From taxi rides to a travel startup: Pithoragarh student's Namaste Saarthi journey

Kartik Pandey, a BBA student from Pithoragarh, transforms local tourism challenges into opportunities by founding Namaste Saarthi, a travel services startup.

A BBA student from Pithoragarh has turned his observations of the challenges faced by tourists in Kumaon into a travel services startup after receiving entrepreneurship training and mentoring under the Uttarakhand government's Devbhoomi Udyamita Yojana.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami

Kartik Pandey, a student at LSM Government Postgraduate College, Pithoragarh, founded Namaste Saarthi, an online platform that brings together hotel bookings, transport and local guide services for tourists visiting the region.

Pandey, who comes from a middle-class family, grew up accompanying his father, a taxi driver, on journeys across the region. During these trips, he noticed that many tourists visiting Pithoragarh and Champawat struggled to find reliable taxis, hotels and local guides at reasonable prices. Limited information and dependence on intermediaries often led to higher costs, according to the government.

In 2025, Pandey participated in an entrepreneurship bootcamp organised at his college under the Devbhoomi Udyamita Yojana, an initiative being run with support from the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad. The training helped him develop his idea into a business model, the release said.

The programme covered areas including business model development, digital platforms, website use and startup management. Pandey later launched Namaste Saarthi with the aim of offering transparent pricing and connecting travellers with service providers directly.

Training and mentoring helped refine the business

Pandey said he sought further guidance from experts associated with the scheme when he faced challenges in expanding the startup's reach. He received training in digital marketing, branding, customer outreach and business expansion.

Dr Ruchita Panghariya, the scheme's nodal officer at LSM College, Pithoragarh, also provided guidance through brainstorming sessions and mentoring, according to the release.

The platform is now operating across the Kumaon region and has built a network of 15 buses, while continuing to expand its services. The government said the model has helped reduce dependence on intermediaries while enabling local service providers to connect directly with customers.

Pandey attended another residential bootcamp under the scheme in 2026 to further develop and modernise the business.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the scheme aims to help young people convert innovation and solutions to local problems into viable businesses through training, guidance and mentoring. He said the government would continue supporting young entrepreneurs and their innovative efforts.