From Aligarh to Aliste: A Journey Rooted in Curiosity and Creation
I grew up in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, in the warmth and rhythm of a joint family. Early life was an immersion in conversations, contradictions, and quiet lessons—many of which only made sense in hindsight. School life was a balance between the classroom and the playground. I was competitive, yes, but not just in academics—sports gave me discipline and drive. From roller hockey to basketball, I thrived in motion and leadership, eventually earning the role of Sports Captain.
My mother was instrumental in shaping my early outlook. She encouraged experimentation—whether in music, dance, or debate—irrespective of whether I was naturally inclined. This principle of “try everything once” instilled in me a willingness to engage with the unfamiliar, a trait that would later define much of my entrepreneurial journey.
Growing up in a family of business owners meant I was constantly observing risk, resilience, and reinvention up close. I wasn’t driven by conventional benchmarks like IIT or a “dream job”—instead, my path was shaped by a simple philosophy: do the next right thing, with intent and focus.
Engineering Serendipity
I pursued Electrical and Electronics Engineering at VIT, Vellore—my first real departure from the familiar. The cultural shift, language barriers, and institutional rigidity were initially disorienting, but over time, they became opportunities to adapt, observe, and lead.
The pivotal chapter of college unfolded at Creation Labs, where I led the electrical systems team for international robotics competitions. We built Mars rovers and autonomous drones, even representing India in NASA-backed contests. While I had originally aimed for Computer Science, electrical engineering gave me something arguably more valuable—hands-on problem solving and systems thinking. Late nights soldering boards and debugging circuits weren’t just technical challenges; they were early lessons in building from zero.
The Origins of Aliste
Aliste was born not in a boardroom but at a birthday party in 2018, sparked by a relatable frustration: the reluctance to get out of bed to turn off the fan. What started as a casual idea quickly became a college project, then a conviction. My co-founders brought the software chops; I brought the hardware muscle. We reverse-engineered smart devices, set up our own experiments in a PG flat, and eventually transformed our prototype into a viable product.
When college ended, we skipped placements. COVID struck soon after, paradoxically giving us the breathing room to build without external pressures. Our initial traction came through IndiaMART—dealers took a chance on us, and we responded with relentless iteration. We didn’t have a roadmap, but we had clarity: solve real problems with real impact.
From Product to Purpose
Six of us moved to
Noida and have lived and worked together since—a dynamic that forged a level of
trust and coherence rare in early-stage teams. Initially, our product was seen
as a luxury home automation for the tech-curious. But we listened, adapted, and
pivoted. A subscription model reduced entry barriers, and suddenly, adoption
surged.
Building with Intent
Startups are often romanticised. What
doesn’t get spoken about enough is the self-doubt, the lean months, and the
emotional wear and tear. I’ve experienced personal loss, burnout, and setbacks
that forced me to pause and recalibrate. But through it all, our team’s
bond—roommates, co-founders, and now brothers—was the anchor.
What has kept us going is not just a belief in the product, but also a belief in each other. We celebrate milestones not with pomp but with perspective—every rejection, every pivot, every user insight is a building block. Our story has always been about solving, not selling. Listening, not assuming. Earning trust, not attention.
The Road Ahead
If there’s one principle I carry forward, it’s this: start. You don’t need all the answers. You need intent, integrity, and the courage to keep showing up. What began as a "lazy idea" is now reshaping how energy is understood and optimised in India. We’ve only just begun.
No matter what lies ahead, we’ll continue to build—rooted in curiosity, driven by impact, and guided by the same belief: meaningful change starts small, but with the right intent, it compounds.