How he Built India's LARGEST Trekking Business with NO Funding | Arjun Majumdar | Breakout Ep. 4

In this episode, we have Arjun Majumdar, Founder & CEO of Indiahikes, India's largest trekking organisation, for a conversation about what it actually takes to build a category-defining business without ever raising a single rupee of outside funding.We talk about why he spent ten years preparing before he ever called Indiahikes a business, how climate change is now forcing him to rebuild large parts of the operation, and why he has stayed completely allergic to VC funding from day one. In this conversation with Ashish Dutta, Creative Director at Marwadi University, Arjun shares the story of trekking with his father at age 8 across Kashmir, Ladakh, and Spiti, the lesson his father gave him as a child that business is the best way to express yourself creatively, and why he believes passion is overrated the moment your first electricity bill arrives.The conversation goes into how Indiahikes runs hundreds of trekkers across the country every day with no central supervision, the moment their most popular winter trek became so crowded that 2,000 people were standing in one Himalayan village on a single evening, and the origin story of Green Trails, the movement that has now picked up over 100 tonnes of litter from Indian mountain trails. He talks about the daily 6:30 AM ritual he has had with his co-founder Sandhya for over 12 years, why he is still asked at 53 whether he does this full-time, and the niche-in-the-gap principle behind every new trek they design. We end with practical advice for student entrepreneurs and a message to his 20-year-old self.Subscribe for more conversations like this.Powered by Marwadi University.Timestamps:0:00 - Trailer1:42 - From Hotel Management to The Himalayas3:55 - 10 Years of Preparation Before Indiahikes7:08 - Trekking With His Father at Age 813:10 - Why Passion Is Overrated15:41 - The Value System Behind Every Trek20:08 - How Indiahikes Picks Its Next Trek22:20 - Why He Said No to Every Investor24:25 - When 2,000 People Crowded His Best Trek26:40 - Green Trails and 100 Tonnes of Litter30:09 - The Science of How Trekking Heals You33:18 - Why He Doesn't Carry The Founder Pressure34:37 - The 6:30 AM Ritual With His Co-Founder36:01 - At 53, "Do You Do This Full-Time?"37:37 - The Niche In The Gap39:39 - Student Q&A: How Values Drive Consistency40:48 - Student Q&A: Why Business Is Less Risky Than You Think43:21 - Message To His 20-Year-Old SelfFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakout.mu/Connect with Arjun Majumdar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjun-majumdar-352782b/Follow IndiaHikes:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indiahikes/YouTube: Disclaimer: This video is intended for educational and informational purposes only. The opinions shared by the guest are their personal views. We do not intend to defame or harm any person, brand, product, or profession mentioned in the video. Our goal is to share real conversations that help people make better decisions.