Rajat Gelra
Co-Founder & COO of Pepagora
Setting the tone, Bhavin Shah reflected on his interactions with founders and manufacturers across India. “There’s a clear pattern,” he noted. “The companies that scale globally almost always start with a deep local advantage strong understanding of customers, supply chains, and ground realities.”
Rajat Gelra, Co-Founder & COO of Pepagora, shared insights on building scalable marketplaces from focused beginnings. He spoke about the importance of process-first thinking, where technology, data, and disciplined execution enable growth without operational chaos. For Rajat, scale is not just about expansion, but about creating systems that can be replicated across geographies while maintaining efficiency and trust.
Adding a grounded, problem-solving perspective, Mazin Mohammed, Founder of Surplus Market, spoke about identifying inefficiencies in local supply chains and turning them into opportunities. He emphasized that solving a real, localized problem such as surplus inventory and waste can unlock scalable business models when backed by clarity and execution. “When your foundation is strong and relevant, growth becomes a natural outcome,” he shared.
The discussion moved beyond growth metrics to address founder well-being, team alignment, and long-term sustainability. Scaling, the panel agreed, should not come at the cost of culture or clarity. Instead, it should be a deliberate journey one where local credibility becomes the launchpad for larger markets.
As the conversation concluded, the takeaway was clear:
Every successful company starts small, but those that scale well build growth engines rooted in local insight, strong systems, and purposeful leadership
At Jubilant TamilNadu Global Expo, this session reinforced a powerful message for India’s entrepreneurs think global, but build local first.
For more info:
www.jubilanttamilnadu.com
