Podcast
Interstellar by Stellaris
Hosted by Stellaris Venture Partners · EN
Interstellar takes you behind the scenes with the stellar founders, business builders, and next-gen leaders driving India’s startup ecosystem. Hosted by the Stellaris team, our conversations explore the bold strategies, resilience-building setbacks, and transformative scale that define some of India’s most remarkable businesses. Whether you’re a builder, dreamer, or simply curious, join us as we uncover the insights fueling these journeys.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 11 | Can AI Fix the Broken Travel Industry | Ft. Deep Kalra (MakeMyTrip), Aloke Bajpai (ixigo) & Hari Ganapathy (PickYourTrail)
Mar 2501:15:00Tap to summarizeTravel is one of the earliest internet categories in India, yet it still feels unfinished. Millions of people book flights in seconds… but still walk into hotels to book a room. Planning a single trip involves dozens of decisions across multiple platforms, spread over weeks.And despite all the progress, trust remains the biggest bottleneck.In this episode, we brought together Deep Kalra (MakeMyTrip), Alok Bajpai (Ixigo), and Hari Ganapathy (PickYourTrail) – three founders who represent three distinct eras of building Indian travel tech. They’re candid about what’s still broken in travel, how AI is beginning to reshape the industry, and where the biggest opportunities lie.The next version of Indian travel is being built right now. This conversation is a window into what it might look like.
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EP. 10 | How India's Going-Out Culture is Evolving | Interstellar ft. Rahul Ganjoo
Feb 2600:40:22Tap to summarizeExperiences are emerging as a new layer of India’s consumer economy. From large global concerts to hyperlocal community events, consumers are increasingly stepping out not just for entertainment, but for identity, belonging, and participation.This shift is creating entirely new opportunities and challenges in building platforms that connect consumers to real-world experiences.In this episode of Interstellar, Rahul Chowdhri speaks with Rahul Ganjoo, CEO of District by Zomato.In this episode, we cover:(00:00): Coming Up(01:19): Introduction(02:04): Decision to join Zomato back, with District(02:54): Defining the ‘Going-out’ market(04:27): Market segmentation(06:04): District’s core ICP spend mix(06:59): Shifts in consumption patterns(10:48): Going-out behaviour across different age groups(12:25): Frictions in ‘Going-out’(13:34): Experience-level unit economics(15:22): High spends and affordability(17:24): District’s venue experience strategy(19:35): District’s IP strategy(21:30): How global is the Indian consumer?(23:11): District’s role in the customer journey(25:35): ‘Going-out’ trends(29:44): AI in the ‘Going-Out’ business(32:00): District’s social platform play(33:05): Strategy for experience expansion(35:05): What's exciting in 2026?(36:07): White space opportunitiesVisit www.stellarisvp.com to learn more about how we invest.
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EP. 9 | How Swiggy Is Building for India’s New Consumer | Interstellar ft. Rohit Kapoor
Nov 2500:51:18Tap to summarizeAs the world around him changed, Rohit Kapoor chose to reinvent himself. Curiosity led him into the startup world — from reimagining Indian hospitality at OYO to now powering India’s food story at Swiggy.His biggest learning: Hyperlocal logistics is one of the toughest businesses to build.Under Rohit’s leadership, Swiggy’s food marketplace now partners with 2.6 lakh+ restaurants across 720+ cities. Innovations like Bolt, DeskEats, the 99 Store, and health-forward curations — from high-protein to no added sugar — are all born from deep consumer insights.In this episode of Interstellar, Rohit shares what India is eating, how the young consumers are evolving, and how builders can create for this new generation.Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/c/StellarisVenturePartnersVisit www.stellarisvp.com to learn more about how we invest.In this episode, we cover:(00:00): Coming Up(01:10): Introduction(01:51): Decision to join Swiggy(05:46): What young India eats(11:11): Tier I vs. the Rest: what’s different?(16:16): Marketplace vs. Private Label brands(17:20): Can Cloud QSRs build big?(21:51): 10-Minute: How Swiggy delivers (Bolt vs Snacc)(25:48): 10-Minute Full-Stack: Proposition & Challenges(28:00): Competition in food-delivery business(31:25): Swiggy Food vs Instamart - Synergies & divergence(32:56): What’s next for Food in India(39:28): Cooking Robots: Are they really automating?(42:28): India’s Shift to Healthy Food(44:06): What to build for tomorrow’s Indian Consumer(46:45): Advice for startup founders
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EP 8 | Building & Scaling Fashion Brands in India | Interstellar ft. Nandita Sinha, Myntra
