self belief, audacity, resilience, and invisible rules that shape how far people go.The conversation also explores:• What “maniacal focus” looks like in standout founders• The imaginary rules that limit what founders build, earn, and pursue• Why tying your identity to your company can lead to worse decisions• Why playing to your strengths creates more leverage than trying to do it all• What AI can and cannot do for leaders and foundersIf you are building something and want to understand the mental side of exceptional performance, this episode is worth your time.👉 Subscribe to the Prime Venture Partners Podcast for more insider stories from India’s startup ecosystem.Episode Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:45 - Dr. Julie’s journey into coaching02:55 - Key lessons from psychology & prisons06:11 - Traits of great vs good founders 09:28 – Survivorship bias & real success factors12:33 - “Imaginary rules” explained17:34 - How to identify your limiting beliefs20:32 - Separating identity from your business25:30 - How great founders pivot28:34 - Handling tough days as a founder30:46 - Playing to your strengths33:41 - Why AI is non-negotiable41:03 - Final tips & recommendations👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to the Prime Venture Partners Podcast for more real founder stories and insights from India’s startup ecosystem!
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  Inside the Dark Stores Behind Blinkit & Zepto | How 10 Minute Delivery Works 09.04.2026 53นาที

  Most people think quick commerce is just about delivering in 10 minutes. But it’s not.Behind every Blinkit or Zepto order is a tightly run system of dark stores, pick paths, manpower, and real-time execution that has almost no margin for error.In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Brij Bhushan speaks with Sumit Anand and Rupesh Thakare, co-founders of Inamo, the company building the operational backbone behind India’s quick commerce ecosystem.They break down what it actually takes to make this work at scale, from stores that process orders in minutes to systems designed for speed, consistency, and precision.In this conversation:• What really happens inside a dark store• Why 10 minute delivery is no longer the real moat• The economics behind every quick commerce order• Why platforms are rethinking in-house vs outsourced operations• Why platforms are rethinking in-house vs outsourced operations• Why platforms are rethinking in-house vs outsourced operations👉 Subscribe to the Prime Venture Partners Podcast for more insider stories from India’s startup ecosystem.Episode Timestamps00:00 - Introduction to Quick Commerce01:07 - Guests: Sumit & Rupesh from Inamo03:36 - How Inamo Started07:30 - Quick Commerce Growth & COVID Impact10:45 - Dark Stores & Order Fulfillment Explained16:24 - Team Size, Attrition & Training17:57 - Economics & Orders per Dark Store23:51 - Why Outsourcing Dark Stores Works30:50 - Differentiation & Scale Advantages33:09 - Inventory & Demand Management40:12 - Future of Quick Delivery & Innovations44:44 - Consolidated Inventory & Seller-Fulfilled Models46:02 - Market Growth & Long-Tail Opportunities49:02 - Founders’ Vision for the Next Few Years👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to the Prime Venture Partners Podcast for more real founder stories and insights from India’s startup ecosystem!#Startups #Entrepreneurship #FounderJourney #VentureCapital #StartupLessons #Podcast #primeventurepartnerspodcast
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  Sushant Junnarkar on Building a Business, Running Out of Runway, and Knowing When to Stop 27.03.2026 40นาที

  In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, we speak with Sushant Junnarkar, who shares his raw and honest journey of building and eventually shutting down an early-stage startup.Sushant takes us through the complete entrepreneurial roller coaster from early traction and funding to competition, pivots, and the tough decision to shut down.In conversation with Sanjay Swamy, he shares insights on:• The 3 phases of a startup journey• Why startups fail beyond just lack of capital• The funding vs scale dilemma• Founder challenges and decision-making under pressure• Key lessons for early-stage entrepreneursTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction01:08 - Meet Sushant Junnarkar & The Book02:02 - Sushant’s Background & Career Journey03:11 - The Online Grocery Startup Idea04:16 - Breaking Down the Startup Phases05:46 - Phase 1: Idea, Research & Strategy09:38 - First Orders & Early Traction12:35 - Early Growth & Press Coverage14:34 - Competition Enters the Market16:22 - Tech Challenges & Moving Beyond Jugaad17:23 - Phase 3: Funding Challenges Begin18:30 - Last Attempts to Save the Startup20:45 - When Founder Motivation Declines23:06 - Who Should Read It27:42 - Key Advice: Passion & Product-Market Fit30:31 - Why Startups Fail: Execution34:10 - Capital, Competition & Strategy36:10 - Final Lessons on Entrepreneurship38:22 - Closing ThoughtsThis is a must- watch episode for anyone building or aspiring to build a startup.👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to the Prime Venture Partners Podcast for more real founder stories and insights from India’s startup ecosystem!#Startups #Entrepreneurship #FounderJourney #VentureCapital #StartupLessons #Podcast #PrimeVenturePartners
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  How Basil Built a Premium Kids Brand in a ₹60,000 Crore Market | loved by 1.5+ Lakh Families 05.03.2026 54นาที

