‘I used to hide from my friends while delivering Swiggy’: Bengaluru man, now a successful entrepreneur

Koushik Kharvi is a shining example of the power of hard work. The Bengaluru-based entrepreneur owns not one, but two businesses — a successful eatery and an up and coming seafood consultancy. However, success did not come easy to this computer science graduate, who once used to deliver food on Swiggy to earn a living.Koushik Kharvi reflected on his journey from gig worker to business owner. (Instagram/@koushh_lakshara)In an Instagram video shared last week, Kharvi reflected on his long journey from being a Swiggy delivery agent to a business owner. He candidly acknowledged that he was once ashamed of his food delivery job.Hid job from friendsKharvi—whose LinkedIn states that he studied computer science at ACS College of Engineering, Bangalore—revealed in his video that nine years ago, he used to deliver food as a Swiggy agent.“Nine years ago, I used to hide from my friends while delivering Swiggy,” he confessed.(Also read: ‘No Wi-Fi, leaking roof’: Ex-Amazon techie recalls humble 2021 WFH setup)Sharing several pictures from his days as a delivery driver, Kharvi wrote: “Google Photos threw this back at me today. Exactly 9 years ago, I joined Swiggy as a part-time delivery partner.“More than the hard work, I was scared my friends would see me as just a delivery guy,” he said.Owner of successful eateryNearly a decade later, Koushik Kharvi is the owner of Mangalore in Bangalore, a food truck serving authentic Mangalorean seafood in Bengaluru’s RR Nagar.He has also launched Koushik Seafoods to share his knowledge of seafood with others. “Through this page, I’ll be sharing real information, practical tips, interesting facts, my experiences from the coast, and everything | learn along the way – in a simple and easy-to-understand manner,” he explained.Reflecting on the gap between where he is and where he started, the Bengaluru-based entrepreneur wrote: “From waiting at pickup counters of top seafood restaurants to building one of the city’s popular seafood joints… Couldn’t ask for more, and it’s all because of the incredible support from our customers, partner and my whole team.”He ended his video with a word of thanks for Swiggy. “Still a long way to go. Thank you Swiggy for giving an opportunity during my tough days,” he said.(Also read: Swiggy rider’s success story: How Ajit Kumar went from college dropout to crorepati)Video draws praiseThe video and Kharvi’s journey drew appreciation and applause on Instagram.“Now that’s a rags to riches story. Not to say you’re rich because you own a restaurant, but you’re rich with experiences, struggle and eventual triumph -> you’ve won a big battle that most don’t ever dare to my friend,” wrote one person in the comments section.“A prime example of what not giving up looks like,” said another.“Trust me, this feeling is only in our country. Let’s normalize that no work is small. Respect all professions equally,” a viewer also pointed out.