Yash Kumar, a tech engineer from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, has done what many dream of, few attempt, and most parents would faint at.
What?
He quit his ₹2 crore per year job in the United States, sold off his American homes, and returned to India—not for a Bollywood debut, but to solve the country’s homestay headaches.
Kumar’s journey sounds almost cinematic:
- A top-tier US tech job
- A hefty salary
- Comfortable real estate holdings in America, and all the masalaof the Great Indian IT Dream.
But instead of basking in serene American suburbia or collecting frequent flyer miles, Kumar set his sights on the unique woes faced by Indian travelers who, let’s just say, haven’t always found “Atithi Devo Bhava” at budget homestays.
He noticed that, despite digital booking platforms, finding quality, authentic homestays in India was more challenging than expected. Determined to fix this, Kumar returned home after selling his US properties and trading a tech titan’s cubicle for the chaos and charm of Indian entrepreneurship.
Now, armed with the conviction of a startup founder and clearly, a talent for dramatic life choices, Kumar is working to transform India’s homestay sector. His mission: make sure guests feel at home, hosts feel supported, and everyone involved escapes with their sanity intact.
Launched India’s First No-Commission OTA
In June 2025, he launched Host It Yourself, India’s 1st no-commission OTA service which is available on the Homeyhuts application. At just ₹490/month, this service allows homestay owners to manage listings, prevent double bookings, and access AI-powered, and multilingual tools.
With more than 100 properties signed up and 20+ new applications hitting daily, this bootstrapped venture’s gross transaction has already crossed ₹1 crore 12 lakh in revenue in November 2024.
Currently, with a team of 20, and an aim of 50,000 listings, Yash wants to make Homeyhuts india’s go-to platform for homestay solutions.
Yash Kumar’s bold switch from US techie to desi disruptor is lighting up social media and inspiring many tired of the “rat race.” His story is proof that sometimes, walking away from the big bucks is the first step towards finding purpose—and perhaps a good cup of roadside chai.