  In this episode, the founders of Basil share how they spotted an opportunity in India’s school essentials space and built a design-led brand trusted by over 1.5 lakh families.After careers at Uber and Amazon, they set out to solve a simple but overlooked problem. Kids' essentials did not have to be boring, low-quality, or purely functional.We discuss• Identifying whitespace in consumer categories• Designing for both children and parents• Marketplace-led growth• Building operational depth in hardware• Lessons for founders building in D2CThis is a must-watch episode for entrepreneurs, founders, and anyone building consumer brands.Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction02:00 – Founders’ Backgrounds03:00 – Inspiration Behind Basil04:20 – Explaining Basil to Kids06:00 – Why Start a Startup07:00 – Early Product Challenges08:30 – Market Response & Pricing Insights11:40 – Design-First Philosophy13:00 – Manufacturing & Scaling19:57 – Who Really Buys: Kids vs Parents22:56 – Designing Products for Children25:10 – Smart Product Design for Organic Growth31:05 – Building a Brand That Can’t Be Copied35:09 – Power of User Observation40:13 – Amazon-Inspired Processes45:21 – India’s ₹60,000 Crore Kids Market45:23 – Building Consumer Love51:28 – Closing Thoughts📺 Listen to the full conversation and subscribe to the podcast.#Basil #D2C #ConsumerBrands #BrandBuilding #Entrepreneurship #Startups #PrimeVenturePartnersPodcast
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  How Propelld Helped 4 Lakh+ Indian Students Achieve Their Dreams | Prime Venture Partners 29.01.2026 55นาที

  In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, we speak with Victor, the Co-founder and CEO of Propelld, a company that has revolutionised education financing in India. Victor takes us through the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial journey, from starting his first startup in 2014 to building one of India’s largest education financing platforms. Propelld has already disbursed ₹4,000 crores in loans, helping over 400,000 students achieve their educational dreams.He shares insights on:The genesis of Propelld and its mission to make education financing accessible to allHow they manage risk in education financing through data-driven solutionsThe role of AI in underwriting and loan collectionAdvice for early-stage founders on fundraising and navigating the journey of entrepreneurshipThis is a must-watch episode for aspiring entrepreneurs and those interested in the future of education financing.👉 Don't forget to subscribe to the Prime Venture Partners Podcast for more founder stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes playbooks from India’s most exciting startups!#Startups #EducationFinancing #Entrepreneurship #AI #RiskManagement #Podcast #Fundraising #PrimeVenturePartners
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  2026 Predictions - AI, Robots, Biotech, Unicorns & the Next 5 Years | Prime Ventures Podcast 21.01.2026 55นาที

