This journey of transformation for Puneet Gupta began after a series of professional setbacks that would eventually lead him to found an app empire that connects over 1600 astrologers to thousands daily.

What to know: A self-proclaimed non-believer, Gupta's scepticism towards astrology was deep-rooted. Brought up in a middle-class family in Punjab, his initial foray into the tech world saw him quitting his stable job at Nomura to chase entrepreneurial dreams, which unfortunately didn't take off as expected.

Struggling to make ends meet, Gupta faced rejection after rejection, a situation worsened by a gap year on his resume. It was only after an old colleague at BNP Paribas, where Gupta had to accept a pay cut, suggested he consult his astrological chart that his perspective began to shift.

The colleague, a developer with a side interest in astrology, offered insights that seemed coincidentally accurate, predicting personal past events and professional futures with eerie precision.

Despite his initial resistance, Gupta found the predictions hard to ignore, especially when they began to manifest in reality. This unexpected encounter led him to pivot from a failing IT services venture to founding Astrotalk in October 2017.

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Astrotalk started as a simple MVP (minimum viable product) developed in just a month but quickly grew to become a market leader by connecting users with reputable astrologers via audio calls and chat, offering free initial consultations. Gupta's business strategy was simple yet effective: operate with transparency and honesty.

Fast-forward: Today, Astrotalk is not just a business but a bustling community where thousands, including international users, seek daily astrological advice. Puneet has hired expert astrologers adding to a network of more than 1600 astrologers connected to him.

After the pandemic, his startup received a fantastic reception. Currently, the startup brings in more than ₹30 lakh every day. Each day, around 55,000 individuals access his app with more than 5,000 daily paying clients on the platform.

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