Sep 2900:59:49Tap to summarizeEnamoured by Bangalore’s startup ecosystem, Nandita Sinha launched her own e-commerce venture in 2012. The learnings from that journey took her to Flipkart, where she rose through the ranks, leading multiple businesses and driving customer growth.For the past 4 years, she’s been at the helm of @myntraone of India’s largest fashion, beauty and lifestyle ecommerce platforms - steering it to robust growth while innovating on Gen Z fashion and redefining the possibilities in fashion shopping with quick commerce. Her journey reflects a rare mix of entrepreneurial hustle and leadership at scale, giving her a unique vantage point on what it really takes to build fashion and lifestyle brands in India.On this episode of Interstellar, she opens up about India’s $150B fashion opportunity, shifting consumer behaviour, and the unique complexities of building in fashion.Reach Nandita Sinha: LinkedIn: / nandita-sinha-3020275 Reach Rahul Chowdhri:X: https://x.com/rchowdhriLinkedIn: / rahulchowdhri In this episode, we cover:(00:00): Coming Up(01:17): Introduction(03:27): Nandita's entrepreneurial journey(07:02): Myntra's inflection points(10:49): Why does a Myntra equivalent doesn't exist in the US?(13:01): Myntra's role in a fashion brand's journey(16:38): Need for quick commerce in fashion(23:05): Does segmentation in quick commerce make sense?(26:03): Wishlist behaviour (27:55): Try and buy in quick commerce(30:19): Building fashion for GenZ consumers(36:49): Low MOQ for high-quality brands(38:33): Why is Myntra FWD within Myntra app?(40:23): Building premium fashion for 40+ customer segment(48:38): AI in Fashion(54:17): Lack of live commerce in India(57:43): Advice for foundersFind us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StellarisVenturePartnersVisit our website at www.stellarisvp.com
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EP. 7 | The Next Big Bets in Quick Commerce: Deep Dive on Fashion, Baby & Kids, Beauty | Interstellar ft. Mayank Jain
Aug 2200:45:01Tap to summarizeWhy is this a Quick Commerce category and not e-commerce or offline-first?What’s the right to exist for a vertical player - why won’t horizontal platforms win here?Does this category demand a unique buying experience?And finally - how do the unit economics scale to a large outcome?In this episode of Interstellar, Rahul Chowdhri and Mayank Jain unpack India’s Vertical Quick Commerce opportunity, breaking it down across Fashion, Baby & Kids, and Beauty using this framework.Reach Mayank Jain:X: https://x.com/jainmayank_943LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayankjain943/Reach Rahul Chowdhri:X: https://x.com/rchowdhriLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulchowdhri/In this episode, we cover:(00:00): Coming Up(01:21): Introduction(02:03): Framework to evaluate Vertical Quick Commerce (02:45): Is this a Quick Commerce category?(03:56): Why will horizontal platforms not win?(05:03): Will the economics work out?(06:11): Does the category demand a unique buying experience?(08:05): Fashion category deep dive (need for quick commerce)(09:17): Value proposition for Fashion Quick Commerce over E-commerce(11:02): Trade-offs between Quick Commerce & E-commerce(14:33): At home try-and-buy experience(16:07): How will economics work?(19:24): Competing against Myntra(21:27): Building a GenZ-focused fashion quick commerce(23:40): Areas founders should focus on(26:55): Baby & Kids category deep dive (need for quick commerce)(30:01): Why not offline for Kids apparel?(31:57): Competing against Firstcry(33:23): Private label economics in apparel(35:36): Customer spend & market expansion(36:30): Why not horizontals for Kids consumables?(37:53): Beauty category deep dive (need for quick commerce)(40:59): Differentiated buying experience in beauty(41:31): Economics in beauty category(42:42): Frequency of buying in beauty category(43:37): Conclusion & other promising categoriesFind us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@StellarisVenturePartnersVisit our website at www.stellarisvp.com
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Ep. 6 | How I Built Flipkart's Mobile Business from Scratch | Interstellar ft. Smrithi Ravichandran
