Not all life stories end with achieving the highest score or successfully passing entrance exams. Sometimes life offers unexpected paths. This is the story of Kuldeep Rathore, who, despite failing the JEE, did not give up and became a successful startup founder.
After Kuldeep was unable to pass JEE Advanced, he took a year off, and his journey continued in a new, exciting direction. In September 2023, he enrolled in the Data Science undergraduate program at Madras IIT. The flexible format of this online course allowed him to combine his studies with starting an entrepreneurial venture.
Kuldeep experimented in various sectors, including manufacturing, quick commerce, and fashion. His latest initiative, 'SamanNow', recently attracted funding of $1.1 million (equivalent to approximately 90 million rupees) in a pre-seed round. These funds were secured from major venture capital firms such as Antler, Titan Capital, and All In Capital.
In May 2024, Kuldeep, along with his co-founder, launched 'Zodok' in Pune, a fast-commerce startup focused on fashion. Initially, both founders rented an apartment near the Zepto dark store, built a website themselves, and managed operations to ensure fast delivery of goods to customers. Thanks to these efforts, 'Zodok' began receiving about 100 orders daily, and over 10,000 people joined as users. Later, this startup was acquired by KNOT, which allowed Kuldeep to deepen his experience in e-commerce and business operations.
After the acquisition, Kuldeep joined 'KNOT' as an entrepreneur-in-residence. He gained the opportunity to study the Indian manufacturing and SME ecosystem in detail. He developed a supply chain with over 100 manufacturers from Surat, Delhi-NCR, and China, and also helped launch two private brands that achieved a 90% sales rate.
Building on this experience, Kuldeep founded 'SamanNow'. This startup is a value-oriented quick commerce service focusing on delivering daily necessities within 60 minutes in second and third-tier cities. The project aims to simplify and lower the cost of purchasing in developing urban markets outside of megacities.
Kuldeep explains his success through the flexible Madras IIT program, which gave him the freedom to pursue his business dreams parallel to his studies. His story serves as an important lesson for students disappointed by exam results. Kuldeep's journey demonstrates that one exam does not define a person's destiny; with perseverance, practical experience, and hard work, new doors to success can open that one previously did not know existed.