Meet man who turned WhatsApp group into Rs 6400 crore company, but failed to pay salaries, Mukesh Ambani is his...

Kabeer Biswas is the visionary behind one of India's most prominent startups, Dunzo, which began as a WhatsApp group, and evolved into a Rs 6400 crore enterprise. It received substantial backing from Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani. Founded by Biswas in 2014, Dunzo initially gained traction within investment circles, leading Ambani to invest over Rs 1600 crore in the startup. Although Biswas isn't the sole founder, his innovative approach of leveraging a WhatsApp group laid the foundation for Dunzo's success.

Originally, Dunzo provided delivery services for groceries, essential supplies, and other commodities, competing with the likes of Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart. Customers would place orders via the WhatsApp group, following which a dedicated Dunzo app was created. Reliance Retail, invested USD 200 million (Rs 1600 crore), boosting Dunzo's valuation to over USD 775 million (more than Rs 6400 crore), as reported by The Times of India.

Biswas co-founded Dunzo with Ankur Agarwal, Dalvir Suri, and Mukund Jha upon moving to Bengaluru after his first startup, Hoppr, was acquired by Hike. A computer science engineer by training, Biswas honed his skills working in a plastic factory in Silvassa before pursuing an MBA. His career in sales and customer service at Airtel further refined his business acumen.

Despite its impressive growth, Dunzo has faced challenges recently, including multiple delays in employee salary payments and a significant loss of Rs 1,800 crore in FY23—a 288 percent increase from the previous year. The company has also experienced the departure of several key executives, including co-founders and the finance head.