Aug 100:55:49Tap to summarizeSwitching from a coveted FMCG job to an industry that was barely taking shape was one of the riskiest career moves in 2011. But Smrithi Ravichandran took a leap of faith into ecommerce when most were still figuring out what it meant.What drove her? A strong belief that technology would transform how Indian consumers shop and behave.As one of Flipkart’s earliest employees, Smrithi has lived through every phase of India’s ecommerce story, all the way from convincing customers to buy online, building trust and affordability, to now, racing ahead with quick commerce. She’s led game-changing categories like electronics, grocery, and mobiles.In this episode of Interstellar, she talks about what’s changed in the Indian consumer, how to build brands in electronics, whether vertical quick commerce can work, and Flipkart’s bet on the $50B smartphone market.Reach Smrithi Ravichandran: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smrithi-ravichandran-a139289/Reach Rahul Chowdhri:X: https://x.com/rchowdhriLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulchowdhri/In this episode, we cover:(00:00): Coming Up(01:20): Introduction(02:41): FMCG to Flipkart: Why did you make this move?(05:15): Surprises in the early days at Flipkart(06:54): How consumers have evolved since Flipkart’s inception(12:16): Why lifestyle focus for smartphones?(13:41): How can brands tackle the complexity of SKUs?(14:34): Gaps to be solved in ecommerce(17:55): Voice search: has it worked?(20:28): Premiumization trend in the smartphone category(24:09): Second-hand smartphone marketplace opportunity(27:14): Service layers for added revenue(31:02): Is the electronics category profitable or a GMV driver?(35:11): Flipkart’s private label strategy in electronics(37:17): Subscription services(40:04): Opportunities for emerging brands in consumer electronics(41:24): ‘Made-in-India’ as a consumer demand(44:27): Can Indian consumer electronics brands go global?(46:24): Quick commerce for electronics(50:31): SKU planning for electronics quick commerce(52:21): What’s quick for the electronics category?(54:32): Discounting on quick commerce platformsFind us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StellarisVenturePartnersApple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interstellar-by-stellaris/id1794113841Visit our website at www.stellarisvp.com
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Ep. 5 | How OYO Scaled from India to the World | Interstellar with Abhinav Sinha
Jul 400:50:42Tap to summarizeWith an IIT KGP degree, an MBA from Harvard, and a comfortable consulting job at BCG New York, Abhinav Sinha had every reason to stay back in the US. However, in 2014, he packed his bags and returned to India with a mission: to be part of something entrepreneurial.He took a leap of faith and joined @-RiteshAgarwal at @OYO when it was barely a year old. In doing so, he left behind the comfort of certainty and traded predictability for possibility, betting on belief over a plan.As one of the earliest OYOpreneurs, Abhinav helped shape OYO’s journey from an early-stage idea to a global hospitality platform.In this episode of Interstellar, he shares hard-earned lessons from building OYO, how the company navigated challenging times, and where he sees the next big opportunities for founders in the travel space.Reach Abhinav Sinha: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhinav-sinha-5193b15/Reach Rahul Chowdhri:X: https://x.com/rchowdhriLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulchowdhri/In this episode, we cover:(00:00): Coming Up(01:20): Introduction(02:08): How Abhinav became an OYOpreneur(04:03): OYO’s founding problem and insight(06:05): Full-stack vs Asset-light model(08:29): Inventory vs Minimum Guarantee model(14:39): Insight behind OYO Townhouse(18:06): OYO’s global expansion strategy(23:06): Insight behind OYO Vacation Homes(25:50): Post-COVID reset strategy(29:09): Consumer evolution in travel (32:49): Customer segmentation(37:09): Vertical platforms for travel(39:17): Zero Commission Models in travel(41:45): End-to-end travel planning platforms(45:29): AI’s impact on OTAs(47:25): Opportunities for founders in the travel spaceFind us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@StellarisVenturePartnersApple podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interstellar-by-stellaris/id1794113841Visit our website at www.stellarisvp.com
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Ep. 4 | How this interior brand took over 65 cities ft. Saurabh Jain | Interstellar by Stellaris | Livspace
May 15, 202500:46:47Tap to summarizeBefore the world caught on to online services, Saurabh Jain was already building them.In 2014, he launched DezignUp - a bold bet on home design services going digital. His journey took a turn when the company was acquired by Livspace. From there, there was no looking back. Saurabh went on to become the third co-founder and CEO of Livspace India, helping scale the brand to 65+ cities and redefining how India does interiors.In this episode of Interstellar, Saurabh shares the stories behind early pivots, bold decisions, and what it really takes to build a category-defining business.Reach Saurabh Jain: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saurabh-jain-88237814/Reach Rahul Chowdhri:X: https://x.com/rchowdhriLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulchowdhri/In this episode, we cover:(00:00): Episode Summary(01:09): Welcome, Saurabh!