StartUps

Abhishek Chanda – A fourth generation entrepreneur

“I believe in working hard,” says Abhishek Chanda, Director at Capsgold Private Limited, Kalasha Fine Jewels and Vasavi Group. A fourth-generation entrepreneur, he is not only carrying his family legacy forward but is also introducing new technology and changes in the structure and work atmosphere.

Having launched Kalasha Fine Jewels the first-of-its-kind designer jewellery store in 2016, which currently has a turnover of over 250 crores, the 34-year-old has proved that success happens to those who are determined and focused. In an exclusive with Hashtag, he talks about his journey and growth…

Carrying forward the legacy…

Those who dare to dream are the only ones to succeed. This age-old adage holds true for the fourth-generation entrepreneur from Hyderabad, Abhishek Chanda. With a family seeped into the business of precious metals since 1901, over the journey of a century and more, they are looked on as pioneers in the field of bullion trading and jewellery via their family firm Caps Gold Pvt. Ltd.

The 36-year-old entrepreneur recalls his childhood with a lot of nostalgia and passion saying that it was during those days that he learnt the tricks of the trade. “I come from a joint family of over 50 people. In my school years, we had a store at General Bazar in Secunderabad where I understood the trading of gold and silver. I thank God for giving me encouraging parents who supported me in whatever I did.”

An alumnus of St Patrick’s school and pursuing his engineering soon after, he recalls having a happy and carefree childhood where he went to the family store in summer vacations out of sheer curiosity.

Having gone to pursue his MBA from Cardiff University in the UK, he says that he was always sure that he wanted to come back to Hyderabad. “I didn’t want to be trapped in the hustle and bustle of London life, so I chose Cardiff which was a very laidback place. Though I learnt a lot in my time there, having grown up in a joint family. I missed that energy and came back to Hyderabad.”

CREATING A CULTURE OF CHANGE

In 2011, when Abhishek came back, he realized that there were a lot of gaps to be plugged in. The family firm was in a transition state from a family-run business to a corporate entity. For example, accounts were still manual and not online. To drive a technology-related change was one of Abhishek’s first priorities.

“To enable a business to run digitally is very important and I think making that change enabled us to grow,” shares the entrepreneur and adds, “People laughed at me as they thought a gold business did not need such kind of infrastructure, but I wanted to make it professional and run a business which is system-oriented.”

Caps Gold Pvt. Ltd. is one of the top three bullion dealers in the country and had a lot of people come in from all corners of south India. To streamline the process Abhishek started three branches in Vijayawada, Bengaluru and Coimbatore. He recalls with a smile, “My family used to take care of business in Hyderabad and there was a healthy competition as to who will bring in more business.” Further to this, he spearheaded the concept of going digital and launched the company’s website called ecapsgold.com, an online commerce platform where customers can buy gold and silver coins online.

In 2017, Abhishek started the designer jewellery boutique Kalasha, which was a one-of-its-kind store. Even while he got married, he realized that most people opted to go to Bengaluru, Jaipur and Mumbai for buying wedding jewellery (he did the same) and understood that there was a gap in the market, and he intended Kalasha to bridge that gap.

He shares, “When I got married, I went all around the city and found that there was a lot of similarity in design. That was not what a woman would want to wear on the most special day of her life. We crafted designer jewellery so that people did not have to travel to other cities. There was a lot of hard work that went into building the store, and it was gratifying to see the response.”

The store was a big success and in its first year of operations, it won multiple awards for ambience, and interiors, Abhishek never looked back post the launch. The turnover of the store also went up from 70 crores to 200 crores. The entrepreneur adds, “Kalasha means divine, and this is a place which focuses on unique and wearable jewellery. In our country, gold is the only commodity which gives a return of 18 to 24 percent per year and the purchases are driven by sentiment as people buy gold for every stage of life from birth to weddings. It also is a natural hedge against the vagaries of life.”

