Innov8, one of India’s fastest-growing flex space startups, has reported an impressive start to FY26 with Q1 revenues of INR 38 crore, marking a 55% increase from INR 24 crore in the same period last year. Profitability also improved, with EBITDA rising to INR 8 crore, compared to INR 3 crore in Q1 FY25, underscoring the company’s strong operating performance.

This momentum follows a robust FY25 when Innov8 nearly doubled its revenues to INR 123 crore from INR 75 crore in FY24, and grew EBITDA to INR 70 crore from INR 47 crore. The company also stood out as one of only two net-profitable players in India’s flex space segment, reporting a profit of INR 7 crore in FY25.

A key growth driver has been the rise in average monthly membership revenue (AMMR) per seat, which grew 21% year-on-year to approximately INR 10,000. This reflects improved pricing power, customer loyalty, and a stronger seat mix favoring higher-yield formats. Innov8’s asset-light model, which leverages landlord-led capex for capital-efficient expansion, continues to fuel scalable and profitable growth.

To support its long-term ambitions, Innov8 transitioned from a private limited company to a public limited entity in FY25, while also raising its authorised share capital from INR 1.50 crore to INR 26.50 crore.

Pankhuri Sakhuja, Business Head, Innov8, said, “With a strong foundation and a clearly defined roadmap, we are looking for aggressive growth and confident of doubling our center count in FY26. Our focus is on accelerating expansion in high-density hubs across India’s major metros and strengthening enterprise-grade solutions such as private suites and managed offices. We see significant potential in regions like the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and will continue to prioritise growth in these key markets.”

The growth comes at a time when demand for flexible workspaces in India has surged nearly sixfold over the past five years, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Innov8 is doubling down on technology adoption to drive operational efficiency and enhance vibrant, community-led workspace experiences that foster collaboration.

Innov8 offers premium plug-and-play workspaces with flexible layouts, enterprise-grade security, and fully managed services. Its centers are strategically located in prime business districts, giving enterprises access to top talent and infrastructure. Recent expansions include:

• House Zion near Mumbai International Airport with 1,500+ seats
  

• Prestige Tech Park, Bengaluru with 900 seats
  

• Graphix Towers, Noida with 500 seats
  

The company’s client portfolio includes leading enterprises such as Swiggy, Tata Digital, Apollo24/7, Paytm, Razorpay, IndusInd Bank, Whirlpool, BBC News, PepsiCo, Oppo, Snapdeal, Lenskart, Nykaa, BigBasket, Ola, and PhonePe.

Founded in 2015 by Dr. Ritesh Malik, Innov8 is currently present across 10 cities including Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Indore, and continues to position itself as a leading force in India’s flex space industry.

Pawan Gupta is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Wedding Company, a brand that's redefining how dream weddings come to life. Known for blending creativity with breathtaking destinations, Pawan and his team design unforgettable celebrations that truly stand out. What started as “Weddings by Betterhalf” has now rebranded into The Wedding Company, a move that reflects their growing vision and premium service offering. With an impressive 10X growth in just a year and a bold goal to scale to $10 million in services by 2025, the platform is making wedding planning more convenient, transparent, and luxurious than ever before.

In this conversation, Pawan opens up about the journey of TheWeddingCompany.com, its operations, and what goes into making every wedding truly memorable.

1. As a tech entrepreneur transitioning into luxury wedding planning, what inspired the creation of TheWeddingCompany.com, and how do you see technology fundamentally reshaping the hospitality and wedding ecosystem in India?

While building our earlier matchmaking platform, Betterhalf, which grew to over 5–10 lakh monthly users, we noticed something interesting. Many of our users who found their partners on the platform started asking for reliable recommendations for wedding planning. That’s when the idea for The Wedding Company really began to take shape. We started by organizing weddings locally in Bangalore, and quickly saw a bigger gap in the industry. Traditional wedding planners weren’t always affordable or accessible to middle and upper-middle-class families. Yet, these customers still wanted dependable, transparent, and hassle-free services.

