Gurgaon witnessed a rare electric charge on July 26 as Crowwd, one of India’s fastest-growing finance platforms, unleashed Arthavaad, an invite-only collision of investors, analysts, founders and students that broke past the usual startup buzzwords. With over 200 handpicked minds in the room, the evening pivoted around raw insights, real talk and razor-sharp reflections on what it truly takes to build in a capital-hungry world. Attendees weren’t just passive listeners but active participants in a movement blending finance, strategy and storytelling.
Crowwd’s co-founder and CEO, Ajitesh, kicked things off with a high-voltage account of the platform’s climb. From its roots at Imperial College London to testing the waters in Europe, Crowwd took the long route before doubling down on India’s growing appetite for verified financial content. With more than 12,000 app downloads and a rare 50 percent monthly active user rate, the startup’s traction isn’t just promising; it’s proof that finance is no longer reserved for the privileged few. Backed by HEXA and 24 investors, Crowwd is riding the momentum of a verified community that now crosses 10,000 users.
The theme for this edition, “Building 101: Secrets Leaders Won’t Share Twice,” delivered exactly what it promised. Somya Satsangi, a name that commands weight in both boardrooms and investor circles, delivered a gripping session on leadership and self-worth. Her voice cut through the noise when she said, “Money is combustible. If you don’t manage it, it vanishes.” She stressed the power of small, repeatable habits like reading the newspaper daily. But what lit up the room was her insistence on embracing multiplicity, revealing how she balances board duties at Dr. Lal Path Labs with painting as a form of expression. It was a rare moment of vulnerability that elevated the evening beyond numbers.
Equally compelling was Richa Rai, Managing Director of Heritage Hospitals, who returned from Columbia University to build a bootstrapped medical empire in Banaras. Her session echoed the gritty undertone of the night — that results precede recognition. She argued that trust, both personal and professional, is earned through consistent execution, not optics. Her advice to entrepreneurs was blunt yet effective: don’t blow your budget on marketing until your product is battle-tested and your internal systems can survive scale. Her words resonated with early-stage founders who often burn capital chasing vanity metrics.
The evening’s energy intensified as structured speeches gave way to a charged networking segment. Students from institutions like LSR, JMC and Motilal Nehru rubbed shoulders with seasoned SEBI analysts and founders. Conversations overflowed into hallways, with breakout groups forming organically around shared ideas. Many described the vibe not as a conference but as a catalyst. First-time attendees swapped LinkedIns, pitch decks and playbooks like currency, reinforcing that India’s new financial ecosystem is peer-led, not gatekept.
Closing the night with a twist, Ajitesh dropped a major announcement: the launch of The Traders’ Cup in partnership with the International Finance Students Association, the world’s largest finance community. Scheduled for August, the competition is expected to draw over 7,000 participants from India and abroad. With it, Crowwd is projecting a 30 percent surge in new user signups, setting the stage for another leap in scale. The crowd responded with a mix of applause and urgency, already discussing sign-up strategies before the lights dimmed.
More than an event, Arthavaad felt like a signal that a quiet finance-first revolution is underway, and it’s being led by voices the world hasn’t heard enough from yet. In an ecosystem obsessed with valuation and virality, Crowwd is flipping the script by betting on credibility, compound learning and community. Gurgaon won’t forget this night anytime soon, and neither will the industry watching closely as Crowwd rewires what Indian finance can look and sound like.
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