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Razorpay’s Bold Step: Empowering India’s Entrepreneurs

In a season filled with celebrity appearances, catchy jingles, and brand overselling, Razorpay took an unexpected route. The company transformed its substantial IPL advertisement investment into a platform for 37 startups.

The brand’s #BackingIndiasBoldest initiative utilized its precious airtime to showcase the most dynamic founders in India, telling their stories through elegant black-and-white films, narrated by the entrepreneurs themselves. The focus was not on product promotion. There were no corporate features. It was all about genuine storytelling with the founders at the forefront.

This was more than just an advertising campaign; it was a transformative movement.

The concept was surprisingly straightforward: What if Razorpay dedicated its IPL airtime not to its own services like payments, banking, payroll, or credit but instead highlighted the courageous businesses built using those very resources?

Staying true to its founder-first ethos, Razorpay aimed to uplift entrepreneurs, admire their journeys, and position them as the heroes. This initiative granted these founders national exposure, allowing them to inspire others with their stories.

Apuarv Sethi, CMO of Razorpay, indicated that this question ignited the entire project. He noted that these individuals tackle challenging issues, create job opportunities, and forge the future. As a brand designed to support their ventures, it was only fitting to give them a voice.

As a result, Razorpay spotlighted notable founders from companies such as Mamaearth, OYO, The Whole Truth Foods, Blissclub, and Nish Hair, with each ad focusing on a single entrepreneur. The advertisements were straightforward, direct, and exceptionally personal—no extravagant animations, just founders sharing their motivations and experiences.

The campaign included founders from startups like Mamaearth, OYO, Blissclub, Nish Hair, and The Whole Truth Foods. Each film maintained a personal tone, devoid of commercialism. No actors, no jingles; just entrepreneurs sharing their narratives in black and white, in their own voices.

A Social Movement Emerges

The primary campaign ran during the IPL slots, but it didn’t stop there. What started as a storytelling venture swiftly evolved into a social movement. Numerous founders, both from Razorpay’s community and beyond, began to participate.

The Rize community, Razorpay’s network for early-stage founders, was also included, featuring over 75 bespoke films showcasing fresh voices. These were not mere advertisements; they became symbols of identity. Founders recognized their values, struggles, and goals represented on national television and across LinkedIn feeds.

Razorpay also introduced the AI-driven “Tribute Generator,” which allowed anyone to create and share a card praising a founder they admired. Within just weeks, over 250 nominations appeared on social platforms. A multitude of tribute cards emerged on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, as entrepreneurs began tagging one another, and supporters highlighted their favourite startup teams. Suddenly, the identity of a founder evolved from being commendable to aspirational.

Razorpay took a backseat in this movement, primarily acting as a supporter.

The Campaign’s Unique Tone

If there’s one element that distinguished this campaign, it was its tone. Rather than boasting about themselves, Razorpay emphasized “Look at them.” This narrative shift, which elevated the founders, resonated deeply.

“Behind every ambitious founder is a team, investors, friends, and family… and now, Razorpay,” was the sentiment conveyed in the launch ad. The brand positioned itself as a fan, rather than a sponsor.

The campaign embraced a philosophy of marketing by subtraction, eliminating self-promotion and allowing the mission to speak louder than the offering.

This movement did not go unnoticed. Government entities like MeitY Startup Hub, Assam Startup, and iStart Rajasthan publicly endorsed the initiative. Leading venture capital firms like Z47, Elevation Capital, Lightspeed, and Mars Shot Ventures amplified the campaign through their networks.

Sethi remarked that when venture capitalists, government officials, and ecosystem leaders engaged, it signified that something larger was unfolding. This was no longer just an advertising campaign; it had transformed into a movement that showcased the founder’s journey with authenticity, empathy, and unity.

The narrative filled LinkedIn feeds with appreciation posts, campaign highlights, and reaction videos, including one from entrepreneur and content creator Mrunal Panchal Sharma. Razorpay’s central message, ‘India requires new icons, and they are donning hoodies, not helmets’ gained traction.

Remarkable Outcomes

The results were astounding:

• Over 18 million social media impressions
• More than 404,000 engagements
• Participation from over 1,000 founders
• 75+ custom films from Razorpay Rize founders
• Over 250 tribute card nominations generated through the AI tool

More importantly, the startup community paid attention. Founders from Oatey, Anomaly, Typof Commerce, Prodloop, and many others shared their versions of the advertisement on LinkedIn. In many instances, it marked the first time early-stage founders were showcased on such a significant platform.

While typical IPL campaigns focus on metrics like cost-per-clicks and view-through rates, Razorpay assessed success in terms of how many founders felt acknowledged.

It is uncommon for a B2B brand to approach marketing as an art, or to view purpose as action. However, Razorpay did not merely attempt something audacious. It supported audacity itself.

This entailed allocating media space, crafting tailor-made scripts, and ensuring that brand-safe yet founder-focused films were created while orchestrating a comprehensive social media strategy. Their internal team operated akin to a creative agency, meticulously writing, producing, and curating every detail.

This IPL season provided a new marketing framework: trust your audience enough to focus on what matters to them, even if it means taking a step back.

Razorpay has always prioritised founders, a principle embedded in its DNA. Each product, feature, and improvement is designed with a single question in mind: will this assist a founder in building better, faster, and bolder? This philosophy was integral to the campaign.

Sethi mentioned that this initiative was not just a one-time effort—it represented the first of many bold moves aimed at celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit in India. Founders are constructing the country’s future, and they deserve to be recognised, heard, and celebrated widely. This is merely the beginning.

Instead of spending vast sums reminding people of its fintech solutions, Razorpay aimed to remind the nation of what startups embody: ambition, determination, and vision embodied in people.

The boldest step a brand can take… is to focus on anything but the brand itself.

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