Rapido: success story
It was 10:41 PM on a Tuesday The streets of Bengaluru were soaked in monsoon drizzle. The chaos of the day had slowed, but the frustration still lingered. Aravind Sanka , 24, sat staring at his phone—his cab booking had been canceled again. It was the fourth one that night. He was supposed to be at an interview. One that promised comfort, but also the slow death of his entrepreneurial fire. As he stood stranded, a biker pulled up and said, “Hop on, bro!” He hesitated… then jumped on. That five-minute ride was all it took. Not just to get him home, but to ignite the vision of Rapido —India’s first major bike-taxi startup. Chapter 1: The Almost-Entrepreneurs Aravind wasn’t alone. Along with Rishikesh SR and Pavan Guntupalli , he had tried startups before. Some failed, some fizzled. Their previous startup in logistics didn’t take off as planned. They had burned through savings, time, and confidence. But something kept nagging at them: "Why are bike rides so informal whe...
