In an interview, Vaibhav Kaushik, Co-founder & CEO of Nawgati, shared how a cab ride sparked the idea for India’s first unified congestion monitoring platform. From powering 1,000+ fuel stations with real-time intelligence to preparing for 15,000 outlets and EV charging integration, Kaushik discussed Nawgati’s journey, industry challenges, and the mindset shift driving smarter mobility solutions across India.
Read the full interview here:
Q: Nawgati was born from a simple cab ride and an insightful conversation. How did that moment of realization evolve into building India’s first unified, fuel-agnostic congestion monitoring platform?
Vaibhav: Experiencing the challenge firsthand was definitely a moment of realization. Still, after brainstorming with my friends, and now co-founders, Aalaap and Aryan, we realized that our combined knowledge and experience could help solve this real-world problem affecting vehicle owners globally. This realization led us to seize this opportunity.
Founding Nawgati was more than just a business idea, a startup, or solving a problem. For us, it was about looking at a sector that was not looked at from a consumer’s lens, where everything was still run traditionally, when the whole world was running at the speed of light. At that moment, we wondered what we could do to reduce congestion at fuel stations in India, especially in urban cities, while still attracting a higher footfall.
It was then that we closed on our core insight that real-time visibility at the forecourt could unlock significant efficiencies. We didn’t set out to just build a platform that guides consumers through congestion; instead, we envisioned a fuel-agnostic intelligence layer that helps energy companies, fuel station owners, and ultimately, drivers.
Today, Nawgati is powering visibility for fuel providers and drivers alike, acting as a single source of operational truth. What started as curiosity has now become the ground rule at which Nawgati operates: that infrastructure intelligence shouldn’t be an afterthought; it should be the backbone of India’s energy retail ecosystem.
Q: Your flagship product, Aaveg, is already live with major players like Mahanagar Gas. What has the on-ground impact been so far in terms of reducing congestion and improving fuel station efficiency?
Vaibhav: For several decades, fuel stations have operated in the most traditional way possible, and have been invisible to the digital world despite the internet boom. With our B2B flagship product, Aaveg, we’ve introduced the industry to real-time intelligence, which was otherwise operating on guesswork. Aaveg has become more than a dashboard, enabling fuel providers to plan dynamically, optimize staff, and perform predictive maintenance.
Over the last couple of years, 1000+ fuel stations have adopted our platform, which has helped them manage the incoming consumers, especially in the dense urban pockets. We’ve observed a drop in congestion during peak hours, better management of resources, and time saved for thousands of commuters every day.
But what excites me most is the shift in mindset. Fuel providers are no longer just reacting to what’s happening; instead, they’re anticipating it, and this is what will drive the next wave of efficiency, improve the congestion on roads, and bring a better customer experience to millions of commuters every day.
Q: You’re planning to onboard 15,000+ fuel outlets across India in the next two years. What challenges do you anticipate in scaling across such a diverse and complex fuel infrastructure ecosystem?
Vaibhav: While we have a great product in our hand, and 1000+ fuel outlets are actively using our services, there are some challenges that we are actively solving for in order to onboard thousands of fuel stations across India over the next few quarters. Some of the most common challenges we face include varying levels of infrastructure, digital readiness, and trust in technology. So, the real challenge here is to evolve continually, make our platform as simple, adaptable, and reliable as possible, so that anyone can use and understand it, and make real-time decisions.
Another key hurdle is adoption. Many station operators are used to running things on their own, and convincing them to rely on technology for real-time data requires training, support, and building trust. To overcome this, we have hired on-ground staff who not only present our product to these operators but also spend time understanding their daily realities. This allows us to tailor our approach to their needs and incorporate or enhance our features based on customer requirements.
So, while tech adoption in the energy sector is slow, we are ensuring that we help the operators evolve with the changing world, and become digital-ready for what’s to come.
Q: Nawgati is not just focused on petrol and CNG but aims to expand into EV infrastructure too. How does your platform adapt to the unique requirements of EV charging stations and future clean mobility models?
Vaibhav: EV charging infrastructure doesn’t work like a petrol or CNG station, as it takes longer to charge a vehicle than to fuel up, and its operations depend on the grid, bringing new challenges like charger availability and load management. That means the way we manage these stations needs to evolve, too. While all these challenges sound unique and complex, they work on the same principles as the traditional fuels like petrol or CNG. So, our platform is designed to adapt to this shift.
With Aaveg, we can help EV charging operators track charger usage in real time, predict demand, and guide users to stations where they’re less likely to wait. In simple terms, we can enable a smoother experience for both operators and EV drivers as the adoption grows. So, whether it’s a petrol pump or an EV charger, our goal is the same: bring visibility, control, and smarter decision-making to every station.
Q: You’ve secured support from Shark Tank India investors, government departments, and other tech mentors. How have these relationships shaped Nawgati’s growth journey and product roadmap?
Vaibhav: Each of these relationships has added a unique layer of insight to our evolution. While appearing on Shark Tank gave us visibility and credibility, government partnerships validated the systemic need for a smarter infrastructure and helped us navigate regulatory complexities. Hands-on learning from Shark Tank investors helped us look at our customers, both fuel providers and consumers, from a more local standpoint and pivot our strategy to build for Bharat. Mentors from energy companies like Mahanagar Gas and Indian Oil pushed us to think in terms of user-centricity, the minute day-to-day challenges, and operational inefficiencies by challenging our assumptions.
All the support we have received so far has helped us refine our product-market fit and opened doors we couldn’t have imagined.
Together, this ecosystem has helped us grow not just in size, but in strategic maturity.
Q: At just 26, you’ve built a tech-driven solution impacting the daily lives of thousands of commuters. What advice would you give to young innovators looking to turn real-world problems into scalable, tech-enabled businesses?
The advice I would impart to young innovators is to start with a problem that genuinely bothers them, one they have experienced firsthand rather than just observed, because real-world problems demand real obsession. Also, once you have the idea in mind, don’t get caught up in the hows and whats of the business.
As a tech innovator myself, I believe that stopping at the beginning and getting bogged down in paperwork could slow you down. Instead, use the early time to build, test, fail, and learn. Most importantly, surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and unafraid to challenge your thinking.
What matters is how quickly you learn and adapt. In India, problems are complex, but that’s also what makes it a goldmine for meaningful innovation. Tech is just the tool, and the real magic is in understanding people, systems, and friction points deeply enough to solve them at scale.