  In this special episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, the Partners come together to discuss how AI, new business models, and shifting global dynamics are reshaping startups and what founders should be preparing for as we head deeper into 2026 and beyond. From pragmatic AI adoption to new opportunities in services, SaaS, climate, and governance, this is a grounded conversation on what’s actually changing and what still matters.⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction01:30 – What Prime Is Willing to Bet On03:20 – AI Models vs Real Value Creation07:35 – Automation, Services and Opportunity11:30 – Moats and Distribution in an AI-First World20:00 – Why Fundamentals Still Matter24:05 – SaaS, Services and India’s Global Opportunity28:25 – How AI Will Change Venture Capital37:40 – Predicting the Defining Startups of 203042:05 – Climate, Energy and Big Problems Becoming Solvable45:40 – Boards, Governance and AI Ethics52:10 – Closing Thoughts for Founders Building in 2026🔥 What You’ll Discover:How founders should think about AI in 2026Why services + AI could unlock product-like margins and global opportunitiesHow India’s startup ecosystem is evolving as customers begin paying serious money for softwareWhat venture capital, boards, and governance might look like in an AI-first future🎧 Key Takeaways:Why solving the right customer problem is still a binary outcome, regardless of the AI model you useHow SaaS, services, and AI are converging into new business modelsWhat founders should expect as old cost advantages disappear and new ones emergeWhy long-term company building, discipline, and fundamentals still winAs the startup ecosystem enters its next phase, this episode offers founders, operators, and investors a clear-eyed view of what’s ahead and how to prepare for it.🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on startups, venture capital, and building enduring companies.👇 Join the conversation - What do you think founders should focus on most in 2026?#2026Predictions #IndianStartups #VentureCapital #AI #PrimeVenturePartners #StartupEcosystem #FutureOfWork #SaaS #Services #ClimateTech #Entrepreneurship #CompanyBuilding
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  A Time Machine Roundtable: Inside India’s Startup Journey (2010 to 2025) 18.12.2025 1ชม. 2นาที

  🚀2025 feels like a turning point for the Indian startup ecosystem.In this special year-end episode of the Prime Venture Partners podcast, we take a step back and look at the journey from the early days of 2010 to where we are today and what lies ahead.We talk about:• The wild early years when founders were figuring things out as they went• How Aadhaar, UPI and cheap data quietly changed everything• What COVID revealed about founder resilience• How AI is being used inside real companies today• Why India’s startup ecosystem took longer to take off, but is now scaling bigger than expectedThis is a candid, experience-led conversation from the Prime partners, shaped by nearly two decades of building and investing in Indian startups.🎙 Episode Timestamps00:00 Introduction03:17 The Three Phases of the Indian Startup Ecosystem05:16 Early Founder Reality (2010–2015)08:09 What It Was Like to Be an Investor in Early 201011:36 When No One Even Talked About Exits12:49 Early Unicorns and the First Belief Shift15:05 Founders We Underestimated and Why It Changed Our Thinking19:07 Backing People Over Plans23:29 India’s “Too Operational” Companies That Scaled Big27:46 Jio and the Moment the Internet Became Affordable29:33 When the Internet Truly Reached Bharat31:43 Aadhaar, India Stack, and Building at Population Scale35:16 COVID: Revenue to Zero and Zero-Based Accounting39:00 Crisis Decisions, Calm Leadership, and Founder Resilience43:20 The Crypto Wave: Knowing What Not to Chase46:34 Practical AI Use Cases Inside Real Companies54:07 Lessons From 15 Years of Venture Investing58:59 India’s Startup Ecosystem in One Minute If you care about startups, founders, or the future of technology in India, this episode will resonate.#IndianStartups #VentureCapital #FoundersJourney #StartupEcosystem #IndiaStack #UPI #StartupLessons #Entrepreneurship #TechInIndia #InvestingInsights #PrimeVenturePartners 
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  The Holy Grail of Business AI: Uniphore's $2.5 Billion Playbook with Umesh Sachdev 03.12.2025 54นาที

