E186 - He's Making India HEALTHY with TECHNOLOGY! Gaurav Gupta, Gabit (Ex-Zomato Co-Founder)

Indian Silicon Valley with Jivraj Singh Sachar

In this episode, we talk to Gaurav Gupta, co-founder of Gabit and former COO at Zomato. Gaurav shares what initially attracted him to Zomato and the deeper reasons behind his decision. He provides an inside look at Zomato during its hyper-scaling years and discusses what it meant to be elevated to a founder role in a company he didn't start. Gaurav reflects on the journey leading up to Zomato’s IPO and offers insights into building a company ready for such a milestone. He also discusses his experience during COVID, the market opportunity that led to Gabit, and the core principles guiding his new venture. We explore Gaurav’s non-negotiables, his vision for Gabit, and how he ensures products meet customer expectations. Gaurav also touches on India’s health consciousness, stakeholder alignment, and key learnings from his consulting days. The conversation wraps up with Gaurav’s thoughts on the future, his habits, and how his friends would describe him. This episode provides a comprehensive look at Gaurav's journey, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, leadership, and the Indian startup ecosystem. 0:00 - Introduction 1:59 - What caught Gaurav’s attention to join Zomato? 3:14 - Deeper reasons for joining Zomato. 5:29 - What was happening within Zomato during the hyper-scale years? 7:59 - What did Gaurav witness during the hyper-scaling period? 9:24 - Key factors that shaped Gaurav’s mindset as a founder. 11:39 - What does it mean to be elevated to founder in a company you didn’t start? 14:19 - Tactical insights on being elevated to founder. 16:29 - What was leading up to the IPO like internally? 19:39 - Gaurav’s insights on building a company ready for an IPO. 22:00 - Gaurav’s journey during COVID. 24:43 - How did Gaurav identify a market opportunity? 25:54 - Core learnings that fueled Gaurav’s passion for the core objective. 28:06 - Principles Gaurav established for guiding Gabit forward. 29:29 - Things Gaurav won’t compromise on. 31:43 - Gaurav’s vision for Gabit’s future. 34:24 - How does Gaurav ensure products don’t fail customers? 35:59 - How much does India care about health? 38:49 - How did Gaurav align stakeholders? 41:19 - Gaurav’s thoughts on raising capital. 42:34 - Surprising learnings that shaped Gaurav’s mindset. 44:19 - Thoughts on few people paying for health products. 46:29 - How to break through market clutter. 48:44 - Core habits for health. 50:29 - Valuable lessons from Gaurav’s consulting days. 51:41 - Key learnings from Gaurav’s foundational days. 53:14 - How would Gaurav’s friends describe him? 53:43 - What would Gaurav do if not Gabit? 55:24 - What would Gaurav do better? 57:29 - What else is Zomato doing beyond deliveries? 58:46 - Gaurav’s thoughts on founders thinking about the future. 1:01:49 - When does Gaurav spend time alone? 1:03:47 - Framework for engaging stakeholders. 1:07:00 - Outro Instagram of Jivraj: instagram.com/jivrajsinghsachar #indiansiliconvalley #isv #indiansiliconvalleypodcast #isvpodcast #jivrajsinghsachar #entrepreneurship #startups #leadership