India is now going through a big shift, moving from a mostly offline, fragmented wedding planning process to a more organized, tech-driven experience. We see this in three main stages: Pre-wedding planning, with tools like automated proposals and budgeting, Wedding planning, powered by a user-friendly product and solid operational control and Event fulfilment, with experienced on-ground teams guided by centralized planning. Technology is truly at the heart of all this. It brings consistency, scale, and personalization in a way that traditional wedding planning just can’t match.

2. With a 10X growth trajectory and $10M in services projected, how are you building operational excellence and service consistency across 50+ Indian cities and international destinations like Bali and Phuket? 

Our ability to scale comes down to one core strength, our proprietary software infrastructure at The Wedding Company. It’s been built specifically to serve three key groups: our customers, our internal operations team, and our supplier network. This system helps us streamline workflows, maintain quality standards, and cut down on repetitive, manual tasks. We’re also investing in curated supplier catalogues to offer standardized service experiences, while still leaving room for customization and personal touches. For customers, this means access to trusted vendors, great value deals, and real-time updates throughout their planning journey. For our vendor partners, it brings steady business and a reliable demand pipeline and for our internal teams, it provides the operational strength to deliver smooth and high-quality experiences, whether it's in a bustling metro or a destination like Bali or Phuket.

3. Weddings are deeply emotional and culturally rooted, how does TheWeddingCompany.com strike the right balance between standardization through technology and personalization at scale?

We’ve designed the experience with both structure and soul in mind. It works through two layers: First, we have a centralized customer experience system. This part ensures everything runs smoothly and consistently, from transparent pricing and digital contracts to planning checklists and milestone tracking. It brings reliability and clarity to the process. Then comes the local planning and fulfilment team, which adds the human touch. These teams are familiar with regional cultures, languages, rituals  and even the little things that vary from venue to venue. They help personalize the celebration in ways technology alone can’t. Together, this approach helps us stay efficient and scalable while still making every wedding unique, emotional, and true to the couple’s traditions.

4. What role does hospitality play in curating seamless experiences not just for the couple, but also for guests, families, and vendors across multi-day destination events?

Hospitality is at the heart of everything we do. In Indian weddings, especially destination ones, the guest experience is absolutely crucial. It can truly make or break the entire event. That’s why we train our teams not just in execution, but in thinking hospitality-first. From the moment guests arrive, every detail matters, welcome kits, airport pickups, smooth room allocations, personalized itineraries,  we try to make each touchpoint feel special. This mindset also extends to our vendor partners. We treat them like collaborators, not just service providers. When they feel valued and supported, it reflects in the quality and warmth of the overall experience.

5. What strategic considerations went into rebranding from Weddings by Betterhalf to TheWeddingCompany.com, and how has it impacted your positioning in the luxury wedding market?

The rebranding was a thoughtful, strategic move to boost brand recall and appeal to a wider audience. While “Weddings by Betterhalf” made sense as an extension of our matchmaking brand, it didn’t fully connect with luxury clients or key influencers like parents and relatives who often play a big role in wedding decisions. “The Wedding Company” felt like the right evolution, it’s simple to say, easy to share, and carries a premium yet approachable tone. It also positions us as a category-defining brand in the tech-enabled wedding space. This new identity has helped us engage both middle-class and luxury clients more effectively and establish a stronger foothold in the market. 

6. How are you leveraging data and AI to enhance vendor matchmaking, guest management, and real-time planning efficiencies—especially in comparison to traditional wedding planners?

We’ve built AI-driven tools that make the entire planning process smarter, faster, and more personalized. For example, our venue booking system matches wedding dates with live venue availability and pricing trends. This helps couples make quick, informed decisions without all the back-and-forth. Our Wedding Ideabook uses image clustering and machine learning to recommend decor ideas that align with each couple’s style, budget, and regional preferences and for vendor matchmaking, we analyze past reviews, timelines, and areas of expertise to pair clients with the most suitable partners, making the entire process smoother and more reliable. Unlike traditional planners who depend on intuition or small networks, our approach is powered by data. That means better fit, faster planning, and a much more seamless experience for everyone involved.

