If you are an Indian citizen living in any of the urban cities of the Country, you might not have heard of this application until recently when the Indian Cricket Team Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, invested in a startup called KhataBook. The question that was on many minds when Dhoni invested in this startup was what is KhataBook doing that has made Dhoni, one of the most popular celebrities in India, invest in this finance technology. However in order to answer this question, we need to understand how KhataBook came into being and what it is today.
Beginnings
KhataBook was founded by Ravish Naresh, Dhanesh Kumar, Vaibhav Kalpe and Ashish Sonone in 2018. The idea for KhataBook however has been on the minds of the founders for a long time before 2018. It all began when Ravish Naresh along with his friends began a digital spending manager app called Kyte.ai in 2016. The app lets a user understand their spending patterns by making use of the transactional SMS alerts. The initial traction for Kyte was good but the growth was not reaching the scale the founders had in mind. After researching the user data they realized that most of their users are based out of metro cities. Upon digging deeper the data revealed that first time online users did not deal in digital transactions. They were still relying on traditional ‘khata,’ or ledger books. That is when the idea for KhataBook materialised for the Kyte team in 2018. ‘Khata’ simply stands for account in Hindi.
Growth
In 2018, the Kyte team decided to work on a simple cash management application called KhataBook on the premise that a real life ‘Khata’ can be replaced by a digital ‘Khata.’ The idea was to shift the focus of small time traders and businesses to move their accounts to digital platforms. The team also included Kyte’s SMS checking mechanism to track data and provide free SMS updates on a user’s customer transactions. This feature has ensured a three times faster return on credits for their users. The app has recorded $ 5 billion+ cash transactions by November 2018. What makes this app attractive is that it employs artificial intelligence to track SMS alerts for transactions and use that to keep a track of accounts and spending. With the internet penetration Reliance Jio offered, it was easier for KhataBook founders to target users in smaller cities and towns. KhataBook is unique in the finance technology sector and has no major competitors. However, OkCredit and Vyapaar app are the closest competition KhataBook has in the market currently.
Kyte is still an ongoing process for the founders of KhataBook, but KhataBook has managed to record 100x of Kyte’s users. KhataBook currently has 5.5 million active users per month and the startup aims to reach 20 million active users by the end of 2020.
Upon reaching a quick growth KhataBook got its first big publicity push when Dhoni invested an undisclosed amount in the startup and also became its brand ambassador. KhataBook is now being used in more than 5000 cities and the users range from kirana shops, merchants, recharge shops. The app currently supports eleven languages and even has users in Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
WhatsApp has embarked on a nationwide initiative called Bharat Yatra to empower small and medium businesses (SMBs) across India. This innovative mobile bus tour aims to provide hands-on training and support to help businesses leverage the power of digital technology, particularly through the WhatsApp Business app.
Key Focus Areas
Digital Skill Enhancement: The Bharat Yatra program is designed to equip SMBs with essential digital skills necessary to thrive in the digital age. This includes training on how to effectively navigate the digital landscape and utilize online tools for business growth.
WhatsApp Business App Training: Participants will learn how to use the WhatsApp Business app to connect with customers, share product catalogs, and manage inquiries efficiently. This training is crucial for businesses looking to enhance customer engagement and streamline communication.
Latest Features and Updates: The tour will highlight the latest features of WhatsApp Business, including Meta Verified, which enhances business credibility, and custom messaging options that allow for personalized communication with customers.
AI Integration: Businesses will also be introduced to the potential of Meta AI integration, which can streamline customer engagement processes and boost overall productivity. This aspect of the training aims to familiarize SMBs with advanced tools that can enhance their operational efficiency.
Tour Details
The Bharat Yatra will kick off its journey in Delhi-NCR, visiting bustling markets such as Laxmi Nagar, Rajouri Garden, and Nehru Place. Over the coming months, the bus will cover key business hubs in cities like Gurugram, Noida, Agra, Lucknow, Indore, Ahmedabad, and others. Each stop will feature interactive demos, expert guidance, and personalized support tailored to the unique needs of local businesses.
Impact on the Indian Economy
By engaging directly with businesses across major cities, WhatsApp aims to create a tangible impact on the Indian economy. The initiative aligns with WhatsApp’s broader goal of supporting small businesses and fostering digital growth in India. According to Ravi Garg, Director of Business Messaging at Meta India, “Small businesses are the backbone of India’s economy, and with the right digital tools, they have the power to supercharge the country’s digital transformation.”
