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Pavan Guntupalli, a young entrepreneur from Telangana, didn’t find success overnight. In fact, he failed seven times and faced 75 rejections from investors before his big break. But with determination and one powerful idea, he went on to build Rapido, a bike taxi service now valued at Rs 9,350 crore.
Pavan was always a bright student and made it to IIT Kharagpur, one of India’s most prestigious engineering colleges. After graduation, he joined Samsung as a software developer. But the routine corporate life didn’t excite him. He wanted to solve real-world problems, and that desire pushed him toward entrepreneurship.
His first startup, theKarrier, launched with friend Aravind Sanka, didn’t take off. Still, Pavan didn’t stop. He went on to try seven different business ideas, all of which failed. Rejection letters piled up—75 in total—but he stayed focused, believing that one idea would eventually work.
In 2015, while stuck in traffic, Pavan had an idea. Ola and Uber were popular, but they didn’t save time—people still sat in long jams and paid high fares. So he thought, why not bikes? They're faster in traffic and cheaper for short rides. That moment gave birth to Rapido, India’s first bike taxi service.
While Ola and Uber focused on big cities, Rapido did the opposite. Pavan and his team targeted Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, where daily commute problems were real. They offered short, fast, and affordable bike rides starting at just ₹15. This smart move gave Rapido a unique space to grow.
Investors were skeptical. Many thought bike taxis wouldn’t survive, especially when Ola and Uber introduced their own versions. Just when things seemed bleak, in 2016, Pawan Munjal of Hero MotoCorp stepped in and backed Rapido. His investment turned the tide, and more investors soon followed.
With fresh funding, Rapido expanded to Bengaluru, Delhi, and Gurugram with 400 bikes. In just a few months, they had 5,000 users—and 1.5 lakh by the end of the year. Their strategy was simple: low fares, zero commission for riders in the beginning, and calling drivers “Captains” to give them pride and identity.
Today, Rapido is present in over 100 cities, with more than 5 crore app downloads and thousands of rides daily. What started as an idea in traffic became a revolution in Indian urban transport. Pavan Guntupalli’s journey shows that no matter how many times you fall, one “yes” can change everything.
(Images Credit: X & Social Media)
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