From garage to glory: How CarDekho's founders built a tech giant from Rajasthan

As India's startup ecosystem evolves, a persistent myth suggests that successful technology companies can only emerge from metropolitan hubs like Bangalore, Delhi, or Mumbai.

However, the story of CarDekho, which grew from a modest garage in Jaipur to a billion-dollar automotive platform, challenges this narrative. At a time when India is witnessing a surge in startups from Tier II and Tier II cities, CarDekho’s journey offers valuable insights into building scalable businesses from emerging startup hubs.

The recent Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit 2024, held from December 9 to 11 at the Jaipur Exhibition Convention Centre, served as a powerful platform to showcase such success stories. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit brought together key stakeholders from the startup ecosystem, demonstrating Rajasthan's ambition to position itself as an emerging investment destination. The state has consistently demonstrated its commitment to fostering innovation through initiatives like the iStart Rajasthan Govt program, which has provided crucial support to a diverse range of startups, including a significant number of women-led ventures.

The power of starting local

In a captivating panel discussion moderated by YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma, CarDekho's founders revealed how their decision to stay rooted in Rajasthan shaped their success story.

“Being in Rajasthan was a blessing in disguise. The cost structure here was very low - from office rent to salaries. As a startup founder, the less the burn, the more runway you get,” shared Amit Jain, Co-founder and CEO of GirnarSoft (CarDekho). 

What began in 2007 as a small operation in a garage with wedding tables as desks has now evolved into a platform serving 60 million unique users. The founders' journey from creating software for others to identifying a gap in the automobile market at an Auto Expo demonstrates how innovation can spark from everyday experiences.

Building culture through local roots

The discussion highlighted how Jaipur's community-oriented environment contributed to their unique corporate culture. "After staying in Jaipur, we got a chance to build a culture in the company. We still call our company Girnar Family," explained Anurag Jain, Co-founder and COO. This local connection helped them nurture talent differently - their initial team, comprised entirely of non-IIT graduates, rose through the ranks to become successful executives earning competitive salaries of up to Rs 2 crore annually. 

"Talent is in every person in every country. We need time to bring that talent in the right place at the right time," Anurag emphasised, challenging the notion that successful tech startups require Ivy League credentials.

Focus and persistence: The key to growth

CarDekho’s story stands out for the company’s unique approach to competition and product development in India's competitive automotive marketplace. "We have a rule: we have not discussed competition in any meeting. The focus is on how we can improve our product and company," Amit said. This approach, combined with their commitment to daily product releases rather than monthly updates, has helped them stay ahead in the market.

The success story of CarDekho, showcased at Rising Rajasthan 2024, exemplifies the state's evolving startup ecosystem. Under initiatives like iStart, which offers funding opportunities up to Rs 25 lakh without a tendering process, Rajasthan has emerged as a conducive environment for entrepreneurial growth. 

The CarDekho journey proves that with the right mindset, support system, and dedication to continuous improvement, entrepreneurs can build successful technology businesses from any part of India, challenging the conventional wisdom that tech success stories can only emerge from metropolitan hubs.