Ravish Naresh stands as a prominent figure in India’s fintech landscape, best known as the co-founder and CEO of Khatabook, a revolutionary digital ledger app that has transformed how small and medium businesses manage their finances. Under his leadership, Khatabook has grown rapidly, empowering millions of merchants across India to transition from traditional bookkeeping to a seamless digital experience.
Ravish Naresh’s journey began with a strong academic foundation. He graduated from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) with a Bachelor of Technology degree. During his time at IIT, he engaged in various entrepreneurial projects such as Exambaba.com and Recharge123.com, which laid the groundwork for his future ventures. His early exposure to technology and startups helped shape his problem-solving mindset and passion for innovation.
Professional Background
Before founding Khatabook, Ravish gained valuable experience in the startup ecosystem as the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Housing.com, a leading real estate platform in India. His role at Housing.com honed his skills in scaling operations and managing complex business challenges. Additionally, Ravish completed internships at Citibank India, further broadening his understanding of financial systems and customer needs.
Founding Khatabook: The Vision and Mission
In 2018, Ravish Naresh, along with co-founders Ashish Sonone, Dhanesh Kumar, Jaideep Poonia, and Vaibhav Kalpe, launched Khatabook with a clear mission: to simplify bookkeeping for India’s vast micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Recognizing that many small merchants still relied on traditional, manual ledger books to track credit and payments, Ravish envisioned a digital solution that was easy to use, accessible, and free.
Khatabook’s core offering is a mobile app that allows merchants to digitally record transactions, send payment reminders, and track their accounts in multiple regional languages. This approach modernized bookkeeping and supported India’s broader push toward digital payments and financial inclusion.
Growth and Impact
Under Ravish’s leadership, Khatabook quickly gained traction. The app has been downloaded over 50 million times and serves more than 20 million registered users across 5,000+ cities in India. It supports 12 languages, making it accessible to a diverse user base. By focusing on the specific needs of merchants in Bharat (India’s heartland), Khatabook has become an indispensable tool for the MSME sector, which contributes significantly to the Indian economy.
Khatabook’s success is also reflected in its funding journey. The company has raised approximately $186.7 million from top-tier investors such as Sequoia India, DST Global, Tencent, and others. In 2021, it secured $100 million in a Series C round, valuing the company at around $600 million. This capital has enabled Khatabook to expand its product suite, including offerings like Pagarkhata for staff and salary management and MyStore, a digital storefront solution for merchants to establish an online presence quickly.
Leadership Style and Vision
Ravish Naresh is known for his hands-on leadership and deep understanding of the challenges faced by small business owners. He emphasizes building products that are simple, relevant, and localized to meet the unique needs of Indian merchants. His vision extends beyond bookkeeping; he aims to create a comprehensive digital ecosystem that empowers MSMEs with financial services such as lending and insurance.
Strategic Partnerships and Brand Ambassadors
Khatabook’s growth was further accelerated by strategic partnerships and endorsements. Notably, former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni invested in the company and became its brand ambassador. Dhoni’s association brought credibility and widespread recognition, helping Khatabook reach a broader audience.
Contribution to Digital India and MSME Empowerment
Ravish Naresh’s work with Khatabook aligns closely with the Indian government’s Digital India initiative. By digitizing the traditionally manual bookkeeping process, Khatabook enables small merchants to participate actively in the digital economy. This shift enhances transparency, efficiency, and access to formal financial services, which are critical for the growth and sustainability of MSMEs.
Challenges and Future Outlook
Despite its impressive growth, Khatabook faces challenges typical of a fast-scaling startup, including intense competition in the fintech space and the need to maintain service quality while expanding. Ravish’s focus remains on innovation and customer-centric product development to navigate these challenges.
Looking ahead, Khatabook plans to deepen its financial services offerings, leveraging its vast user base to introduce credit, insurance, and other value-added services tailored to MSMEs. Ravish envisions Khatabook evolving into a full-stack financial platform that supports merchants throughout their business lifecycle.
Ravish Naresh’s journey from an IIT Bombay graduate to the CEO of one of India’s fastest-growing fintech startups exemplifies the power of innovation and vision in addressing real-world problems. Through Khatabook, he has democratized access to digital financial tools for millions of small businesses, driving India’s digital transformation and empowering the backbone of the economy—the MSME sector.
With strong leadership, strategic funding, and a clear mission, Ravish Naresh continues to steer Khatabook toward becoming a pivotal player in India’s entrepreneurial and financial ecosystem, making business simpler and more accessible for merchants across the country.
