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Rajdip Gupta left his job at IBM in the UK to return to India and pursue a new venture. At the time, in the early 2000s, India’s startup ecosystem was still in its infancy. The recent dotcom crash had left many skeptical about the viability of tech startups. But Rajdip trusted his instincts—and he saw a clear opportunity in the rapidly growing mobile market.
He identified a significant gap in emerging markets, where mobile phone usage lagged behind that of developed countries. The main barrier? High costs that made mobile communication less accessible and affordable. Determined to change that, Rajdip founded Route Mobile, a company focused on building tailored communication solutions designed specifically for the needs of emerging markets.
Today, Route Mobile has grown into a leading global CPaaS provider. In 2023 Route Mobile was acquired by Proximus Group. In late 2024, Route Mobile was combined with the strengths of BICS and Telesign as a new corporate entity, Proximus Global, with a mission to transform digital communications and digital identity. Gupta’s entrepreneurial grit and determination led the company to success.
Editor’s note: This is the twenty-second in a series of guest posts where people from all walks of life share their best advice in times like these. A big thanks to the leaders who volunteered to share their life experiences. Reflection on the past is a deeply personal exercise. The willingness to share it with the world, especially in the written form, is a commendable act of vulnerability. For this alone, they have my deepest gratitude.
My Best Advice
Scale sensibly
My mantra for founders is simple: Scale, Sensibility, and Sustainability—the 3S. It’s about identifying the right markets without falling into the trap of burning cash or making impulsive hiring and firing decisions. For the past 20 years, we’ve remained profitable, and we intend to keep it that way. At the start, we were laser-focused on reinvesting heavily in the company. For almost 12 years, I did not take a salary as every single penny we made was put back into the company.
Don’t rush into VC Funding
Sometimes, early VC money can be a distraction. While VCs can provide great connections, guidance, and a faster pace of growth, they require a lot of time and energy from the company. My approach to growing Route Mobile was to focus on profitability and emphasise rapid decision-making. This meant the early phases of growth were not the right time for VC backing.
Create more leaders
As a founder, it can be tough receiving guidance from team members. Especially when you are building something from scratch and know exactly how every part of the business works. But it is important to surround yourself with leaders and nurture people within your team who can provide you with a new perspective and even challenge you at times. I am incredibly proud of the people at Route Mobile who can take every challenge and build the company to the next level.
