In a world where smartphones dominate access and laptops struggle to keep up with evolving user behaviour, Chitranshu Mahant is building something fundamentally different. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Primebook, he isn’t just creating another cost-effective laptop he’s reimagining how computing itself should work for the next generation.
A Late-Night Idea That Sparked a New Category
The journey of Primebook began not in a boardroom, but in the hostel rooms of Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Chitranshu and his co-founder Aman Verma, both civil engineering students at the time, found themselves questioning a simple but powerful problem:
Why does a country full of curious, creative young minds lack access to computing systems that can truly support their potential?
As they dug deeper, they uncovered a broken segment in the sub-₹40,000 laptop market. Devices were slow, inefficient, and poorly optimised for real-world multitasking. But instead of treating it as a hardware issue, they identified it as a systems problem.
Their solution? Start from the very foundation of the operating system.
Rethinking Computing from the Ground Up
Rather than building on legacy systems like Windows, which are often resource-heavy, Primebook took a bold approach. They built PrimeOS, an Android-based operating system designed specifically for laptops.
The idea was simple yet powerful:
Leverage the familiarity of Android already deeply embedded in India’s digital culture and combine it with the productivity of a desktop environment.
To validate the concept, they released PrimeOS as a free download. The response was massive, over 3 million downloads across 140 countries. It was clear: users were ready for a new way to compute.
The Pivot That Changed Everything
Initially, the team attempted to scale through a licensing model, similar to how global OS companies operate. But in a market dominated by entrenched players, that strategy hit a wall.
Instead of backing down, they made a defining pivot moving to a full-stack approach, where they would control hardware, software, and user experience end-to-end.
Primebook gained national visibility with its Shark Tank India Season 2 appearance in 2023.
From Consumption to Creation: Solving India’s Real Digital Gap
While India has seen massive digital adoption, Chitranshu points out a deeper issue:
The real divide today isn’t access to the internet, it’s access to meaningful computing.
Most users can consume content easily, but struggle when it comes to creating, executing tasks, or working productively. Traditional laptops are too complex, while mobile devices aren’t built for sustained work.
Primebook sits right in the middle bridging that gap.
By combining an intuitive Android ecosystem with a structured computing interface, Primebook enables users to move from passive consumption to active creation.
Building More Than a Device: A Full Computing Ecosystem
What truly sets Primebook apart is its system-level thinking.
At its core lies PrimeOS, but layered on top are innovations like:
- PrimeAGNT, an Operator AI capability that understands user intent and executes end-to-end tasks
- Cloud PC, enabling users to access Windows and Linux virtual desktops for higher-performance workflows without upgrading hardware
This transforms computing from a tool users navigate into a system that actively executes tasks on their behalf.
Traction That Validates the Vision
Since launch, Primebook has seen strong momentum:
- 100,000+ users onboarded
- 300+ school and NGO partnerships
- 5% market share in the sub-₹20,000 segment
- 4.4-star ratings across major marketplaces
The startup has also gained significant recognition across industry platforms, reinforcing its growing product-market fit.
The Funding Journey: From Confusion to Conviction
Raising capital for Primebook wasn’t straightforward.
Investors initially struggled to categorise the company: is it hardware, software, or something else entirely?
But as the product evolved from an OS to a full-stack computing system, clarity improved. The startup went on to raise $3 million, attracting backing from notable investors including Aman Gupta and Rikant Pittie.
The shift in investor conversations from “What is this?” to “How big can this become?” marked a turning point.
Challenges of Building in Deep-Tech Hardware
Operating in a capital-intensive, hardware-driven space comes with its own set of challenges:
- Long development cycles
- High capital requirements
- Need for deep integration between hardware and software
But for Chitranshu, these challenges are also what create long-term defensibility.
By building across the entire stack, Primebook is creating a system that is not only hard to replicate but easier to evolve over time.
A Vision Beyond Devices: India’s Own Computing Future
Looking ahead, Primebook’s ambition goes far beyond laptops.
The goal is to build a sovereign, India-first operating system, one that is intelligent, adaptive, and capable of evolving with user needs.
Over the next 3–5 years, the company plans to:
- Deepen AI integration into the core system
- Expand into global markets including the US and Europe
- Scale across use cases from students to professionals to government systems
Lessons from the Journey
After nearly a decade of building, one insight stands out clearly:
Conviction matters more than validation.
Chitranshu emphasizes that when you’re building something fundamentally new, the market may not immediately understand it. But if the problem is real, persistence pays off.
His advice to aspiring founders is grounded yet powerful:
- Build for real users, not positioning
- Focus on outcomes, not features
- Stay consistent especially in long-cycle businesses
The Bigger Picture
Primebook isn’t just solving for cost-effectiveness, it’s redefining what computing should look like for a generation raised on smartphones.
In doing so, Chitranshu Mahant and his team are not just building a product.
They’re building a new category one that could shape the future of how India, and eventually the world, computes.
And if their journey so far is any indication, this is only the beginning.
Interview by : Kashish Srivastava