7. With increasing demand for global wedding destinations, how is TheWeddingCompany.com fostering partnerships with international hotels and hospitality brands to deliver authentic yet localized Indian wedding experiences abroad?

We’re already seeing strong momentum in destinations like Thailand, Bali, and Phuket. The key to success abroad lies in building reliable networks with suppliers who truly understand Indian weddings, from décor and food to rituals and music. We work closely with these partners and even arrange on-ground recce visits with our customers. This helps ensure everything, from picking the venue to finalizing the décor goes smoothly and stays true to Indian traditions. Since many of our clients are based in Indian metro cities, we start with local planning support and then bridge the gap by coordinating with execution partners abroad. This approach creates a seamless, end-to-end experience that feels both global and deeply personal.

In the ever-evolving hospitality education space in India, one name stands out, Prosenjit Chandra, the dynamic Director of Federal Institute of Hotel Management (FIHM), Noida. With over 17 years of experience spanning the hotel industry and academia, Chandra is a leading voice in shaping how future hospitality professionals are trained.

From the kitchens of Taj Group of Hotels to the classrooms of reputed institutions like IAM Hotel School Kolkata and IHM-RIG Greater Noida, his journey has been a blend of operational expertise and academic innovation. What distinguishes Chandra is his ability to merge theoretical knowledge with real-world application—through industry-integrated curriculum, hands-on training, and student mentorship.

Under his leadership, FIHM Noida has adopted a forward-thinking academic model. Students here don’t just attend lectures—they engage in live kitchens, banquets, international food festivals, and leadership events. He also ensures faculty development aligns with global standards and emerging hospitality trends, including AI in hospitality, sustainability, and culinary entrepreneurship.

A certified instructor from AHLEI and a life member of the Indian Culinary Forum (ICF), Chandra brings global credibility to Indian hospitality education. His early life interest in structure, creativity, and culture led him to earn degrees in Hotel Management, Tourism Management, and Business Administration, forming a strong foundation for his career.

His professional journey includes:

• Front Office & F&B Operations at Taj Hotels
  

• Professor & HOD at IAM Kolkata
  

• Academic Leader at IHM-RIG, Greater Noida
  

• Director – Academics at FIHM Noida
  

He is also a Certified Entrepreneurship Educator from the National Entrepreneurship Network under the Wadhwani Foundation, furthering his mission to promote hospitality-based startups.

At FIHM, his contributions include:

• Introducing international certifications and hybrid learning formats
  

• Hosting celebrity chefs and hospitality leaders for student exposure
  

• Creating internship channels with top hotel brands
  

• Judging major culinary events like India Ka HomeChef 2.0
  

Students trained under him have joined renowned brands such as Taj, Marriott, IHG, Oberoi, and have launched cloud kitchens, bakeries, and event planning ventures.

His digital presence is active and inspiring:

• LinkedIn: Professional thought leadership and student achievements
  

• Instagram (@chefsunlimited): Creative culinary journey and mentorship moments
  

• Twitter (@chefprosen): Commentary on food, education, and trends
  

His leadership philosophy is rooted in empowerment through education. He champions a future where skill-based learning, innovation, and global perspectives are central. He’s vocal about improving public perception of hospitality careers and frequently speaks on bridging the gap between classroom learning and industry demands.

Looking ahead, Chandra envisions:

• FIHM becoming internationally accredited
  

• Global culinary webinars & exchange programs
  

• Launch of research divisions for food innovation and sustainable tourism
  

Recognized by multiple bodies, including the Indian Culinary Forum, his influence goes beyond awards—it lives on in the students he mentors, the faculty he uplifts, and the institutions he strengthens. Prosenjit Chandra is not just an academician; he is a builder of futures. Through education rooted in excellence, he is steering Indian hospitality to a more innovative, inclusive, and impactful path.