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 timing

If 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 Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

01:07 - “Unsuccessful” vs failed entrepreneurs

02:25 - Why timing is the hardest thing to judge

03:05 - The moment Sanjay saw phones as payment devices

05:40 - India’s telecom ecosystem in 2006

09:49 - The original thesis behind mChek

17:14 - The hidden problems nobody anticipated

27:35 - Building a payments app inside a SIM card

39:00 - The moment Sanjay felt it might not work

44:04 - The biggest lesson for founders

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 founders

If 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 Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

00:45 - Dr. Julie’s journey into coaching

02:55 - Key lessons from psychology & prisons

06:11 - Traits of great vs good founders 09:28 – Survivorship bias & real success factors

12:33 - “Imaginary rules” explained

17:34 - How to identify your limiting beliefs

20:32 - Separating identity from your business

25:30 - How great founders pivot

28:34 - Handling tough days as a founder

30:46 - Playing to your strengths

33:41 - Why AI is non-negotiable

41:03 - 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!

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 Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to Quick Commerce

01:07 - Guests: Sumit & Rupesh from Inamo

03:36 - How Inamo Started

07:30 - Quick Commerce Growth & COVID Impact

10:45 - Dark Stores & Order Fulfillment Explained

16:24 - Team Size, Attrition & Training

17:57 - Economics & Orders per Dark Store

23:51 - Why Outsourcing Dark Stores Works

30:50 - Differentiation & Scale Advantages

33:09 - Inventory & Demand Management

40:12 - Future of Quick Delivery & Innovations

44:44 - Consolidated Inventory & Seller-Fulfilled Models

46:02 - Market Growth & Long-Tail Opportunities

49:02 - 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

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 entrepreneurs

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:08 - Meet Sushant Junnarkar & The Book

02:02 - Sushant’s Background & Career Journey

03:11 - The Online Grocery Startup Idea

04:16 - Breaking Down the Startup Phases

05:46 - Phase 1: Idea, Research & Strategy

09:38 - First Orders & Early Traction

12:35 - Early Growth & Press Coverage

14:34 - Competition Enters the Market

16:22 - Tech Challenges & Moving Beyond Jugaad

17:23 - Phase 3: Funding Challenges Begin

18:30 - Last Attempts to Save the Startup

20:45 - When Founder Motivation Declines

23:06 - Who Should Read It

27:42 - Key Advice: Passion & Product-Market Fit

30:31 - Why Startups Fail: Execution

34:10 - Capital, Competition & Strategy

36:10 - Final Lessons on Entrepreneurship

38:22 - Closing Thoughts

This 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

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 D2C

This is a must-watch episode for entrepreneurs, founders, and anyone building consumer brands.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction

02:00 – Founders’ Backgrounds

03:00 – Inspiration Behind Basil

04:20 – Explaining Basil to Kids

06:00 – Why Start a Startup

07:00 – Early Product Challenges

08:30 – Market Response & Pricing Insights

11:40 – Design-First Philosophy

13:00 – Manufacturing & Scaling

19:57 – Who Really Buys: Kids vs Parents

22:56 – Designing Products for Children

25:10 – Smart Product Design for Organic Growth

31:05 – Building a Brand That Can’t Be Copied

35:09 – Power of User Observation

40:13 – Amazon-Inspired Processes

45:21 – India’s ₹60,000 Crore Kids Market

45:23 – Building Consumer Love

51:28 – Closing Thoughts

📺 Listen to the full conversation and subscribe to the podcast.

#Basil #D2C #ConsumerBrands #BrandBuilding #Entrepreneurship #Startups #PrimeVenturePartnersPodcast

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:

1. The genesis of Propelld and its mission to make education financing accessible to all
2. How they manage risk in education financing through data-driven solutions
3. The role of AI in underwriting and loan collection
4. Advice for early-stage founders on fundraising and navigating the journey of entrepreneurship

This 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

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 – Introduction

01:30 – What Prime Is Willing to Bet On

03:20 – AI Models vs Real Value Creation

07:35 – Automation, Services and Opportunity

11:30 – Moats and Distribution in an AI-First World

20:00 – Why Fundamentals Still Matter

24:05 – SaaS, Services and India’s Global Opportunity

28:25 – How AI Will Change Venture Capital

37:40 – Predicting the Defining Startups of 2030

42:05 – Climate, Energy and Big Problems Becoming Solvable

45:40 – Boards, Governance and AI Ethics

52:10 – Closing Thoughts for Founders Building in 2026

🔥 What You’ll Discover:

1. How founders should think about AI in 2026
2. Why services + AI could unlock product-like margins and global opportunities
3. How India’s startup ecosystem is evolving as customers begin paying serious money for software
4. What venture capital, boards, and governance might look like in an AI-first future

🎧 Key Takeaways:

1. Why solving the right customer problem is still a binary outcome, regardless of the AI model you use
2. How SaaS, services, and AI are converging into new business models
3. What founders should expect as old cost advantages disappear and new ones emerge
4. Why long-term company building, discipline, and fundamentals still win
5. As 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

🚀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 expected

This is a candid, experience-led conversation from the Prime partners, shaped by nearly two decades of building and investing in Indian startups.

🎙 Episode Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

03:17 The Three Phases of the Indian Startup Ecosystem

05:16 Early Founder Reality (2010–2015)

08:09 What It Was Like to Be an Investor in Early 2010

11:36 When No One Even Talked About Exits

12:49 Early Unicorns and the First Belief Shift

15:05 Founders We Underestimated and Why It Changed Our Thinking

19:07 Backing People Over Plans

23:29 India’s “Too Operational” Companies That Scaled Big

27:46 Jio and the Moment the Internet Became Affordable

29:33 When the Internet Truly Reached Bharat

31:43 Aadhaar, India Stack, and Building at Population Scale

35:16 COVID: Revenue to Zero and Zero-Based Accounting

39:00 Crisis Decisions, Calm Leadership, and Founder Resilience

43:20 The Crypto Wave: Knowing What Not to Chase

46:34 Practical AI Use Cases Inside Real Companies

54:07 Lessons From 15 Years of Venture Investing

58:59 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