movers & makers Ajaita Shah
Founder & CEO, Frontier Markets
Pranshu Bhandari
Co-founder, CultureAlley Every day, more than a million people use the Hello English app, created by CultureAlley, a Jaipur-based start-up that is the brainchild of Bhandari and her husband Nishant Patni. “We want to make English education accessible, affordable and effective by bringing world-class education to people’s handsets, no matter where they come from or who they are,” explains Bhandari. The Hello English app was launched in 2014 to teach English in 12 Indian language. Bhandari asserts that the app has over 19 million users at last count as well as a presence in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and in the Middle East. The app also occupies the top spot for learning and speaking English on the Indian Google Play Store. “Users have called and told us how they’ve secured better jobs or taught others after learning from the app or the website,” she says. Bhandari admits having learned the power of Make in India the hard way. “When we started, we were addressing the West. But when we built a product in India, for India, our growth shot up.” PG
“We want to make English education accessible, affordable and effective by bringing it to people’s handsets”
Ananya Birla
Founder, Chairperson & Director, Svatantra Microfin Pvt Ltd
“Don’t be afraid of making mistakes,” says Birla, who began working at the age of 17 and set up Svatantra Microfin Pvt Ltd in 2013 in Mumbai. Her idea was to provide small loans to rural entrepreneurs, especially in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, and to empower women in the process. “I started from scratch,” recalls the daughter of industrialist Kumar Mangalam and Neerja Birla. Building the business didn’t come easy to her, Birla says, and the biggest challenge was “starting at 17 in a very risky business and having to prove myself to myself”. Now, the microfinance institution has grown to a 700-strong team with over one lakh active clients and a Gross Loan Portfolio of almost US$24 million ( 159.5 crore). This Oxford University graduate’s objective is to use technology to streamline loans. “I want to change the way money is perceived and create a powerhouse of a cashless system to those who require it the most, in turn stimulating economic growth,” Birla says. According to her, one must be passionate but “not without a strong revenue model.” Today, she’s getting into the e-commerce area, and is proud of the power of Indian brands. “My home country is becoming a big player in the global market”. SC
The belief that every household deserves access to goods and services that enhance health, wealth and productivity is the driving force behind Shah’s Jaipur-based venture. She aims to address the alarming number of casualties among disadvantaged villagers, caused by hazardous cooking and lighting practices. Apart from providing access to the right products, her company also educates locals about the benefits of using clean-energy products like solar lights and smokeless stoves (as opposed to kerosene lamps) and trains them in utilising them properly. Within five years, over 20,000 products have been sold in 16 districts across Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Shah aims to reach 50 million households in the next five. Her company’s extensive network and widespread reach is a result of its unique distribution model. It partners with local entrepreneurs selling cleanenergy products under the brand Saral Jeevan. An after-sales facility addresses technical issues, fostering a trust-based relationship with locals to eventually encourage them to adopt clean-energy practices. SS
Ajaita shah’s venture educates villagers about the benefits of using cleanenergy products
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