In recent decades, India has become a thriving hub of women entrepreneurs, who continue to showcase their remarkable contribution to the business world. There are so many names on the list of successful women entrepreneurs in India, but as we all know, there are some visionaries, who deserve a separate mention from the rest. From Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (Biocon), Indra Nooyi (former CEO of PepsiCo) to Falguni Nayar (Nykaa) and many more, the list of self-made women entrepreneurs is endless.
One name that often gets the attention of so many aspiring entrepreneurs in India is Upasana Taku. The reason behind it is the fact that Upasana is one of the few women entrepreneurs, who is leading the fintech market currently.
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In the last few decades, Upasana has not only dominated the fintech industry with her company, MobiKwik but has also proved the mettle of her entrepreneurial brilliance. However, every aspiring entrepreneur needs to know a series of unknown facts about Upasana Taku’s entrepreneurial journey. So without further ado, let’s get straight into it!
Not many details about Upasana Taku’s parents are available on the internet. However, as per multiple reports, Upasana’s father is a physics professor, while her mother is a musician. Growing up, Upasana and her family resided in Africa, where her father worked as a professor at the University of Asmara in Eritrea. However, it was in 2009 when they made the decision to return to India, and it indeed made a big shift in Upasana's life, setting up the stage for her entrepreneurial journey.
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The background details of Upasana Taku aren’t available on the public platform. However, as per multiple reports, she completed her schooling in Surat before pursuing an engineering degree at the prestigious National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar. After graduating with a specialisation in Industrial Engineering, she further pursued her passion by obtaining an MS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University in the United States.
The esteemed entrepreneur, Upasana Taku’s educational qualifications were enough to impress the famous financial services company, HSBC, in San Diego. Afterwards, during her time at the world-famous organisation, PayPal, Upasana excelled in various areas such as marketing, outreach, forecasting, and market research. As the United States underwent a transformative business landscape, Upasana Taku joined PayPal, leaving HSBC behind after gaining a lot of experience.
Upasana Taku’s time at PayPal exposed her to payment systems across America, Europe, and Asia. It was a turning point in her life as she entered the digital payments web. Not only this, but Upasana also expanded her expertise in risk detection, fraud management, user experience, and design. During her time at PayPal, Upasana also grabbed as much knowledge about the tactics used in financial services, which later on played a huge role when she decided to open her own company.
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It was back in 2009 when despite enjoying a comfortable corporate life and achieving substantial success through high-impact projects, Upasana Taku took the biggest decision of her life. The entrepreneur felt that the work she was doing at PayPal was becoming too mundane and also lacked the challenge she craved in her career. At that time, Upasana got driven by the desire to contribute to India's startup ecosystem. Thus, she made the pivotal decision to return to her homeland. After multiple discussions with her known ones, it was in 2009 when Upasana finally returned to India in order to jump into the jungle of Indian startups.
One of the prime reasons why Upasana Taku decided to come back to India was that she observed the absence of digital wallets in India. While in foreign countries, PayPal was widely used, no one was aware of it in India. Thus, it was a perfect opportunity for Upasana to bring digital payments to India, leading the way towards a cashless society.
After returning to India, destiny brought Upasana Taku and Bipin Preet Singh together after they met during a play. After a few meetings, they started feeling some sort of connection and reportedly started dating like any couple in the world. It was in 2011 when Bipin and Upasana got married, taking their relationship to a whole new level.
During this time, Bipin Preet Singh opened up about his idea of MobiKwik to Upasana Taku. The former admitted that he was feeling dissatisfied with his then-job but was confused about whether to take the risk or not, as the responsibility of supporting his family burdened him. At that time, it was Upasana, who provided him with the unwavering support and confidence to take the leap of faith.
After a series of discussions between Upasana Taku and Bipin Preet Singh, it was in 2009 when the latter officially launched the startup, MobiKwik, with Upasana. The couple embarked on their entrepreneurial endeavour together, and as expected, a lot of people were against their decision. However, after years of hard work, Upasana and Bipin have made their company one of the biggest names in the Indian fintech industry. If the reports are to be believed, Upasana’s MobiKwik is worth Rs. 8000 crores.
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Once in an interview with BusinessToday.in, Upasana Taku opened up about the time when she was asked about her marital status during pitch meetings. The entrepreneur revealed how she was asked to reveal and explain why she was unmarried at the age of 30.
Unfolding more truths about the way women entrepreneurs are treated in the country, Upasana Taku also added that people and investors often confuse her as her husband, Bipin Preet Singh’s assistant. The entrepreneur admitted that she had fulfilled all the responsibilities of a co-founder, yet people used to think of her as her husband’s assistant. She said:
"I was asked questions on my marital status, why I am unmarried at 30 and how many kids I have during these pitch meetings. People would confuse me with Bipin's (Upasana's husband and Mobikwik CEO) assistant and not as a company co-founder. The new hires would question whether they have to report to me or a male manager. I have been clear in my communication from day one. I supervise various departments and the work will be monitored by me."
From leaving a high-paying job in one of the biggest fintech companies in the world to returning back to her roots in India and setting up a brand like MobiKwik with her husband, there’s no shadow of a doubt in saying that Upasana Taku’s entrepreneurial journey is nothing less than a movie. Such inspiration!
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