35 entrepreneurs take center stage as Razorpay launches brand campaign on JioHotstar

Razorpay, a payments and banking platform for businesses, has launched brand campaign - Backing India’s Boldest.

“The company is using India’s biggest cricketing screen time not to push its product, but to platform 35 homegrown startups and their visionary founders. In a cultural moment where fame is often synonymous with glamour, Razorpay flipped the script. By spotlighting these nation builders, the campaign offers a fresh set of role models beyond the usual glamorous icons,” stated a press release.

The campaign features 35 powerful ad films, airing during 20 cricket matches, till May 25th, on Jio Hotstar. These 15-second ad films will feature brands like House of Masaba, MamaEarth, Pixxel, 1mg, Ixigo, Purplle, WholeTruth, Yogabar, Snitch, and more - each one a testament to belief, resilience, and India’s unstoppable entrepreneurial energy.

The campaign was conceptualised and executed in partnership with Talented, Razorpay’s creative agency.

“From launching with little more than a vision to scaling their businesses amidst countless obstacles, these founders have one thing in common: Belief! Premiering amidst the cricketing frenzy, the campaign is a tribute to the ambition, belief, and relentless pursuit that the founders embody as they build the future of India. Brief on the Brand Film & Ads: In a bold, creative play, the film challenges the traditional idea of advertising by replacing advertisements with powerful content. Ditching the celebrity gloss and formulaic storytelling, the campaign puts real founders front and center: in the new India, ambition is the new fame. At its core is a brand film that doesn't sell a product - it sells the belief of 35 startup founders as the new faces of aspiration. In the ads, each founder steps into the limelight not as an endorser but as a builder - showcasing the audacity, grit, and innovation of disruptors shaping India’s next decade,” shared a press release.

As the film says, “These are not ads. This is a movement.” By giving stage time to founders, Razorpay invites the culture to rethink: why must fame equal glamour? For a B2B brand to claim space in a D2C arena, and then let its customers take that space to its end-customers, is a bold take on Indian heroism. Links to Founder Ads: House of Masaba ft. Masaba Gupta, Ixigo ft. Aloke Bajpai, Yoga Bar ft. Suhasini Sampath and Pixxel ft. Awais Ahmed. The campaign is launched across Razorpay’s social channels - YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X. This isn’t advertising as usual - it’s a tribute, a rallying cry, and a creative reset all rolled into one. Commenting on the launch,

Harshil Mathur, CEO & Co-founder of Razorpay said, “For years, cricket ad breaks have belonged to celebrities. This year, we flipped the script. We handed the spotlight to 35 bold individuals - not entertainers, but builders. People creating jobs, solving real problems, and shaping India’s future. At Razorpay, we believe bold ambition sparks true transformation, and it deserves the spotlight. And instead of asking them to talk about Razorpay, we asked them to talk about something far more powerful - their vision. Because if India has to grow, we need more young people to build. We need ambition to be celebrated. We need founders to be visible. I believe ‘Backing India’s Boldest’ will be more than a campaign, it’ll be the start of a movement, a cultural reset.”

Apuarv Sethi, Senior VP of Marketing at Razorpay, said, "This campaign is a reflection of what we’ve always believed at Razorpay, that founders are not just business leaders, they are nation builders. And in a world where B2B marketing often defaults to product features, we chose to lead with purpose. We’re making a bold marketing choice here, prioritising storytelling over self-promotion - because building brand love today means standing for something bigger than yourself. We’re not just here to power their payments - we’re here to champion their vision, celebrate their courage, and be their biggest cheerleader as they build what’s next for India."

Aarushi Periwal & Pearl Alex, Creatives at Talented said, “This brief had us mind blown, and terrified. In a way, we were working with 35 clients towards one idea. Cheering these founders felt real and magical because they weren’t names on a list, they’re the brands in our kitchens, on our skin, on our phones. These people are building things you and I use every day. That made it personal. This campaign gave many their first IPL ad, a ‘Look, Ma, I’m on TV’ moment. You rarely get to say an ad changed something - but this one felt like it did.”

Shivang Monga, Independent Director said, “Our founders weren’t camera-first talents, which meant earning their trust through genuine curiosity, making them feel at ease on set. Some days that meant directing, others it meant being the off-camera jester. Beyond scale, this campaign demanded we function as one team - no production house-agency-client lines, just collective trust and belief in the mission.”