In a world where travel is often romanticized as a shared experience, the reality for many is quite different. Plans fall through, schedules don’t align, and what begins as an exciting idea often turns into a solo journey not by choice, but by circumstance.
For Saurav Chakraborty, this gap wasn’t just an inconvenience it was the spark behind building one of India’s fastest-growing travel communities.
A Personal Problem That Sparked a Global Idea
Before founding Travel Buddy, Saurav had already built an impressive career across leading travel and tech companies like Cleartrip, and Facebook, where he served as Industry Head for Travel.
But the idea for Travel Buddy didn’t come from boardrooms, it came from a missed trip in 2019.
When his friends backed out at the last minute, Saurav found himself asking a simple question:
Why is it so hard to find like-minded people to travel with?
That question led to the birth of Travel Buddy, a platform designed not just for booking trips, but for building travel connections first.
Building a Community Before Commerce
Unlike traditional travel platforms that focus solely on bookings, Travel Buddy flips the model.
At its core, it’s a community-first travel marketplace where people discover travel companions before they plan itineraries.
The platform’s standout feature, Find Buddy, uses intelligent algorithms to match users based on:
- Interests
- Travel preferences
- Demographics
This allows users to:
- Connect with like-minded travelers
- Form groups
- Plan and book trips together all within one ecosystem
The result? Travel becomes less transactional and more social, personalized, and meaningful.
Scaling During Uncertainty
Ironically, Travel Buddy was launched during one of the toughest periods for the travel industry, the COVID-19 pandemic.
While most travel businesses were struggling to survive, Saurav focused on building the community layer first. This long-term thinking paid off.
Today, the platform has:
- 5 million users globally
- 4,500+ trips organized
This growth highlights a powerful insight:
People don’t just want to travel, they want to belong.
A Dual Engine Revenue Model
Travel Buddy operates on a smart, hybrid business model:
1. Subscription Layer
Users can opt for premium memberships (monthly, yearly, elite), similar to models seen in platforms like Zomato or Swiggy.
2. Travel Bookings
Revenue is also generated through curated trip bookings made within the platform.
This dual-engine approach ensures both:
- Recurring revenue
- Transaction-based growth
Backed by Experience and Belief
Raising funds in a competitive ecosystem isn’t easy, especially in travel.Yet, Travel Buddy has successfully raised $500,000 over the last 3 years, backed by investors who believe not just in the product, but in Saurav’s vision and experience.
Interestingly, some of the earliest believers were his former colleagues and mentors from companies like Facebook and Google people who had seen his execution capabilities firsthand.
Vision: Building the “Uber of Travel Communities”
Saurav doesn’t see Travel Buddy as just another startup. His ambition is far bigger.
He envisions building a global travel brand one that sits alongside platforms like Uber and Airbnb, but focused on community-driven travel.
The roadmap includes:
- Expanding into international markets
- Strengthening AI-driven matchmaking
- Deepening community engagement
Lessons from the Journey
Saurav’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. From navigating a pandemic-hit industry to facing personal health struggles during COVID-19, resilience has been a defining theme.
But perhaps the most refreshing insight came at the very end of the conversation.
“Don’t underestimate Gen Z.” If they know the vision and they know the end goal, then they are completely unstoppable.
His Advice to Founders
His biggest advice for young people is to be ready to pivot, because what you expect to happen in business rarely does. To find the right product-market fit, you need to keep pivoting continuously.
He strongly believes that Gen Z professionals:
- Bring strong work ethics
- Are highly adaptable
- Thrive in fast-moving environments
In fact, at Travel Buddy:
- Most of the team is under 30
- And they’re driving innovation at scale
This perspective challenges common stereotypes and highlights a shift in how modern startups are built.
The Future of Travel is Social
Travel is no longer just about destinations, it’s about connections.
By combining community, content, and commerce, Travel Buddy is redefining how people experience the world.
And if Saurav’s vision plays out, the next time someone plans a trip, the first question won’t be “Where should I go?”
It will be:
“Who should I go with?”
Interview By : Kashish Srivastava
