From Siliguri to the Startup Spotlight: How Kushal Bali’s Maachao Is Changing the Way India Celebrates
In the quiet lanes of Siliguri, West Bengal, where startup dreams often die before they begin, a 14-year-old boy started dreaming wide awake. There were no mentors, no funding, and no exposure, just a vision. The local boy Kushal Bali and a decade later, he’s behind one of the most promising celebration-tech startups in the country: Maachao.
Launched in 2023, Maachao is transforming the way Indians plan small and mid-sized events. Whether it’s a midnight birthday surprise, a home anniversary setup, or a festive family gathering, Maachao allows users to book everything from decorations and cakes to makeup artists and photographers with just a few clicks. No more calling ten different vendors or chasing down payments. Maachao takes care of it all.
But the story behind the startup runs deeper than just convenience. It’s about persistence. About daring to dream from a place where people are told not to.
“I come from a very small town where dreams are mostly seen in sleep, not in daylight,” says Kushal, now 24. “There was no ecosystem for startups, no one to guide me. But I always believed that if your vision is real, it doesn’t need permission.”
Kushal’s early years were a whirlwind of hands-on learning. He worked with names like Flipkart, Amazon, Fashion TV, FICCI, Punjab Kings (IPL) and multiple local brands, gaining experience across logistics, branding and operations. By 19, he had already stepped into the corporate world. But it was the chaos around small event planning, the missed deliveries, the overpriced decorators, the underwhelming cakes and that gave him the idea for Maachao.
And it worked.
In under a year, Maachao has delivered more than 500 successful orders across Siliguri, Darbhanga, and Delhi. It holds an average customer rating of 4.9 out of 5 and has become the go-to service in cities where good event planning used to be out of reach for most middle-class families.
Earlier this year, Maachao closed a million funding round, led by the Department of Industries, Government of Bihar. A rare win for a startup coming out of eastern India’s Tier-2 ecosystem.
“We saw more than just a business plan,” said one of the senior officials involved in the funding. “Kushal understands the emotional core of Indian celebrations. He’s not just building a company, he’s building a culture of reliable joy.”
Maachao’s customers echo that sentiment.
“I had to plan a surprise engagement for my sister in Darbhanga and I honestly didn’t know where to start. I found Maachao on Instagram, and they took care of everything. I didn’t even have to call anyone. It was all done online, and the final result was even better than what I had imagined,” said Riya Sharma, one of the many satisfied customers.
With expansion plans already underway, the platform is eyeing 10 more cities by the end of the year. The goal is simple: make celebrations easier, more beautiful and accessible to everyone not just those who can afford high-end event planners.
What’s perhaps most impressive is that Kushal built all of this from scratch, without a safety net, without industry connections and without giving up, even when things got tough.
“Fall hard, learn faster, repeat forever,” he smiles. “That’s how Maachao was built.”
From a town that didn’t know what a startup pitch was, to building one of the most loved celebration services in the country, Kushal Bali’s story is more than inspirational. It’s a reminder that when intention meets execution, even the smallest ideas can light up lives.
To explore Maachao, visit www.maachao.com
Follow their journey on Instagram at @maachaoindia
