Abhiraj Bhal's journey from a Mumbai schoolboy to the CEO and Co-founder of Urban Company, formerly UrbanClap, is nothing short of inspiring. His early years were spent navigating different cities and educational institutions.
Still, his passion, determination, and entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him to create one of Asia's most prominent home services platforms.
Born in Mumbai and educated at the prestigious Navy Children's School, Abhiraj's academic journey took a crucial turn when he moved to Visakhapatnam to complete his schooling. This early exposure to different environments would later contribute to his adaptability and resilience.
Abhiraj's academic prowess eventually led him to the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K), where he earned a bachelor's degree in technology. This began his journey toward becoming an influential entrepreneur and business leader.
After graduation, Abhiraj pursued an MBA from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad). Armed with this elite education, he embarked on a career at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Singapore, advising Fortune 500 companies across India, Germany, and Southeast Asia. These experiences honed his strategic thinking and business acumen.
However, Abhiraj's entrepreneurial spirit could not be contained within the corporate world. Together with his IIT-Kanpur batchmate Varun Khaitan, who was also at BCG in America, they ventured into the world of movies with Cinema Box. Cinema Box aimed to enable movie streaming on smartphones via Wi-Fi, showcasing their penchant for innovation.
Their paths crossed with Raghav Chandra, a computer science graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, who had previously worked at companies like Yelp and Twitter. Raghav was working on Buggy.in, an auto-rickshaw aggregator startup. Initially, their interests seemed to lay in different directions, as Abhiraj and Varun were focused on Cinema Box while Raghav pursued Buggy.in.
However, fate had other plans. They recognised the vast potential in the Indian home services sector, which was largely unorganised and fragmented. This realisation led to the birth of UrbanClap in 2014.
The trio began their journey by identifying professionals in various fields, from beauticians to plumbers, photographers to electricians. They connected these service providers with friends, family, and employees of friends' companies. They even scoured Facebook groups to find people seeking these services. UrbanClap.com was born with its first investment of just 4,000 Rs in Facebook advertising.
Initially, they relied on bootstrapping to keep the company afloat. However, their vision soon attracted the attention of investors. Accel Partners and SAIF Partners believed in their mission and invested 1.6 million dollars in UrbanClap.
As the platform grew, so did its range of services. UrbanClap transformed into Urban Company in early 2020, signalling its ambitions for global expansion. Today, it is Asia's most prominent home services platform, operating in India, Singapore, UAE, and Australia. The platform offers various services, including appliance repairs, beauty treatments, pest control, and carpentry.
Notable investors like Tiger Global, VY Capital, Ratan Tata, Rohit Bansal, and Kunal Bahl recognised the potential of Urban Company and joined hands in its journey. The company has over 60,000 professionals serving over 5,500 customers daily.
Abhiraj Bhal, as the CEO and Co-founder of Urban Company, has played a pivotal role in establishing a network of over 25,000 trained service professionals. His leadership has helped the company serve over 5 million customers across multiple countries.
But Abhiraj's vision continues further. He aspires to replicate this success in India's tier 2 cities and expand into international markets like Sydney and Singapore. His relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation has earned him numerous accolades, including being named in Fortune's 40 under 40 and 30 under 30 and receiving the Entrepreneur award at NTLF2020.
Beyond his professional achievements, Abhiraj's personal life is equally fascinating. He comes from a family of achievers, with his father, Commodore Ashok Bhal, having a distinguished career in the Indian Navy as an electrical engineer. Abhiraj's love for adventure and new experiences is evident in his pursuits, which range from running marathons to skydiving, scuba diving, and even mastering his wife Urvi's favourite dishes in the kitchen.
Abhiraj Bhal's journey from a young student in Mumbai to the helm of a global home services giant is a testament to the power of vision, dedication, and the relentless pursuit of one's dreams. His story inspires aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders worldwide, showcasing that one can turn a simple idea into a groundbreaking success with the right mindset and determination.
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