Happy Friendship Day 2025: From Zepto to Ola, THESE 5 big 'popular' businesses were born out of college friendships

1.Meesho

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In 2015, Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, both IIT Delhi alums, established Meesho in a small two-bedroom Bengaluru flat. A four-story office has grown out of what started as a dining table arrangement. Their mobile-first social commerce platform, which even secured Facebook's first-ever investment in an Indian startup, allows small businesses through Facebook and WhatsApp.

2.Ola

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Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, who were classmates at IIT Mumbai, started Ola Trips before founding Ola in 2010. They switched to ride-hailing services after realising there was an increasing demand for taxi reservations. Top investors like SoftBank and Ratan Tata now support Ola, which was run by Bhavish while Ankit developed the platform.

3.Zomato

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After observing long lines for dishes at their workplace cafeteria, Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah, both IIT Delhi graduates, founded Zomato. The company that started out as FoodieBay in 2008 changed its name to Zomato in 2010. With deliveries in 500 Indian cities and a fast national expansion, the platform has now developed into a foodtech unicorn.

4.Practo

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While still in college, NIT Karnataka classmates Shashank ND and Abhinav Lal founded Practo in 2008. The concept, which was first called Turbodoc.in, was inspired by Shashank's difficulties in keeping track of his father's medical records. Practo is a well-known health technology platform today, supported by major investors, and regarded as a promising 'Soonicorn' in the Indian startup scene.

5.Bewakoof

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After experimenting with T-shirt printing while in college, Prabhkiran Singh and Siddharth Munot, both graduates of IIT Bombay's civil engineering program, founded Bewakoof in April 2012. The brand began with just Rs 30,000 and expanded by selling oddball clothing and phone covers. Investors like Nikhil Vora, the former MD of IDFC Securities, and the founders of Snapdeal now support it.