Remember those childhood dreams of starting a business with your best friend—building the next big thing and making billions together? It sounded like the perfect plan. But as we grow up, reality kicks in. Running a startup is no playground, and friendships are often put to the test when business gets serious.
So, is it a good idea to have a friend by your side when launching a startup? Well, the Indian startup ecosystem has proven time and again that friendship can be the foundation of great businesses. Entrepreneurship can turn friends to founders. It holds the potential to leverage random coffee breaks, late night discussions and after office beer hangouts to generate billion-dollar ideas for a company.
Startup Shiksha is here to highlight some successful startup stories that began as friendships and scaled to unimaginable heights over years. Because who knows? Your next coffee break conversation might be the beginning of the something big – with the right strategy, just like these founders.
1. Zomato
In 2008, two IIT Delhi grads, Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah, found themselves stuck in a familiar lunchtime dilemma—waiting endlessly for restaurant menus at Bain & Company. Frustrated but inspired, they built Foodiebay, a digital menu platform that quickly became Delhi NCR’s largest restaurant directory, changing how people discovered food.
By 2010, Foodiebay evolved into Zomato, a name as fresh as its mission. No longer just a menu aggregator, it became the go-to platform for restaurant reviews and discovery. Its experience won over food lovers, expanding it to international markets by 2012. With food delivery, acquisitions, and Zomato Gold, the brand revolutionized the food-tech space.
What started as a simple idea became a global brand, all thanks to two friends who turned an everyday problem into an innovative business. Zomato’s journey is proof that great ideas for business often begin with everyday challenges – and a bit of hunger for change.
2. Ather
Founded in 2013 by IIT Madras alumni Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, Ather Energy was born out of a shared vision between two friends determined to transform India’s mobility landscape. With backgrounds in engineering design and stints at Ashok Leyland and General Motors, the duo’s bond went beyond friendship—it was a partnership built on mutual respect and a commitment to sustainability.
Their journey started as friends, but it was their shared vision and relentless drive that has kept them going. They weren’t just building a scooter; they were building a future.
If you had visited the Robotics Lab at IIT Madras at night in 2013, there’s a good chance you would have tripped over Swapnil Jain or Tarun Mehta asleep on the floor.
Supported by R. Krishnakumar, a professor at IIT Madras, they spent countless hours in the lab refining their idea of a smart, energy-efficient electric scooter. Today, Ather Energy continues to push boundaries, combining innovation, sustainability, and friendship to shape the future of mobility.
3. Urban Company
Urban Company’s origin story begins with an ambition and a deep-rooted friendship story. Abhiraj Bhal, Varun Khaitan, and Raghav Chandra—three IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Kanpur alumni—came together with a mutual desire to solve a problem that had plagued them all: the lack of reliable service providers for everyday tasks.
But their journey to founding UrbanClap (now Urban Company) wasn’t a straightforward one.
Abhiraj, after working at BCG and being inspired by Fortune 500 companies, was clear about one thing: he wanted to build a large-scale, impactful business. His ambition was solidified through consulting, where he developed a strong operational mindset. But he needed the right partners to bring his vision to life. Enter Varun, his friend from IIT Kanpur, who was also thinking of starting up. The two had already started and shut down a venture before meeting Raghav, who had his own failed startup.
The trio’s bond grew as they brainstormed together, experimenting with business ideas. Their first venture was short-lived, but it laid the groundwork for Urban Company. With each co-founder handling a critical aspect—Raghav focusing on the tech, Varun managing supply, and Abhiraj handling demand—they built a platform that would later transform the home services industry.
Today, Urban Company connects professionals with customers across India, and the founders’ unwavering friendship and combined expertise are still at the core of the company’s success. This trio’s journey proves that when ambition, friendship, and a shared vision align, success follows.
4. Meesho
In 2015, Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, IIT Delhi alumni, co-founded Meesho with a vision to make entrepreneurship accessible to everyone. Bonded by their complementary skills, Vidit’s experience at InMobi and ITC and Sanjeev’s technical background at Sony helped build a platform that connects small manufacturers and resellers to customers nationwide. They left their jobs to work on this idea. Started as FASHNEAR, they used to do everything on their own – from taking pictures, doing inventory and delivering products. With funds being their major challenge, they switched to economical options for their lifestyle.
That was the first time we had to get used to a small house, after we left college. But we kept going. Our small dining table became our office. We used to spend 15-18 hours there on a daily basis
Realizing the potential of women entrepreneurs reselling via WhatsApp, they pivoted to Meesho, enabling resellers, especially women, to start businesses from home without inventory.
Today, Meesho empowers thousands of resellers, creating a seamless bridge between suppliers and consumers. With their friendship and belief in social commerce, Vidit and Sanjeev have revolutionized the way Indian startups grow.
5. Ola
In 2010, Bhavish Aggarwal started Olatrip.com, a travel platform. His experience during a trip from Bangalore to Bandipur changed everything. When his cab driver abandoned him mid-journey, Bhavish realized there was a significant gap in the market for a reliable, customer-centric cab service. Inspired by this incident, he decided to pivot and build something that could provide better, safer, and more trustworthy transportation.
Teaming up with his IIT Delhi friend, Ankit Bhati, the duo transformed the idea into Ola Cabs. Their strong bond formed the bedrock of the company, even though Bhavish’s family initially did not support his entrepreneurial journey. Sometimes Ankit Bhati had to code for 48 hours straight while Bhavish Aggarwal had to ride the cab himself. Both founders complemented each other really well and what started with a poor experience transformed into a tech-driven revolution, proving that great friendships can fuel extraordinary ventures.
This brings us back to the question—Can friends be successful co-founders? The answer isn’t a simple yes or no; it lies in finding the right friend. A co-founder who shares your vision, is committed to the journey, and builds the foundation on trust and mutual understanding can make all the difference.
Startups go through inevitable ups and downs, and co-founders often face their share of challenges. But those who navigate setbacks together, communicate openly, and stay aligned can not only build a thriving business but also strengthen their friendship along the way.
So, Are you ready to turn late-night ideas with your best friend into the next big startup success story?
