In the heart of Western India, nestled amidst vibrant landscapes and unique cultural heritage, lies a city that pulsates with entrepreneurial fervour and boundless aspiration.

Pune, a melting pot of dreams and opportunities, has emerged as a hub of innovation and economic dynamism. As you step into its bustling streets, you are immediately enveloped by an infectious energy that drives its people to reach for the stars.

Pune is truly proving to be the hub for all things business. But do you know of these 4 companies from Pune that are influencing your life?

In 2011, two friends set out to establish a high-street Quick Service Restaurant chain that would be selling wraps. Co-founders Kallol Banerjee and Jaydeep Barman had their eyes on McDonald's, aspiring to create a similar impact on the consumers.

Faasos was the brainchild of this entrepreneurial spirit that kick-started the business. However, before the company could even establish a strong footing for itself in the market, they were faced with the idiosyncrasies of the restaurant industry. From extremely draining rents to a lack of high-street locations, all amidst the growing competition, Faasos was forced to think about cutting costs.

Before Zomato and Swiggy took us all by storm, Faasos went into the cloud kitchen business. A measure that ensured high-quality food with the added advantage of low cost of production.

But what truly makes Rebel Foods the first unicorn in a rather cluttered cloud kitchen business? Well, it problem-solved its way to a business.

When Co-founders Kallol Banerjee and Jaydeep Barman expanded Faasos' menu beyond wraps to include pizzas and sides, they were faced with a unique realization; one that would shape their business model.

Different cuisines are most commonly associated with different brand names. As a customer, I may associate wraps with Faasos while Biryani with Behrouz Biryani. To cater to these needs, Rebel Foods now has over 20 different brands in India - Faasos, Ovenstory, Behrouz Biryani, Mandarin Oak, Firangi Bake, Lunch Box, The Good Bowl, Sweet Truth and The Biryani Life, just to name a few.

With a newly launched app, EatSure, customers now possess the option for a personalized meal that allows ordering across their different brands.

Today, Rebel Foods runs 350 cloud kitchens in 45 cities across six countries. It has become one of the only cloud kitchen unicorns in India in 2023. Within an industry expected to double in size by 2025, this is the time to deliver for Rebel Foods.

Have you tried their food yet?

Imagine one of the most populated countries in the world, one with a high birth rate and an ever-growing population. As a new parent in this country, one expects to be overwhelmed by a variety of baby care products in the markets from baby clothes, and feeding supplies to cribs and toys.

However, this was not quite the experience for Supam Maheshwari when seeking good quality baby care products for his child. He recognized the dearth of variety and quality in the Indian market and saw a chance to revolutionize the way parents shop for their children.

Thus, in 2010, he launched BrainBees Solutions its flagship brand, FirstCry in collaboration with Amitava Saha.

While the company originated from personal savings as an online retailer, it quickly reached the offline market, establishing 350 stores across the 150 cities in the country.

The company is estimated to be valued at $1.9 Billion, making FirstCry a pioneer in the industry. It has branched into two private labels, BabyHug and CuteWalk, promising comfortable and high-quality baby products ranging from clothing, and footwear to generic hygiene-related needs such as bibs and diapers.

Ever hit that moment where your wallet feels pointless just before payday rolls around? When every day passes in anticipation alongside the fear of a cash crunch.

In 2015, Akshay Mehrotra and Ashish Goyal identified this tendency while setting up EarlySalary, a FinTech startup claiming to give you short-term personal loans for the interest rate at the price of a beer which was then Rs 128.

The idea was not met with enthusiasm and faced as many as 127 rejections from investors. But once off the ground, Fibe offered loans up to Rs 1 lakh to salaried professionals. It also introduced Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Plans in edtech, travel, insurance, and school fees for patrons of the app.

The company now offers a numberless Axis Bank Credit Card and is valued at $350 million, as of 2022. It also offers unsecured personal loans of up to Rs 10 lakhs and claims to have 2.1 million users.

Having successfully co-founded FirstCry, in 2015, Amitava Saha branched out to create Xpressbees, a B2B, B2C, Cross Border & 3PL Logistic Service Provider.

A tech-enabled logistics platform, it offers services to e-commerce platforms across the country. It is associated with brands like Flipkart, ICICI Bank, TATA Cliq, Schneider Electric, and many others.

The Indian logistics market is booming with an approximated value of $250 billion in 2021, estimated to row by $380 billion by 2025. The growth corresponds with new-age courier and delivery companies and startups that are fuelled by cutting-edge technology.