Conclusion
As the Bharat Yatra continues its journey across India, it is expected to empower thousands of SMBs, contributing significantly to India’s economic development and digital transformation. By providing essential training and resources, WhatsApp is not only enhancing business capabilities but also reinforcing its commitment to fostering a robust small business ecosystem in India. This initiative builds on previous efforts such as WhatsApp Se Vyapaar, which aimed to upskill millions of traders, further demonstrating WhatsApp’s dedication to supporting India’s entrepreneurial landscape.
Farming has been an integral part of India’s history and culture for ages. It’s been the foundation of the Indian economy, supporting millions of people with food and jobs. Crops and agriculture hold immense importance in Indian society, not just in terms of money, but also in terms of culture, community, and spirituality.
Farming is a way of life for many people in India, but it can be a difficult and unpredictable business and farmers face a number of challenges, from erratic weather patterns to low market prices for their crops. Kheyti is a social enterprise founded in 2015 by Saumya, Kaushik Kappagantula, and Sathya Raghu. The organisation provides sustainable solutions to small farmers in India, helping them overcome challenges and improve their lives.
Kheyti’s flagship product is the “Greenhouse-in-a-Box,” a low-cost modular greenhouse that allows farmers to grow high-value crops year-round, even in unfavourable weather conditions. operates on a subscription-based model, where farmers can purchase a “Greenhouse-in-a-Box” kit or sign up for crop advisory services on a monthly or annual basis. Kheyti.com also earns revenue by connecting farmers with markets and buyers, taking a small commission on sales. They work to keep the costs low by partnering with local manufacturers to produce their products and leveraging tech to provide personalised crop advisory services at scale.
They also provide crop advisory services to farmers, offering personalised advice on crop selection, planting, and management. In total, The company has helped over 6,000 small farmers increase their incomes by an average of 300%. You call them small farmers, Kheyti calls them Smart farmers!
While there are other companies in India that offer similar solutions to small farmers, Kheyti stands out for its focus on sustainability, innovation, and community involvement. It works closely with farmers to develop tailored solutions that meet their needs while focusing on sustainable farming practices. Through its efforts, Kheyti has improved soil health, reduced water usage, and increased yields of various crops.
Looking ahead, Kheyti plans to expand its reach to more farmers in India and beyond and aims to continue developing new products and services that can help small farmers overcome the challenges they face. With its commitment to sustainability and innovation, The visionaries at Kheyti claim it has the potential to transform the agricultural sector and contribute to a more equitable future for all.
Imagine the joy and hope Kheyti brings to struggling farmers in India. With Kheyti’s help, over 6,000 small farmers have transformed their lives, becoming Smart farmers who handle challenges and succeed. With sustainable solutions, Kheyti is not only revolutionising agriculture but also spreading hope for a brighter future.
We live in a rapidly transforming era where humanity is making exponential leaps in technology. Thirty years ago, no one would have believed you could talk to an online voice assistant to create tasks and get things done. Ten years ago, no one would have believed humanity would land robots on Mars. Technology truly has improved the quality of living of every human who owns a smartphone and has access to an internet connection. Voice assistants are slowly replacing manual tasks and making lives easier and efficient. Siri, Alexa, Google Voice Assistant are just some of the widely used artificial intelligence based tools which are employed on a daily basis. Artificial intelligence, which is hailed as the technology of the future is now slowly making its way into much more complex domains like self driving vehicles, quantum computing and also health care.
Suki, a United States of America based startup founded by Punit Soni, developed their own voice assistant which runs on artificial intelligence to simplify healthcare for doctors and other healthcare professionals. In simple terms, Suki is akin to Siri for doctors. While you could order a pizza or schedule an appointment on Siri, doctors could modify, edit and add health records of their patients. Suki is a powerful tool to help doctors with documentation of health records which often take hours of their (doctors) time.
Suki currently focuses on documentation but has the potential to expand its usage to data queries, ordering, prescribing and billing. According to a white paper published by Suki, using its technology increases the time a doctor spends with a patient by 12% by cutting note taking time by 76%. The time which is saved also brings in a financial benefit of $30,000 more in revenue a year on average for doctors.
Suki raised a $ 20 million Series B round from Flare Capital Partners, First Round Capital, and Venrock, doubling its total funding to $ 40 million since its 2017 launch. Suki is also looking to expand its reach in India and has decided to establish Bangalore as their base of operations. India holds a lot of potential for Suki considering the amount of manual work which goes into almost any sector.
It would be interesting to watch how Suki and other similar AI based startups would transform healthcare across the world.