  Umesh Sachdev, cofounder and CEO of Uniphore, joins Shripati Acharya for a deeply insightful and very real conversation about what it actually takes to build and scale enterprise AI. Whether you are a founder, a product leader or someone thinking seriously about enterprise AI, this episode will give you clarity on business AI you won’t find elsewhere.What you’ll take away:• A clearer understanding of what Uniphore does as an end-to-end enterprise AI and data platform• Why so many AI pilots “fail” at first and how that failure can actually be meaningful progress• How enterprises are achieving predictable outcomes using unitary agents, workflow orchestration, guardrails and fine-tuned SLMs• The inside story of Uniphore’s strategic raise and why some of the world’s biggest AI and data companies chose to back them⭐Episode Timestamps00:00 Introduction03:00 – What Uniphore Actually Does 05:47 – Why Enterprise AI Struggles to Scale Beyond Pilots10:08 – The Determinism Problem: Why AI Gives Different Answers Each Time12:32 – Unitary Agents and Workflow Orchestration for Predictable AI14:00 – Small Language Models vs Large LLMs for Enterprise Use Cases15:25 – Why Guardrails and Governance Matter in Real Deployments16:39 – One Big Agent Fails but Ten Small Agents Work Better20:40 – Why AI Pilots Fail and Why That Is a Good Thing22:20 – Converting Experiments into Enterprise-Scale Adoption24:26 – 35,000 Invoices a Week with Only Four Humans: ROI Case Study26:25 – What Enterprises Really Look for in AI Systems28:45 – Lessons from Building Across India and the US32:51 – Why Founders Must Be Close to Their Biggest Market34:44 – Structuring Teams Across Geographies for Global Scale38:10 – The Journey of Building Uniphore Over Seventeen Years42:36 – Hard Lessons Learned Along the Way46:45 – Why NVIDIA, Snowflake, AMD and Databricks Invested51:17 – How the Strategic Round Came Together52:22 – Closing NoteIf this conversation resonates with you, drop your biggest takeaway in the comments and subscribe for more in-depth founder and VC discussions.#EnterpriseAI #Uniphore #ArtificialIntelligence #AIAgents #SmallLanguageModels #AIInnovation #AIinBusiness #FounderInsights #StartupLessons #TechLeadership #GlobalScale #FutureOfWork #PrimeVenturePartnersPodcast
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  How Stories Shape Decisions, Trust & Startup Outcomes — A Masterclass with Ameen Haque 19.11.2025 44นาที

  Ameen Haque — Founder of Storywallahs and one of India’s leading storytelling coaches — joins Amit Somani for an eye-opening deep dive into the craft of storytelling in business.If you're a founder, operator, leader, or creator, this conversation will reshape the way you pitch, lead, persuade, and communicate.🔍 In this episode:• The real meaning of the “lion vs hunter” lesson• How Ratan Tata exemplifies storytelling through action• Why great leaders win trust through narrative• How to make customers the heroes of your story⏱ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction02:00 – Why humans think in stories, not facts02:23 – “We are all storytellers”03:18 – Why good work fails without a good story04:54 – The “lion vs hunter” mindset shift06:16 – Storytelling through action: The Ratan Tata example07:23 – Living your story vs. telling it14:39 – Why customers should be your storytellers15:23 – The hierarchy of difficulty:16:40 – Behavioural economics & persuasion38:03 – “Stories aren’t long or short — they’re good or bad”40:58 – Editing is the most underrated storytelling skill41:48 – Learning from masters: music, art & observationA must-watch for anyone building something meaningful.🎙️ Full episode now available on Prime Venture Partners Podcast.📌 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primevp_in/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574450955885LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/primevpTwitter: https://twitter.com/primevp_inWebsite: https://primevp.in#Storytelling #StartupMindset #LeadershipInsights #FounderWisdom #BusinessStrategy #CommunicationSkills #EntrepreneurJourney #PitchBetter #StartupLeadership #LearningToLead #AmeenHaque #PrimeVenturePartnersPodcast
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  Apple, China, and the New Map of Global Power: What Patrick McGee’s Apple in China Teaches the World and India 06.11.2025 36นาที

