Don’t just strive to create impact. Sometimes, try to change the world.

‘Torchit’, Hunny’s startup, has won over 40 international awards for social impact and innovation. For many entrepreneurs, that number may seem daunting, but Hunny ironed out his whole journey for us to see that this feat can very well be achievable by budding entrepreneurs out there. “You just have to have a clear purpose, the drive to create change and apply some hacks to take your business to the next level.”

Hunny met us at the first Goa edition after the pandemic.

His journey began with a reality check.

When he worked on his first internship in college, he got the opportunity to work with a blind school and realised how many of us take so many things for granted in our lives. “I saw someone getting stitches as I entered on the first day. On knowing the reason, I was shocked to learn that it’s very common for the visually impaired to get into accidents while navigating their way.”

As an engineering student, he instantly knew that this problem was solvable with the help of tech.

That was where ‘Saarthi’ was born. An easy-to-use, affordable device that detects obstacles and alerts the user while they navigate their way.

It is usually said, that creating the simplest of things takes the most work. At the edition, we learnt from him how this product won them so much recognition, even from the government. He shared a simple hack -

“Make products that fit into someone’s routine because nobody is going to change their way of living to use your product.”

He did exactly that while creating this revolutionary device. While other products like these cost over INR 20,000, Saarthi is priced 5 times less.

There’s been no looking back after the success that lead them to Shark Tank. They have gone ahead and launched many more products for differently-abled people: from devices for the hearing impaired to products that help with mobility.

Currently, they’re working on smart glasses, taking it up a few notches, that will tell the user what’s in front of them and help them hear what they cannot see.

Hunny let us in on his secret to the rapid scaling up they did last year, “The time we had in hand during the pandemic led us to do immense research and development. Our goal was to and still is to make the world more accessible for the differently-abled.”

It is widely believed that do-good companies should cut back on profits in order to provide low-cost products to reach a larger audience. However, Hunny has a different approach. He believes that it’s important for even social impact-driven businesses to make profits.

“The more money you make, the more you can pump it back into the business and bring costs down in the longer run. That’s how you make your products affordable and more accessible over time. The ultimate strategy to create ultimate impact.”

He also let us in a few more of his success secrets: “It is also important that people trust your company. We built Saarthi for the blind, by the blind. One can also partner with NGOs and philanthropists to reach more users. In this way, your profit margins don’t have to change and you’re creating impact as well.”

Millennial business owners have time and again proven how vital it is for them to address social and environmental problems through their efforts. Whether it is contributing to the larger good through their actions, innovating products that address social issues or uplifting a community of people. BHX Goa saw Hunny Bhagchandani do it all.

“If you’re an entrepreneur, you are already creating impact. Focus on how you can bring about change in this world, and keep at it.”