Rishi DasCo-founder & CEO

It was a mix of instinct, ambition, and restlessness. On day one at my first job I felt I was back to kindergarten. I didn’t belong. Within six months I quit and started looking for gaps to solve with very little capital.

Entrepreneurship was a taboo. It took almost three years to explain to my parents what we were doing. Being early helped. My advice: take the plunge as early as possible.

Two filters: pick a business that needs very little capital, and lean on our strengths, academics, a short IT stint, and strong college networks. That led us to start CareerNet.

Not just cities on a map or square footage. Real growth is impact, seeing a 5-seat company become a full floor or a GCC open in a tier-2 city. Growth is not a straight line; it is unlearn, relearn, and adapt. Do more with less.

Think ecosystem, not single transactions. Recruitment is a supply chain, end-to-end. That mindset moved with us, IndiQube is not about renting seats; it’s a full ecosystem of B2B and B2C services. And the employee is the hero.

India’s biggest consumers are IT, GCCs, and startups. Many employees are migrants without proper work-from-home setups, so return-to-office was sharper. Offices often provide the best meal of the day. Plus metros and highways are expanding, India is still getting built.

Yes. Services and software will keep growing. Manufacturing R&D is big. GCCs are setting up large design centers. We also see demand in industrial towns that lack office infrastructure.

I believe so. With sustainability and cost pressures, our model may not be perfect but it is likely the best for the next billions. What worked in the West is not the only template.

We are not in the business of workspaces; we are in the business of experiences. Hybrid is still evolving by role and industry. We have to woo employees back, transport, food, culture. Presence is not the goal; impact is.

More collaboration space, fewer dedicated seats. Flexible layouts, cafeterias doubling as meeting rooms, foldable and height-adjustable furniture, and quick interior flips. Data is in the cloud; spaces must be fluid.

Earlier, people went where work was. Now, work goes where people are. Post-COVID, mid-level managers are willing to move. Connectivity is strong. India has 50+ million-plus cities. Jobs are getting democratized.

Almost 50% of commercial stock is 10+ years old. Upgrading is faster, greener, and capital-efficient. As metros and roads revive city centers, older stock can be transformed into modern, sustainable spaces.

It connects employees to space, book seats, parking, meeting rooms, order food, use perks. It supports personalized journeys and gives leaders dashboards on occupancy and power use. We offer on-demand toppings, not a five-star buffet.

It’s at the highest level I’ve seen. In some MNCs, at 10 a.m. the country head checks how many are in office. HR is mainline now. Breakout areas look like five-star lobbies because culture and community matter.

India has always done more with less. On-demand beats all-you-can-eat. Before free beer, give affordable food and transport. We invest in rooftop solar, water conservation, and efficient operations, high quality at cost-effective price points.

Look for gaps. Do more with less. Solve population-scale problems with brick-by-brick execution. Believe in compounding. Don’t chase growth at any cost. VC is expensive, use it responsibly. Solve for India, not copy-paste the West.

Be perseverant like a crow, focused like a crane, sleep light like a dog, consume less, live with penance. Stay level-headed, avoid the limelight, and keep doing the basics right even when growth feels slow.