Rohit Bansal, co-founder of Snapdeal and Titan Capital, describes how Kunal Bahl's US visa rejection in 2007 prompted them to leave their corporate careers and launch their startup in India.
“Finally Kunal's visa got rejected. So he called me and said, Look, I am coming back anyways. We've been discussing this, but it was still very tentative. And once I get this call from Kunal that look, I am anyways coming back now. So my visa is rejected. So I'm going to be back in India. Ironically, I had also gotten a job in the US and my visa had gotten approved. But when Kunal called me and said, I am also coming, you know, we've been talking about doing this. Should we do it now?”
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More from Rohit Bansal
Disclosure
Titan Capital Seeks Superlative Products Dominating Small Total Addressable Markets
“We look for a very small TAM But a product which is absolutely superlative, that at least within that small TAM, whatever you've built has the ability to dominate the market.”
Rohit BansalDec 29, 2023▶ 41:54Early Investor of Ola, Urban Company & Mamaearth Shares Startup Success Secrets | Neon Show
Insight
Expanding TAM From a Loved Niche Is Easier Than Fixing Weak Products
“We've seen it is a lot easier to replicate that love over a period of time to a larger and larger TAM and keep expanding the TAM of your business while maintaining that sort of absolute love in place versus playing in a very large TAM. With a product that peop…”
Rohit BansalDec 29, 2023▶ 21:56Early Investor of Ola, Urban Company & Mamaearth Shares Startup Success Secrets | Neon Show
AssertionSupported
Mamaearth Had Only 7 Lakhs in Monthly Sales When Titan Capital Invested
“Obviously what they had created already, it was still a very small business. They were doing like seven lakhs a month. In sales. That's it.”
Rohit BansalDec 29, 2023▶ 15:59Early Investor of Ola, Urban Company & Mamaearth Shares Startup Success Secrets | Neon Show
AssertionSupported
Mamaearth Sold Only Newborn Mosquito Repellent When Titan Capital First Invested
“Even if it's as small a TAM as toxin-free mosquito repellents for newborn kids, which is exactly what MAMA was when we invested in the company.”
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Opinion
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Rohit BansalDec 29, 2023▶ 45:22Early Investor of Ola, Urban Company & Mamaearth Shares Startup Success Secrets | Neon Show
Insight
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“Each of these spaces are so large, which creates so many opportunities in small niches. And that's the beauty of India that each small niche is still millions of people. And hence very large businesses can get created in those.”
Rohit BansalDec 29, 2023▶ 56:50Early Investor of Ola, Urban Company & Mamaearth Shares Startup Success Secrets | Neon Show
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