Sahil Sharma and Aditya Shirole were in their second year of college when they started GigIndia. The PICT (Pune Institute of Computer Technology) grads now run India’s Largest Student Network.
Startup Essentials
A tailor-made application, GigIndia helps students secure niche internships and jobs. It offers work experience and paid gigs to freshers.
The app has an interesting job application process that entails students performing test tasks. An offer letter follows post the task approval, right on the app.
Their mentorship programs lets students pick mentors from their dream companies.
Incubated in Pune, GigIndia has expanded to Indore, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. The startup aims to reach tier 2 cities in the coming months.
Offering students ‘gigs’, the duo devised an application that lets India’s collegiate earn perpetually, via skill based projects. GigIndia also has stellar mentorship programs and placements with niche companies. They offer undergraduates a neat way to map their way to their dream job.
Sahil Sharma offers us a sneak peek into his life as Co-founder and CEO of the young startup.
“Entrepreneurship is exciting,” he says. “Each Monday brings with it the excitement to own the coming week with stellar work!
“My day begins at 6 in the morning with an hour of planning the coming week’s operations. Then I meet Aditya, my co-founder and CTO at 8 to discuss growth and our next steps in terms of scaling the organization.”
His responsibilities as a CEO take over post 10 am. “Each day I touch base with the team leads of Tech, Business Development, Marketing, PR and Design after which I bring our clients and collaborators up to speed.”
Operating from a vivacious workspace, GigIndia holds a serene vibe with a chilled-out work culture. Sahil agrees, adding that their focus isn’t on building a team of geeks, but of people who are passionate about working and wish to make a difference in the world. “We follow a Zero Bullshit policy. This helps our team focus on work better.”
He introduces us to the core team referring to them as the GigIndia superstars. “Rishabh, Dhanesh and Falgun are pure tech geniuses. Together they’ve produced some exceptional work under Aditya’s supervision.” He explains that Vaishnavi and Siddharth are assistant managers working closely with him handling day-to-day operations.
We meet Tejas the Operations whiz and Dwipay who manages Alliances and Operations. Next up is Neha their University Relations Champion followed by Raunak, Bhargavi the SuperInterns. Lastly, we meet Radhika and Aishwarya the Social Media and Content Queens at GigIndia.
“Aditya and I often have quick meetings with our technical team. Our work day is peppered with intense brainstorming sessions,” he beams.
CEO After Hours
Sundays mean a spot of meditation, some satisfying slumber and cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Sahil admits to being a music buff who enjoys a weekend movie marathon.
The young CEO also unwinds with a game of football on the Playstation.
The CEO admits to concluding each work day with a one-on-one talk with a team member. “The end of the typical work day marks the halfway point for me,” says the man who is back to work after gym and a quick dinner.
“I focus on writing and building GigIndia as a brand and think about what I’ve learned that day and what I can do better,” he says humbly.”Saturdays are when Aditya and me interact with our target group of students.” They brainstorm with aspiring student entrepreneurs counselling them on fulfilling their startup dreams.
Sahil’s last vacation was 3 years ago.
However, visiting his family in Delhi constitutes a welcome break, albeit, one that is peppered with business meetings. Talking about his background he shares, “My father is in the Army and my mother is a home-maker. I also have an adorable sister who is pursuing her MBBS. He reveals that his family has been incredibly supportive towards GigIndia right from its inception.
“I owe them big-time,” he admits fondly signing off.
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