Lightspeed India

Every big story starts small. For PW (PhysicsWallah), it began in a rented room in Allahabad. On #LunchbreakwithLightspeed, Alakh Pandey joins Dev Khare and Shreyam Desai to reflect on their journey and the hard-won rise of one of India’s most trusted education platforms. He also opens up about his teaching style, the resilience that shaped PW, and the decision-making dynamic he and Prateek bring as co-founders. Tune in to see how sharp execution and showing up at the right moment helped turn a small beginning into an edtech unicorn ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gSwf9GKz

“𝗢𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗜. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁.” - 𝗨𝘁𝗸𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵𝘁𝗮 𝗞𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿, 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗘𝗢 As agentic AI emerges as the future of applications, fintech companies are introducing new ways to help users gain greater financial confidence. How can this evolution unlock credit empowerment for millions of Indians? In this edition of #FoundersFriday, get to know Utkrishta Kumar (UK), the founder behind the innovative AI platform making it possible. 💫 Utkrishta founded Oolka - inspired by the Sanskrit word for a shooting star - with a vision to make economic prosperity more accessible. Guided by this philosophy, Oolka aims to democratize financial well-being for millions across India. 📈 Oolka is transforming credit management with a platform that not only tracks credit scores but also delivers personalized solutions. It’s uniquely designed to take remedial actions on the user’s behalf, with their explicit consent. 🤖 The platform’s AI agents meticulously analyze credit reports, identify issues, recommend targeted solutions, and act in the user’s best interest throughout their credit journey. This proactive, agentic approach makes it far more capable than conventional conversational tools. 💰 As India’s younger population drives a rapid credit revolution, Oolka serves as a trusted companion for the next generation of borrowers, helping improve their credit health and open access to affordable credit opportunities. Learn more about Oolka and how they can optimize your credit health: https://oolka.in/ 

Frontier tech is gaining momentum, with India emerging as a global leader thanks to strong government support, a growing talent pool, and rising private investment. At Lightspeed India, we proudly partner with founders and teams who embrace the toughest challenges worldwide with vision, ambition, and relentless creativity. Pixxel, Exponent Energy, Kalam Labs, and Airbound represent exactly the kind of bold, science-first missions we believe in. Swipe through to see how they are turning daily complexity into extraordinary impact! Awais Ahmed Kshitij Khandelwal Arun Vinayak Sanjay Byalal Jagannath Sashakt Tripathi Harshit Awasthi Naman Pushp

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 ~𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀? On this episode of #LunchbreakwithLightspeed, Alakh Pandey, Founder & CEO of PW (PhysicsWallah), joins Dev Khare and Shreyam Desai to share the story behind one of the most successful education startups globally, from inception to IPO. With no playbook to follow, Alakh and Prateek primarily relied on their relentless consistency and a student-first mindset to build a startup that's reshaping the lives of millions of students. Tune in now - this is a story you don't want to miss! PS: Podcast in Hindi and English, with English subtitles. https://lnkd.in/gFzJR86u

Our brand-new podcast drops soon! Not every unicorn is born in a boardroom; some take shape in a classroom. From humble beginnings to shaping the lives of millions of students, Alakh Pandey’s journey of building PW (PhysicsWallah) Wallah is nothing short of extraordinary. Watch him share the story behind and generalized learnings from building one of the most successful education startups globally, from inception to IPO. Keep an eye on your feed! PS: Podcast in Hindi and English, with English subtitles. Dev Khare Shreyam Desai

In today’s fast-moving careers, waiting for the perfect mentor might be your biggest delay. Vivek Gambhir advocates for 'micro-mentoring' in his latest #Monday8AM: short, focused interactions that deliver targeted wisdom exactly when you need it. A fast, flexible, and modern approach that supports swift professional growth. Learn how to leverage these impactful guidance sessions whether you are a mentee seeking a sharp decision or a leader looking to share expertise without the burnout. Click to read more 👇

𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝘂𝗯𝗶 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵? 𝗕𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱. Forget market consolidation. Acquiring companies to enhance distribution is key. Yubi Founder and CEO Gaurav Kumar joins host Anuvrat Jain (AJ) on #LunchBreakwithLightspeed to discuss how they acquire companies to co-build, providing them with an extensive network and go-to-market (GTM) strategy to scale. Watch the full episode to learn more about Yubi's counterintuitive yet powerful growth playbook ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gpSnbSSr

Rohit Chennamaneni, Co-Founder of Darwinbox, offers a thoughtful reflection on a founder's pivotal moment, when they must shift their focus from personal achievement to institutional strength. At this stage, it becomes essential to put ego aside and embrace the value that superior talent and expertise bring.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀: it’s open, collaborative, and designed to scale - a mindset that’s shaping everything from digital payments to clean energy. India has built a strong example of open digital infrastructure, with UPI and Beckn setting new benchmarks on scale and inclusion. On #LunchbreakwithLightspeed, sujith nair, Co-Founder of FIDE and co-creator of Beckn, speaks with Romit Mehta about the mindset that shapes India’s leadership in open protocols - and how that same thinking is shaping the future of energy. Tune in to the conversation for more about collaboration and building systems that grow with everyone. Click the link in the comments!

From Hyderabad to the world 🌍 Relive the remarkable ten-year journey of Darwinbox, a story of bold ideas, big ambitions, and a team that never stopped pushing forward. Celebrating their first decade and all that’s next! Dev Khare