MARCHING AHEAD

The USP of the store remains the wearability and design as well as its appropriate prices. While expensive jewellery is usually worn on special occasions, Kalasha offers the option of wearing jewellery for work or day-to-day activities. With seventy percent of the design team sitting out of Mumbai, it enables the store to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to design.

Another innovation bought about by Abhishek is that having noticed a large number of clients from abroad, he started shipping jewellery abroad which has brought in much recognition for the brand.

It’s not all work and no play for the entrepreneur. While work does keep him busy he reaches home by 7 each day to spend time with family. He adds, “Covid was a relief as I finally got to spend time with my family. I usually spend my weekends at my farmhouse in Shamirpet as it is an ideal way to relax. Apart from that, I travel 4-5 times a year which is also something that re-energizes me.”

The entrepreneur doesn’t believe in getting pressurized at work. “I work with my father and uncles, so we divide the work and even when someone is travelling, the systems we set up enable us to not worry about work.” Going from strength to strength, the world is the oyster for this dynamic entrepreneur.

QUICK TAKES

Role model: My Grandfather, Chanda Parameshwar Rao who was dynamic and a go-getter businessman. He used to make decisions in an instant that solved any issue he faced.

Business Mantra: An Entrepreneur should always work smart. It is important and pays off well.

The scariest thing that you have ever done: Sky diving and Bungee jumping in New Zealand

Future plans: Starting a franchise in the next five years.

December 28, 2022

Sujata & Taniya Biswas: Redefining the Everyday Indian Sari

A homegrown Indian fashion brand redefining the sari as an everyday, breathable, and expressive garment. Combining Sujata’s structured, systems-driven approach with Taniya’s creative vision, they work closely with artisan communities across India to create clothing rooted in comfort, honesty, and human connection. Their journey blends entrepreneurship with sisterhood, building a brand that values trust, craftsmanship, and mindful fashion. Taniya, you left a stable career with the Tata group and IBM after IIM Lucknow, and Sujata, you pivoted from IIFT Delhi and corporate life. What was the exact moment when both of you realised that the corporate path wasn’t enough and that Suta was waiting to happen? Taniya: It wasn’t a rebellion. It was recognition. I had done everything “right”: engineering, IIM, a Consulting role that looked perfect on paper. But somewhere between late-night presentations and early morning meetings, I realised I was living life from the neck up. My hands missed fabric. My heart missed stories. I kept returning mentally to memories of wet saris drying on clotheslines, of Maa moving through the house with her pallu tucked in. One evening, over chai, I said it aloud to Sujata: I don’t think this is it. The moment I spoke it, Suta was born. Sujata: For me, it came as the discomfort of becoming someone I wasn’t. The corporate world had given me growth, but it had also hardened me. I remember thinking: If success requires me to lose softness, I don’t want it. My PhD was an attempt to find meaning, but even that felt academic, distant. What we really wanted was to build something with our hands, our intuition, and our values. Suta didn’t arrive as planned. It arrived as relief. From travelling through remote weaving clusters in Meghalaya, Varanasi, MP, and Odisha to working directly with artisan families,

StartUps

Blood, Bond & Business: The Real Equations behind Family-Driven Startups

February is the month of relationships, and at Hashtag, we’re celebrating the bonds that shape not just personal lives, but powerful businesses. This special edition explores entrepreneurs who share more than a company; they share roots. From siblings turning into strategic partnerships to spouses balancing love and leadership, we dive into the real dynamics behind relationship-driven ventures. This month, discover how strong relationships can become a business’s most valuable asset. Vijayaraghavan Venugopal is the Co-founder at Fast&Up and has been instrumental in building the brand in India. He has over 26 years of business experience in diverse fields, which includes pharmaceuticals, Healthcare and Information Technology. He has been responsible for business development in multiple geographies, including the Triad (USA, Europe and Japan). He has worked with TekFriday, Dr Reddy’s, Lupin and Emcure in different senior management roles. He was Lupin’s country head in China for three years between 2007 and 2010. He is a mechanical engineer and an MBA in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi. He is one of the fastest amateur marathoners in the country, having run in sub-3-hour marathons 12 times in major cities throughout the world, including Paris, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, London, Tokyo and New York, all while leading the growth of India’s fastest-growing nutrition brand, Fast&Up. He also has the distinction of being the first Indian to do all six world marathon majors under 3 hours, and is the winner of the recently held Tata Mumbai Marathon in his age group. Varun Khanna is the CEO of Fullife Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., a company he started at the age of 23 with the sole purpose to focus on healthy living. A relentless passion to do something innovative for the millennial need for an active life drove him to launch India’s first effervescent

