Gujarat man leaves ₹3.5 Cr/year job in the US to launch a tech startup in India

In the past year, Bhashit Parikh and his dedicated team, including co-founders Nishit Shah and Salil Momin, have refined their expertise in platform engineering, cloud solutions, Kubernetes, and AWS, serving a diverse clientele that ranges from startups to large enterprises. They observed a pervasive challenge: businesses often pour substantial resources into developing in-house tools, only to be met with subpar outcomes.

One striking example is a five-year-old startup that invested two years and over $2 million in developing a Kubernetes platform with consultants, only to discover the process was overwhelmingly time-consuming and complicated.

To counter this widespread issue, the three co-founders conceptualized and developed a breakthrough solution: a tool that drastically simplifies the creation of a foundational platform. Equipped with advanced components like Service Mesh and ArgoCD for GitOps, this tool follows best-in-class security and architectural practices, allowing businesses to establish their platforms with minimal configuration effort.

While the tool does not tailor every component, it provides a robust starting point that can be customized as per specific requirements. Furthermore, it automates platform maintenance, including updates and security checks, which not only saves businesses significant time and resources but also ensures their platforms remain secure and up-to-date.

The Evolution of an Idea

The genesis of this innovative solution lies in Bhashit’s illustrious career in the U.S., where he served as a principal software architect, earning Rs 3.5 crore salary annually. Despite a successful and lucrative career, he felt a profound urge to return to India, reconnect with his roots, and contribute to his homeland.

In April last year, Bhashit made the bold move. He left Rs. 3.5 Cr/year job back in the US and moved to Vadodara, Gujarat—a city known for its rich cultural heritage but distant from India’s major tech hubs like Bangalore and Mumbai.

This move marked more than just a return home; it was the beginning of an idea that had been brewing for years. Through his extensive experience in the tech industry, Bhashit recognized a pressing need for automated, efficient platform solutions. Conversations with his co-founders Nishit and Salil, as well as other industry professionals, confirmed this need. Together, they envisioned a streamlined, automated solution that would minimize the resources required for platform development and maintenance.

Bhashit, Nishit, and Salil first crossed paths during their college years in Vidyanagar, where they pursued diplomas and shared aspirations for the future. After completing their higher education—Bhashit and Salil at North Maharashtra University and Nishit in Gujarat—the trio reunited to establish a consulting company in 2011.

Fueled by renewed enthusiasm, the three co-founders embarked on developing their platform in August of last year, financing the project through personal savings and consulting revenue, undeterred by their location in Vadodara.

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The Impact of the Platform

The platform developed by Notops is an all-encompassing solution designed to streamline and simplify infrastructure setup for businesses. It integrates several critical components that collectively create a robust, scalable, and secure environment with minimal configuration. The process starts with the creation of a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), complete with subnets across various availability zones and essential gateways for seamless networking.

“At its core, the platform deploys an AWS-managed Kubernetes cluster (EKS) with the latest version, enhanced by various add-ons for network management and disk handling,” explained Bhashit, co-founder at Notops, during a conversation with Startup Pedia.

Key components like Argo CD, a GitOps-based tool, and Istio, the leading service mesh, ensure that the platform remains adaptable and capable of managing complex traffic scenarios. The platform also integrates Karpenter, which automatically scales the cluster up or down based on traffic, optimizing resource usage.

Security is paramount, with AWS Secrets Manager integrated to securely manage credentials. Additionally, the platform offers DNS and TLS management, enabling businesses to set up a fully functional, secure website within 60 to 90 minutes. Beyond the initial setup, the platform ensures ongoing operations with regular updates and patches, maintaining peak performance and security.

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Early Progress

Notops embarked on its journey in January 2024, and within just 10 months, it has achieved remarkable milestones despite being in the early stages of product development. The company, founded and operated by a small yet exceptionally skilled team of three engineers, has chosen to remain bootstrapped, intentionally steering clear of VC funding to retain complete control over its vision and direction. This strategy allows the team to concentrate on perfecting the platform before launching it on a broader scale.

Bhashit shared during his conversation with Startup Pedia, “The product is currently in its release candidate stage and has already garnered interest from two companies—a local startup and a consulting firm—both of which are utilizing the platform to manage their Kubernetes clusters.”

This close collaboration with early adopters provides Notops with invaluable feedback to further refine the product. Although the platform is now publicly accessible, the team is intentionally pacing its market entry, ensuring every feature undergoes meticulous testing and any potential issues are promptly resolved.

In a market surprisingly devoid of direct competitors, Notops has carved out a unique niche. Leveraging their dual expertise in software and platform engineering, the three co-founders have effectively addressed complex challenges with speed and precision, distinguishing themselves in an area that demands a deep understanding of both domains.

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Cost Efficiency of Notops

Notops is revolutionizing the cost structure for both startups and enterprises with its platform, offering a highly affordable solution that significantly reduces expenses. Companies leveraging Notops' platform can achieve up to a 90% reduction in costs compared to traditional methods, including savings on human resources and opportunity costs.

For example, a recent project that would typically require five engineers working for six months was completed in just a couple of days by a single engineer using Notops' tool.

“Understanding the financial constraints of early-stage startups, we have intentionally kept the pricing low, ensuring that cost doesn’t become a barrier to adoption,” explained Bhashit in an interview with Startup Pedia.

This affordability, combined with the company's commitment to partnering with clients for additional support, positions Notops as an attractive option for businesses seeking to streamline their operations without compromising on quality. Despite offering impressive cost savings, Notops remains unwavering in its commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable service, making it an invaluable asset in an underserved market with few direct competitors.

Explaining the target audience, Bhashit added, “The product isn’t just for startups—though they’ll be the biggest beneficiaries—but it’s also designed to support any company looking to modernize their tech stack or transition to the cloud,” while in conversation with Startup Pedia.

Large enterprises, particularly those transitioning from self-hosted to cloud environments, stand to gain significantly from this solution. The company is committed to working closely with clients, offering not just the product but also professional services, including platform maintenance. With a three- to four-year roadmap and plans to expand beyond AWS to other cloud providers, this platform is poised to revolutionize how businesses manage their cloud infrastructure.

Strategic Vision and Future Goals

Notops is navigating its future with a clear focus on growth and customer success. While the company is not fixated on specific revenue targets during its early stages, its primary objective is to secure 50 customers by the end of this year, with an ambitious goal of expanding to 200 customers by the end of next year.

This aggressive growth plan underscores Notops’ vision of becoming an indispensable tool for startups at launch and for enterprises transitioning to the cloud.

Rather than prioritizing immediate financial returns, Notops is committed to customer success, working closely with clients to continuously refine and enhance its product. The company has already initiated marketing efforts through LinkedIn and direct outreach and plans to intensify these efforts by participating in key industry conferences such as Kubernetes and AWS events.

By engaging with a broader audience, both in India and internationally, Notops aims to fill a critical gap in the market for its innovative platform, ensuring it becomes the go-to solution for businesses seeking to streamline their cloud infrastructure.

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