Crowwd, India’s fast-growing finance-focused platform, hosted its flagship speaker and networking event Arthavaad on July 26th, bringing together SEBI-registered analysts, corporate leaders, student investors, and startup founders from across the country. Backed by HEXA and 24 investors, Crowwd has built a verified and thriving community of over 10,000 finance professionals and learners. The event was supported by prominent sponsors including HDFC Bank, Anisha Fincap, Race Eco Chain, Startup Times, and Startup News.fyi.
The theme of this edition was “Building 101: Secrets Leaders Won’t Share Twice”, and it brought to the forefront honest, raw, and insightful conversations about money, leadership, and the challenges of building from scratch. Among the attendees were senior SEBI RAs, corporate leaders such as Somil Makhija (from BOD Consulting), and students from institutions like Lady Shri Ram College, JMC, Moti Lal Nehru, and many others.
Ajitesh, Co founder and CEO of Crowwd, opened the event with a narrative of Crowwd’s journey, from its origin at Imperial College London with his co-founders, to successfully scaling in Europe and validating its MVP, before expanding into the Indian market. Today, the platform has crossed 12,000 downloads with a 50% monthly active user rate, and continues to see consistent growth.
Looking ahead, Ajitesh announced the launch of The Traders’ Cup in August, in collaboration with the International Finance Students Association (IFSA), the world’s largest finance community. The competition is expected to attract over 7,000 participants from India and across the globe. With this initiative, Crowwd is projecting a 30% surge in user onboardings in August alone. Momentum is already building for the next edition of Arthavaad, which will be hosted in a new city, where early waitlist signups are climbing steadily.
The most anticipated speaker of the event, Somya Satsangi, took the stage with an impactful talk on leadership, self-worth, and the power of small habits. A strong leader with a career spanning global consulting roles in London to building public sector verticals in India, Mrs. Somya is also an investor in Crowwd and currently serves on the board of Dr. Lal Path Labs. Reflecting on her experiences as one of the few women in executive spaces, she shared: “Money is combustible, if you don’t take care of it, it burns. Small habits, like reading the newspaper, compound into meaningful transformations.” She urged attendees to embrace their multi-dimensional selves: “We live in multiple universes. Today I invest, advise companies, and sit on boards. But I also paint. I am an artist. We are not singular human beings, we are multifaceted, and we must embrace that fully.”
Adding to the event’s energy was Mrs. Richa Rai, Managing Director of Heritage Hospitals, a leading chain of hospitals in Uttar Pradesh. A Columbia University alum who returned to her roots in Banaras, Richa spoke about building a bootstrap healthcare brand. Her session focused on building trust in oneself through execution and resilience. “Once you start checking things off your list, be it revenue goals or product milestones, you start trusting yourself. And then, others do too,” she said. She emphasized the importance of building strong internal systems and feedback loops. “Don’t spend too much on marketing or chase big names until your product and story are solid and sustainable.”
The evening concluded with a networking session, where investors, students, and entrepreneurs shared their journeys and connected over shared goals. Through authentic storytelling and candid reflections, Arthavaad reinforced Crowwd’s mission, to make finance more than just numbers. At its core, Crowwd is building a movement where capital, credibility, and community converge to shape the future of finance.