  Apple’s China story is more than a business case — it’s a mirror of globalization itself.In this eye-opening conversation, Patrick McGee, Financial Times journalist and author of Apple in China, sits down with Pankaj Agarwal to explore how Apple’s greatest triumph became its biggest challenge.💬 In this episode:How Apple helped build modern ChinaThe lessons India must learn as it becomes Apple’s next manufacturing hubThe trade-offs between innovation, control, and national interestsWhat this means for founders, investors, and policymakers shaping India’s tech future📌 Episode Timestamps00:00 – Introduction01:11 – Why Patrick Wrote Apple in China03:33 – How Apple Ended Up in China06:25 – Researching the Untold Story08:21 – The Three Phases of Apple in China11:03 – Lessons for Founders on Supply Chains12:26 – The ‘Siren Song’ of China13:13 – Apple’s Moral Dilemmas and Trade-offs16:27 – Innovation, Arrogance & Plateau19:04 – The Economics of Dependence22:27 – What Can India Learn from China?23:53 – Why Does Apple Need India?25:45 – Are iPhones Made in India?26:55 – The Future of Globalization & Supply Chains31:31 – Why Should You Read Apple in China A conversation for those who think beyond valuations — about strategy, sovereignty, and the soul of global business.🎧 Full episode out now on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts.#PrimePodcasts #PatrickMcGee #AppleInChina #GlobalBusiness #IndiaStartups #Leadership #TechGeopolitics #Apple #China #PrimeVenturePartners
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  How Can India Build Its Own Global Smartphone Brand? Conversation with Ex-CEO of Realme and Founder of Ai+ | Madhav Sheth 15.10.2025 33นาที

  Madhav Sheth, - the driving force behind Realme, now the Founder of Ai+, opens up about the inside world of smartphone wars, the rise (and fall) of Indian brands, and his vision to rebuild from scratch.🔍 In this episode:• How Realme rewrote India’s smartphone playbook• Why most Indian brands couldn’t survive the global onslaught• The hidden monopoly controlling 60% of the market• The next revolution: AI-powered smartphones built for India• Lessons on leadership, innovation, and staying hungry after success📌 Episode Timestamps00:00 – Introduction03:00 – Building Realme: From Idea to Global Brand04:15 – The White Space in India’s Smartphone Market06:20 – Understanding Indian Consumers: From Price to Value08:10 – Scaling Through Value, Not Volume10:00 – The Future: Hardware + Software + AI12:00 – Why India Missed the Smartphone Opportunity14:10 – Inside BBK Group: Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus & Realme16:55 – What Killed Indian Smartphone Brands19:05 – Inside the Smartphone Monopoly20:35 – Building NextQ: Madhav’s New Mission23:00 – Leadership Lessons & Founder Mindset25:30 – Advice for India’s Next-Gen Tech Founders🎧 Watch the full episode and discover what’s next for India’s tech future.#MadhavSheth #Realme #AI #IndiaTech #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Innovation #TechRevolution #MadeInIndia #Smartphones #FounderStories #ScaleUp #BusinessGrowth #VentureCapital #StartupEcosystem #DigitalIndia #FutureOfTech #PrimeVenturePartnersPodcast
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  Inside the VC Mind: Prime’s Fundraising Masterclass for Founders 07.10.2025 1ชม. 5นาที

  For the first time ever, the Prime Venture Partners investment team — 1 Principal and 2 Vice Presidents — sit down to answer everything founders wish they could ask a VC face-to-face.This isn’t theory. This is the real inside view of how venture capital works in India:💸 How VCs actually pick the 5 startups that make it through📉 The real reason your pitch deck isn’t working💬 Why not every profitable business is “VC-fundable”💭 And the timeless debate: is venture success skill or luck?📊 Timestamps00:00 – Introduction05:51 – The VC funnel: 5,000 pitches → 5 investments07:09 – How to reach a VC (referrals vs. cold outreach)09:57 – Why not all great businesses are VC-fundable14:20 – Founder mistakes that kill deals18:20 – How much should you raise — and when25:17 – Analysts & Associates: the real champions of deals33:41 – The underrated power of monthly updates39:49 – How founders should think about valuation45:39 – How to pick your VC partner50:00 – ESOPs, angels & early-stage strategy56:00 – Skill vs. Luck — what really drives VC successIf you’re building a startup, fundraising, or even thinking about raising capital someday, this is your Fundraising Masterclass from inside the VC room.🎧 Watch till the end for honest takes, funny moments, and practical insights that can shape your next raise.#PrimeVenturesPartners #VentureCapital #StartupIndia #Founders #Fundraising #VCInsights #Entrepreneurship #StartupIndia #IndianStartups #RaisingCapital #PitchToVCs #StartupTips #PrimeVenturePartnersPodcast