8 Successful Startups With Interesting Desi Names

Desiness is something that is deeply ingrained inside all of us. As you must have heard, “You can take the Indian out of India, but cannot take India out the Indian.” And this is reflected in our choice of brand names. What we choose to call our companies truly follows the slogan, “Dil se desi.”

Some companies have hit the bullseye when it comes to choosing a name for their company. By connecting with the desi inside all of us, they have hit home the points that their brands were trying to make.

Here are 8 best desi brand names that absolutely killed it and made us fall in love with them right away.

1. MyUpchar

As the name suggests, the company’s business model is Upchar, or healthcare-related. Upchar means nursing or taking care of the sick. MyUpchar is a brand that provides free consultations to people who don’t have access to proper healthcare, along with the facility to book online lab tests and buy medicines.

It also makes available informational content in various regional languages. The idea is to reach people beyond the tier I and metro cities, and give them equal access to healthcare, as is available in tier I cities and metros.

Since the target segment was mostly people in rural areas, it was vital for the business to choose a name that would instantly connect with its users. And MyUpchar absolutely hit the nail on the head, with its audiences developing the right perception and easily adopting the platform.

2. ClearDekho

What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “Clear Dekho”? The literal meaning is to see clearly, which is obviously a name for an eyewear company. Launched as a budget brand for all things eye-related, by Shivi Singh and Saurabh Dayal, the brand was successful in establishing a connection with their customers due to their innovative and to-the-point company name.

The target segment for the company is the millions of people in rural areas, in addition to the middle-class community in urban areas. If a brand speaks to these audiences, they are quick to adopt it and very likely to stay loyal, as long as it fits their budget. And ClearDekho does exactly that. While making eyewear affordable across the country, the brand encourages its customers to see the world clearly, or as they say, “Clear Dekho.”

3. CarDekho

CarDekho- a simple name that instantly conveys that the business is related to the sale of cars. Started initially from a small home office, the brand has now grown into a million-dollar company.

CarDekho found a problem and offered a solution. The problem that customers faced when wanting to buy a car, and the solution of connecting them with multiple dealers on a single platform. This simple solution translated into success for their business and they are one of the most coveted companies in the market today.

4. Food Darzee

Food Darzee is an Indian startup that has tapped into the requirement of a healthy diet. Everyone is interested in losing weight these days. And by providing a tailor-made keto diet to each subscriber, the company is helping its users shed those extra kilos.

What do you understand when you hear the brand name Food Darzee? Isn’t it too obvious? But that’s the beauty of it. ‘Darzee’ is desi for a tailor, and a food darzee is someone who tailors your food. Wecouldn’t think of a better-suited name for this business model!

5. PolicyBazaar

Insurance policy shopping used to be a tedious task. Looking through various company websites, trying to find the right policy suited to your needs used to be exhausting.

But the genius of co-founder Yashish Dahiya gave us PolicyBazaar, where you can compare insurance policies from various different companies on a single platform, before making a purchase decision. It is exactly what its name suggests – a bazaar for policies. How innovative and effective! One of our favourite brand names for sure!

6. Delhivery

This is wordplay at its best. You can instantly connect a brand that sounds like ‘delivery’ to be associated with logistics. Founded by Mohit Tandon, Suraj Sharan, and Sahil Barua, Delhivery aims to disrupt the supply chain segment in India.

Currently operational in more than 600 cities, Delhivery is on the path to becoming one of the most successful unicorns in the country. We’re not a big fan of the fact that a nationwide logistics company limited itself to a city in its brand name. It’s still a unique and innovative name nonetheless, that totally justifies the business model of the company.

7. Gharpay

A doorstep cash payment network, Gharpay literally conveys through its brand name that its a payments related company that allows you to transact from the comfort of your home. The only organized player in this segment, Gharpay is an exclusively cash payment collection network, eliminating the need to rely on courier services for the same.
Gharpay sounds like ‘gharpe’, which means at home. Whoever thought of the name is a true genius, playing on the two words that sound the same, but have two very different, yet relevant meanings- ‘Pe’ and ‘Pay’.

8. PagalGuy

PagalGuy has been around for the longest time and is an online forum for MBA aspirants. With a monthly traffic of over 7,00,000, it’s one of the most successful companies in this sector.

Pagal Guy means “A mad boy”. This name is apt for those seeking an MBA degree, as they are crazy about MBA preparations. It’s one of the funniest names in our list and also one of our favourites. Each and every person preparing for an MBA truly is a ‘PagalGuy.’
Final Thoughts- Desi Brand Names

Desi brand names are not essential for the success of your company. But they do play a pivotal role in striking a chord with your audiences. If you’re aiming to spread your business across the country, try to keep the name a little more generic and not limited to a particular geography.

You can opt for more global brand names if you plan on expanding your business beyond the country in the future. But if Indians are your target segment, bring out your desiness and whip up a quirky desi names; your customers will surely connect with you the minute they hear about you.