(01:59): Saurabh’s journey to starting DezignUp and its acquisition(04:45): Rationale behind continuing with Livspace post-acquisition (06:14): Co-founder vs. senior leadership role(07:49): Saurabh’s role as a CEO(09:03): Inflection points in Livspace’s journey(14:41): Livspace’s “Personalisation at Scale” strategy(18:05): Impact of COVID(19:40): Scaling the organisation (22:46): Decisions on resource allocation(25:27): Tech at Livspace(27:62): Future trends in the home interiors industry(30:46): Use of GenAI(31:57): Retention vs Referral metric(33:18): Hiring senior professionals(37:15): The “Virat-Anushka” Brand campaign(39:16): Rapidfire questions(46:25): Closing notesFind us on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/550RoqvavxjC2pl8Ma7LHa?si=0ebd5040b11c4ac5Apple podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interstellar-by-stellaris/id1794113841Visit our website at www.stellarisvp.com
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Apr 2, 202500:44:06Tap to summarizeZero Commission Models: Disruptive or Just a Pricing Play?Startups like Meesho, Rapido, and Namma Yatri have disrupted their industries with zero commission models, by removing sales-based commissions while keeping costs low for customers.But the big question remains: Are these models really unique, or are they a different way of arriving at the same business economics?In this bonus episode of Interstellar, Rahul & Ritesh break down how Zero Commission Models work, where they thrive, and the untapped opportunities for emerging founders.Reach Rahul Chowdhri:X: https://x.com/rchowdhriLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulchowdhri/Reach Ritesh Banglani:X: https://x.com/banglaniLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riteshbanglani/Find us on YouTube - youtu.be/CmkCZvXI65cApple podcasts - apple.co/41HGKvUVisit our website at www.stellarisvp.comIn this episode of Interstellar, we cover:00:00 Trailer00:57 What are zero commission models?03:10 How do companies that adopt a zero commission model make money?04:22 Does ‘zero commission’ mean zero fees?06:24 What kind of scale is necessary to sustain a zero commission model?07:30 Does unbundling of operations create a more scalable business?10:18 Does this translate to unbundling-led price discrimination? 13:23 On the incentive alignment between the supplier and platform 16:01 Is there danger of concentrating demand in the hands of suppliers with the deepest pockets?19:11 Who handles customer experience in zero commission models if so many services are unbundled?25:05 In cases where customers can tell a good supplier from a bad one, can zero commission models work?
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Ep.2 | How this titan built iconic brands ft. Simeran Bhasin | Interstellar | Fastrack, Wildcraft, Licious
Mar 11, 202500:43:59Tap to summarizeToday, Fastrack, Wildcraft and Licious are household names that we all recognize.Behind these iconic brands is the creative mind of Simeran Bhasin – and her story is one for the ages.After making a mark at Titan and Wildcraft, Simeran ventured into the startup world. In 2016, she launched India’s first and only young girl-focused innerwear brand. While she has made her fair share of mistakes, she has gained invaluable insights into what works – and what doesn’t.In our second episode of Interstellar, we talked to Simeran about her journey, her experiences as a founder, marketer, and business leader in a startup, and the lessons she has learned along the way.Reach Simeran Bhasin:X: https://x.com/simbhasinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simeran-bhasin-2082397/Reach Rahul Chowdhri:X: https://x.com/rchowdhriLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulchowdhri/In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Episode Summary(00:50) Welcome, Simeran!(01:39) Simeran's leap into entrepreneurship (03:24) The inspiration behind Brag (05:00) Simeran's offline-first bet for D2C brands(07:50) Simeran's advice to someone switching from a corporate career to starting up(10:26) On the willingness to "unlearn"(11:44) From Fractional CMO to Head of Business at Licious (15:08) Why Licious? (16:35) On Licious' alternative protein brand 'Uncrave'(20:16) How did alternative protein & mock meat appeal to a meat-lover?(22:09) Why "Uncrave" and not "Licious Green"?(23:25) The story behind the iconic Fastrack advertisement (27:37) How has the role of a CMO evolved? (31:17) Advice to founders shifting from performance marketing to brand marketing(32:39) Simeran on whether founders today care about brand marketing (33:33) Org-building in a corporate set-up v/s startups (36:03) What to expect when you're going to join a startup(39:00) Rapidfire questions(43:42) Closing commentsFind us on Apple podcasts - apple.co/41HGKvUYouTube - bit.ly/3DkQrbTVisit our website at www.stellarisvp.com
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