MakeMyTrip’s Investor Sanjeev & Founder Deep Talk About Building ₹10000 Cr Travel Company

MakeMyTrip’s Investor Sanjeev & Founder Deep Talk About Building ₹10000 Cr Travel Company

Author: The BarberShop with Shantanu April 19, 2025 Duration: 1:21:44

Some companies almost don’t make it, until they do.

MakeMyTrip could’ve been one of them.

In this episode, Shantanu Deshpande is joined by Deep Kalra (Founder and Chairman of MakeMyTrip Limited) and Sanjeev Aggarwal (Co-Founder, Fundamentum, Helion and Daksh), one of MMT’s early investors. Kalra and Aggarwal uncover the real behind-the-scenes of building one of India’s most iconic travel companies.

This Investor-Founder bond isn’t just about travel. It’s about the courage to stick around when the road gets rough.

Let us know in the comments: What’s the toughest phase your startup has survived and how?

And if you’d like to join our next conversation as a live audience member, sign up here: https://forms.gle/yF6Rzr9NRheKRoV98

Navigate the episode

00:00 Coming up

01:09 Introduction

07:55 Relationship insights between founders and investors

08:38 Foundation of Make My Trip

13:28 How Sanjeev and Deep met

15:36 Sanjeev’s view on Makemytrip Founders

16:44 Tough time Prior 2005

21:52 What are the commonalities among founders?

27:34 Deep’s perspective on Sanjeev’s contribution in IPO board

33:33 The entry of fragmented market

39:38 The great vs an average board meeting

47:56 Reasons for the decline VC and entrepreneurship

56:43 Digitalisation impacts on business opportunities

59:32 Roles of professional high-quality management

01:04:56 Importance of governance training to run a company

01:08:29 Role of quick commerce

01:13:05 Key role of product genesis

01:15:09 Closing thoughts


Step into a space where business talk feels less like a lecture and more like a conversation happening in the back of a classic barbershop. The BarberShop with Shantanu is built on that exact feeling-a place for honest, meandering, and deeply insightful dialogues about the real journey of building something. Host Shantanu, who founded Bombay Shaving Company and Bombae, doesn't just interview guests; he engages in a form of mutual mentorship, drawing on his own experiences to unpack the stories, struggles, and small victories that define entrepreneurship. Each episode feels like a candid exchange, stripping away the polished veneer often found in business media to explore how ideas actually take root and flourish. You'll hear from a variety of voices navigating their own hustles, with conversations that naturally touch on strategy, personal growth, and the often-overlooked human elements behind the brands. This podcast thrives on the free flow of genuine perspective, offering listeners not just lessons, but a sense of camaraderie. It’s a platform dedicated to growth, framed through storytelling that’s as much about the missteps as the milestones. Tune in for a regular dose of reflection and practical wisdom, all shared with the ease of a good chat.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The BarberShop with Shantanu
Podcast Episodes
How can bootstrapped Solara scale from ₹100 Cr to ₹1,000 Cr? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:45
This episode goes inside the real shift from founder hustle to founder design.Gopal built SOLARA by staying close to operations in the early years. Today, his role has shifted. He focuses on growth, while others run exec…