StartUps

Top 6 Startups Of 2025: The New Architects of India’s Future

From sustainable farming to EV mobility, discover six Indian startups shaping a cleaner, smarter, and more connected tomorrow. Every generation finds its dreamers, the ones who don’t just talk about change, but build it. In 2025, India’s startup scene feels less like a rush for valuation and more like a movement with a purpose. These founders aren’t chasing unicorn tags; they are chasing impact. They are solving what truly matters. This is the India that rolls up its sleeves and says ‘Let’s make it ourselves.’ Dhanush Kumar writes about the Top 6 Startups of 2025, born from soil, steel, and software, each shaping tomorrow with courage and conscience. 1.Handpickd: Fresh from Farm to Table When freshness becomes a luxury, Handpickd restores it to the everyday plate. This Bengaluru-based agritech startup has built a direct bridge between local farmers and urban consumers ensuring every tomato, mango, and millet travels fewer miles and earns farmers more smiles. Using tech-driven logistics and transparent sourcing, Handpickd doesn’t just deliver produce; it delivers trust. In an era of overprocessed everything, this is simplicity redefined clean food, honest pricing, and a system where farmers finally get their due.It’s not a brand. It’s a return to our roots literally. 2.Bambrew: Building a Plastic-free Future At a time when the planet gasps under plastic, Bambrew breathes innovation. The Bengaluru-based packaging pioneer crafts biodegradable, compostable alternatives made from bamboo, sugarcane, and cornstarch materials that love the earth back. Their vision isn’t just green, it’s bold. Bambrew’s eco-packaging now wraps products for top FMCG and e-commerce giants, proving sustainability doesn’t have to look boring or cost a fortune.This isn’t rebellion it’s reinvention. A reminder that small choices, multiplied by millions, can rewrite the story of our planet. 3.Eeki Foods: Vertical Farming for a Greener Tomorrow In the deserts of Rajasthan, where

StartUps

The Fresh Faces of India’s Clean Eating Revolution

Eat Right Clean eating is no longer a fad but a necessity in the times we live in, and several startups are making sure this is a choice that is easy to make. As people take charge of their health and well-being, eating clean is one of the most important priorities. BINDU GOPAL RAO features seven startups that are helping make this change, one plate at a time. Nutreat Hyderabad-based Nutreat was born in 2014 out of a personal need to provide clean, wholesome food for the founder’s son. Over time, this evolved into a deeper mission: to craft handmade, customised nutrition rooted in ancestral Indian food wisdom. “We handcraft each product using our signature four-step process sprouting, sun-drying, slow roasting, and stone grinding and tailor it to the individual’s age, health condition, and dietary needs. Nutreat promotes clean eating not just by avoiding processed ingredients, but by ensuring every spoonful is mindfully made and consciously consumed. In 2023, when our business was at its peak with franchise opportunities, foreign collaborations, and incubation offers we made a bold decision. We stepped back. We refused to bulk produce because it was creating false demand, pressuring both our team and consumers to buy more than they needed. That turning point reaffirmed our belief in nooverbuying and consciousconsumerism. Clean eating, we believe, must also be mindful free of waste, hype, or excess. While the wellness industry grows, we often see food wastage even in the name of healthy eating. Our model of customisation ensures that we make only what’s needed, drastically reducing waste while offering personalised nutrition,” says Jyothi Sri Pappu, Founder & CEO, Nutreat. Moving forward, their goal is to scale impact, not volume, by nurturing conscious consumers, supporting women artisans, and creating a food culture rooted in purpose. The Kenko Life