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'They work from 9 am to 9 pm': Japanese boss in Bengaluru on his Indian employees
A Japanese founder moved to Bengaluru to scale his startup, sharing how he embraced football, cricket nights and India’s founder-friendly environment.
A Japanese startup founder explained why Bengaluru became his choice for expansion in 2024 after earlier ventures in Japan and Africa.
Speaking with Business Insider, Reiji Kobayashi recalled how he left university before completing his final year to start a web marketing business in Japan. After selling it, he moved into real estate and later launched a share house company. In 2018, he relocated to Kenya, a country he had visited during his college years, to begin another entrepreneurial journey.
“My first year in Kenya was a nightmare. I had built and sold several businesses at that point, but still struggled to raise money from external investors for a new startup,” he said. To keep moving forward, he invested his own money to launch Hakki, a microfinancing platform helping people purchase cars in a market where credit options were limited. Over six years, Hakki financed more than 3,500 cars.
Expanding into India
After years in Kenya, growth opportunities felt constrained. “Africa has about 1.4 billion people, but they are scattered. Kenya only has about 50 million people. India, with its 1.3 billion people and rapidly growing economy, felt like the next best target market for us,” he told Business Insider.
In 2024, he moved to Bengaluru to expand operations. The company now employs four people in India, seventy four in Kenya, and two in South Africa, while the headquarters remain in Japan. The goal, he explained, is to list the company on the Japanese stock exchange by 2028.
Life in Bengaluru
Settling into India’s tech hub, Kobayashi said he appreciates both the lifestyle and the people. “There are a lot of things I like about living in Bengaluru. For one, I like to wear casual T-shirts instead of suits, and Bengaluru’s weather is stable and comfortable.”
He has also taken to the city’s social life. “The people are kind, have lots of energy, and are positive about the future, which I really like,” he said. He now plays football in the evenings and has friends with whom he watches cricket. “I’ve also made some friends I watch cricket matches with, accompanied by alcohol and chicken, which was surprising to me because I always thought most Indians are vegetarian.”
Still, the adjustment has not been without challenges. “I don’t like the spicy food and haven’t gotten used to it, so I spend most of my time eating noodles I bring over from Japan,” he admitted.
A founder-friendly market
The entrepreneur highlighted differences between India and Japan when it comes to doing business. “Indians have the attitude to try or take up something challenging without needing accurate projections of what will happen. Japanese businesses spend a lot of time in meetings and making sure everything is done with the consensus of the majority of the people. Investment decisions move much faster in India than in Japan.”
He also praised the work ethic of his Indian colleagues. “We’ve hired four Indian employees, and I’m surprised to say that they work more than me. They come into the office at 9 am and easily work until 9 pm. Even our company driver is up early in the morning and available with the car until midnight, which I was not expecting.”
Although he may relocate temporarily to expand into markets like Thailand, he remains committed to India. “I’m committed to growing the startup here and having a big presence in India. I plan to travel back and forth and can see myself moving back to India again,” he said.
