Amit Jain CarDekho Founder – Navigating the Automotive Industry with Innovation & Tech

Amit Jain CarDekho

Amit Jain, the founder of CarDekho.com – a full stack auto-tech platform – has recently gained popularity as a new shark on the hit reality TV show Shark Tank India. Jain’s journey to the top was not easy, as he and his company faced many challenges along the way. Despite this, the team at CarDekho persisted and bootstrapped for seven years. This hard work paid off as the company became profitable and in 2013, they secured $15 million in Series-A funding, allowing them to grow even further. Today, CarDekho is a successful unicorn with a valuation of $1.2 billion.

Amit Jain Education and Early Life

Amit Jain came from a middle-class family in Jaipur. His mother, Nilma Jain, is a homemaker, while his father, Late Prashant Jain, worked at the Reserve Bank of India and was also involved in the gemstone business. Even though his father was an astrologer, he couldn’t remotely predict his son’s immense success.

He spent his childhood and teenage years in India as he completed his primary and secondary education in Jaipur and then shifted to Delhi for his graduation from the prestigious IIT Delhi. His interest in the field and pursuing an education among the crème de la crème of the country shaped him into a budding professional who went on to soar to new heights.

He also has a younger brother, Anurag Jain, who works with him as the COO and co-founder of the CarDekho Group, and his wife, Pihu Jain, is the leader of the Girnar Foundation. 

Amit Jain Career

In 2000, Amit began working as a Software Engineer at Tata Consultancy Services. He then spent over six years at Trilogy in roles including Senior Associate, Delivery Manager, and Product Manager.

In 2007, Amit and his brother Anurag Jain co-founded GirnarSoft to start a business in their hometown. The following year, they co-founded CarDekho.com, now the flagship portal of GirnarSoft. It began as a simple portal for new cars but has now evolved into a complete ecosystem that offers a one-stop solution for auto buyers and sellers. The company covers new cars, used cars, finance, and insurance. With the support of a dedicated team, CarDekho has significantly expanded its footprint. The New Auto Business under the CarDekho Group is a market leader and works with all major OEMs and over 3500 new car dealerships in India. The used auto business is also one of the fastest-growing players in the industry, trading used cars in 20+ markets.

He hit several bumps in his career while establishing the CarDekho group but great success never comes easy. Perhaps, his mantra to success was believing in hardworking people. Despite these difficulties, the CarDekho group achieved phenomenal success due to its commitment to the growth of hardworking people. When asked about his preferences, he proudly stated, “Banda before Dhanda.” 

Apart from CarDekho, Amit Jain founded start-ups with similar domain names in various fields, such as BikeDekho in 2009, PriceDekho in 2012, CollegeDekho in 2015, and InsuranceDekho in 2016.

He has also shown his innovative side in business by establishing an exclusive car mall in Jaipur, which is a whole new way for people in India to shop for used cars, where customers can check out vehicles and book test drives online.

Future Plans

His businesses have quickly grown in recent years, and he has captured a sizable portion of the South Asian market. His regular appearance on Shark Tank Season 2 will further boost his and his company’s presence in the automobile space as a messiah who revolutionized the process of purchasing vehicles for the Indian market.

Today CarDekho co-founder Amit Jain’s net worth has reached a whopping INR 29.8 Billion. His plans to expand all his companies to Southeast Asia and Europe will be a significant achievement not just for his company but for the entire country as a whole, as he puts India on the map as a valuable contributor to the automobile industry.

As market dynamics in the global automotive industry witness exponential growth, India’s automotive industry has been growing just as much. Middle-class incomes now have been contributing to a higher demand for automobiles helping India surpass Japan to become the third-largest auto market globally. With all positive signs and a growth curve that is only going upwards, the only direction that CarDekho is going to take is to the top.