Gurugram Startup Eliminates Stress From People’s Life By Running Errands On Their Behalf – Clocks Rs 4.8 Cr In FY25
When you are perpetually stressed about life, it's not just your mind that gets exhausted; it's your body too.
Multiple reports (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037) have confirmed that chronic stress manifests in tangible health problems due to consistent cortisol exposure.
But can modern living truly be stress-free?
"We know it can't be, but taking something off your plate is a relief. Small moments of ease can shift how the body functions. That's what we help people do - lighten their load," says Nitin Mohan Srivastava, founder of Pinch (https://pinch.co.in/), in an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia.
Founded in 2021, Pinch is a Gurugram-based home concierge and lifestyle management startup helping individuals ease daily stressors and live a more fulfilled, simplified life.
In FY25, it clocked an annual revenue of Rs 4.8 crore.
How It All Began
Nitin, from Lucknow, completed his schooling at City Montessori School and studied statistics at Lucknow University for his undergraduate degree.
He then earned an MBA from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Maharashtra.
Nitin Srivastava's career began in the telecom industry, working with brands like Idea, Aircel, and Vodafone.
"After gaining telecom experience, I wanted to solve problems for startups. I joined Chaayos as the head of marketing in 2015, a new startup at the time," Nitin shares.
By 2018, he became VP of Operations and Marketing at Chaayos. In 2019, he joined Stanza Living as the Senior Vice President for Growth Strategy, playing a key role in their real estate transformation.
During this transition, Nitin met Kiran Reddy, creator of the popular Chennai theatre brand Satyam Cinemas.
"When exploring options after Chaayos, I met Kiran, who wanted me to join as CEO of one of his companies. I joined Stanza Living, but we stayed in touch. Later, Kiran and his team offered to help me co-create and invest in my startup idea, which became Pinch," Nitin explains.
In 2020, during the pandemic, Nitin and his wife worked from home in Gurugram, often missing meals due to busy schedules.
This led to the idea of a meal kit brand, making elaborate meals with ready-made ingredients. However, after pitching the idea to Kiran, he was asked a crucial question: "Do you see yourself running a meal kit company for the next 20 years?"
Nitin's answer came after several weeks, during which he moved to Lucknow to be with his parents. His father's accident that day was a turning point.
"I realized it was luck that I was in Lucknow when my father had an accident. If I hadn't been there, I could have been anywhere in the country. I would have still received the call, but I wouldn't have known what to do. That moment of realization is when Pinch was born," Nitin reflects.
Nitin believes micro-stressors, like guilt from missing parents or life events, add up and cause constant anxiety for modern city dwellers.
With Pinch, he aimed to ease everyday stressors, freeing up time for activities like evening walks, picnics, or gym visits.
In July 2021, Pinch was established as a home concierge and lifestyle management startup.
Journey and Challenges
Despite competition from other concierge startups, Nitin rarely focused on it. Pinch aimed to solve everyday problems, not just luxury concierge services.
With a USD 3 million capital injection from Kiran Reddy, Pinch adopted a human-first approach, ensuring every customer interaction is with a human, not an app.
"We wanted our customers to have a human connection, understanding their lives and spaces. Our patrons value the comfort of having one point of contact, a human who knows them," Nitin explains.
Pinch also built a culture of trust, integrity, and humility, finding the right people to act as lifestyle managers for customers.
Eliminating Inconvenience Every Day
Pinch operates as a home concierge and lifestyle management startup, catering to the growing need for convenience and personalized services.
From efficient household management to staff hiring and management, big purchases, concert tickets, and family getaways, Pinch handles it all.
The user journey is straightforward:
- Customers find Pinch through online ads or referrals.
- They connect with Pinch's team for a consultation call, listing areas needing assistance.
- A suitable package is assigned, and a dedicated lifestyle manager becomes an extension of the family.
- The manager takes care of everything, always aiming to remove tasks from the customer's plate.
Pinch offers three packages:
- Dedicated Lifestyle Management - Perfect for complex lifestyle needs, starting at Rs 75,000 per month.
- Shared Lifestyle Management - For multiple families, starting at Rs 15,000 per month.
- Remote Lifestyle Management - Offers end-to-end help and recommendations for hotel bookings, big purchases, and grocery shopping, priced between Rs 8,000 to Rs 25,000 per month.
"This service is widely adopted by the middle class, who increasingly outsource tasks to save time and avoid decision fatigue," Nitin notes.
Growth
Pinch currently operates in Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai, with remote services available across India.
With a team of 67 people, Pinch has served over 320 customers, mostly from the HNI and UHNI brackets, but now also attracting the middle and upper middle classes.
Since inception, Pinch has seen steady revenue growth, from Rs 78 lakh in FY23 to Rs 2.6 crore in FY24 and Rs 4.8 crore in FY25.
"Pinch isn't just about getting things done; it's about deleting the invisible stressors of modern life, allowing families to reclaim time. That's our true promise," Nitin concludes.
