TV
Subrat Kar, founder of MotorFloor and Arvind Pani, co-founder of Riverie Language Technologies shared their entrepreneurial journey at the OTV Foresight 2025 event in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of risk-taking and a new mindset to take Odisha to new heights.
During their interaction, the two shared significant challenges in the Indian ecosystem and how the concept of startups was virtually nonexistent when they started.
“When I started, the word ‘startup’ didn’t even exist in our vocabulary. Families fear failure as 99% of ventures collapse. Convincing my parents was harder than building products,” stated Subrat Kar.
“I have a younger brother. From tender days, we always dreamt of making something big in life. He is now my co-founder. I have a discovery mindset which means when we plan to start something, we cannot keep thinking about what will happen in the future. We should instead take the first step and things will soon fall in place,” said Arvind Pani.
The Odisha Mindset: Take Risks
In his interaction, the entrepreneurs also urged young entrepreneurs to start early. “At 23, I had no family liabilities or societal pressure. Now at 33, with mortgages and expectations, risks feel heavier,” said Subrat Kar.
As a bit of advice, they asked the youth to begin right away. The biggest advantage that today’s youth has, according to Kar, is no family liability and hence, the added benefit of taking risks.
Similarly, Pani highlighted how the right time to start would be now. Regardless of the outcome, taking leaps with the aim to succeed should become the new mindset.
Subrat Kar: Lessons from a Small-Town Entrepreneur
MotorFloor founder Subrat Kar shared how his entrepreneurial journey defied societal norms. Coming from a modest background, Kar had to first convince himself and then his family to take the leap into the unknown world of startups.
Additionally, his latest venture, MotorFloor, is an online marketplace for commercial vehicles that connects buyers and sellers while offering financing and expert guidance. Kar believes Odisha’s young entrepreneurs must leverage their early years to build and innovate fearlessly.
ALSO READ: Odisha announces exclusive industrial park and special cell for women entrepreneurs
Arvind Pani: Take the First Step, Clarity Will Follow
Arvind Pani, co-founder of Reverie Language Technologies, echoed Kar’s sentiments. “If we wait for perfect clarity, we’ll never start. The first step is the hardest, but once you take it, the journey shapes itself,” he said.
Pani’s startup began with a vision to bridge India’s digital language divide. Eventually, Reverie now powers multilingual content for businesses and government services, proving that starting small can lead to large-scale impact.
A New Era for Odisha’s Startup Ecosystem:
Both Kar and Pani emphasized that Odisha’s startup ecosystem is still in its early stages, but the potential is immense. The key takeaways would be to take calculated risks, build resilience, and focus on problem-solving.
ALSO READ: Utkarsh Odisha: Meet 13-year-old entrepreneur Ayushman Nanda, know about his start-ups
With the right mindset and support, Odisha’s entrepreneurs can drive innovation and put the state on India’s startup map, they opined.
