EPISODE · Jun 7, 2026 · 22 MIN
Alankar Chandra CEO & Founder of Wild Voyager & Ilora Retreats on Leaving the Corporate World to Build an Experiential Travel Startup
from The Indian Startup Show · host Neil Patel
Turning Wanderlust into a Business. Can falling in love with a place completely change the trajectory of your life? For Alankar Chandra, a trip to the Masai Mara did exactly that. Today, I speak to Alankar Chandra, the CEO and Founder of Wild Voyager and Ilora Retreats. An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Alankar left his comfortable corporate job to pursue his true passions: wildlife and travel. In this episode, we discuss how he turned his hobby into a thriving experiential travel company, born out of a desire to rekindle a true sense of wonder through authentic adventures. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a travel enthusiast, Alankar’s journey from having zero background in the travel industry to building a successful business is packed with incredible insights. In this episode, we discuss: The Lightbulb Moment: How falling in love with the Masai Mara inspired him to leave the corporate world behind. Starting from Scratch: Navigating the industry without a travel background and treating the first year as a "discovery phase." Building the Business: Effective marketing strategies, getting early customers, and lessons learned from what didn't work. Team Dynamics: The challenges of hiring and retaining great staff. Founder Life: What a typical day looks like and the realities of being a solo founder. The Travel Industry: Dealing with competition, prioritizing sustainability in tourism, and exciting expeditions like tracking snow leopards. What's Next: Exciting future plans for Wild Voyager and Ilora Retreats. Please enjoy the show! Links https://www.wildvoyager.com/ The Indian Startup Show is hosted and produced by Neil PatelConnect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilpatel2/If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.Listen and Subscribe to More Episodeshttps://www.indianstartupshow.com/Music by Punch Deck.https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV
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Turning Wanderlust into a Business. Can falling in love with a place completely change the trajectory of your life? For Alankar Chandra, a trip to the Masai Mara did exactly that. Today, I speak to Alankar Chandra, the CEO and Founder of Wild Voyager and Ilora Retreats. An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Alankar left his comfortable corporate job to pursue his true passions: wildlife and travel. In this episode, we discuss how he turned his hobby into a thriving experiential travel company, born out of a desire to rekindle a true sense of wonder through authentic adventures. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a travel enthusiast, Alankar’s journey from having zero background in the travel industry to building a successful business is packed with incredible insights. Beyond entrepreneurship, Alankar is involved in wildlife conservation and in speaking engagements at business schools and industry forums. He is passionate about startups—listening to their stories and investing in those he feels strongly about. He spends his time shuttling between Kenya, India, the USA, and wherever adventure calls.
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Alankar Chandra CEO & Founder of Wild Voyager & Ilora Retreats on Leaving the Corporate World to Build an Experiential Travel Startup
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