Muzaffarpur-based Akshay Kashyap, with his friend Srijan Kumar (friend), co-founded Kitabwalah after facing the struggle to find affordable secondhand study materials during his preparation for the JEE exam. For Akshay, it wasn’t just a business venture but a mission to bridge the gap and provide students with access to affordable study materials.
Early Life
Akshay Kashyap grew up in Ramchandrapur in Muzaffarnagar, Bihar. He studied in his village school till 5th class before moving to Muzaffarnagar for a better education. Coming from a middle-class family, he faces a financial crisis but his father prioritized education for Akshay, his siblings, and their cousins.
During his schooling, Akshay often purchased second-hand books due to the expensive cost of new books. His struggle continued when he began his IIT-JEE coaching journey. He frequently visits several shops in search of specific books required for his preparation.
He went to Patna to prepare for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) exam. During his preparation, he faced challenges in finding second-hand books as there weren’t many readily available. Despite multiple attempts and spending long hours in the coaching classes, he was unable to crack the IIT exam.
He always wished there would be an easier way to purchase second-hand books. And THIS is the wish of many people as they cannot afford to buy expensive 1st handbooks.
After several unsuccessful attempts in 2021, he decided to focus on entrepreneurship. However, he didn’t give up on his studies; instead, he continued his engineering studies at the Sitamarhi Institute of Technology.
The Eureka Moment
Akshay realized the huge gap in the market. And when he didn’t get a good rank in JEE after 2 failed attempts, he decided to take things in his own hands—To look into the business of second-hand books.
With just Rs 800, the duo bought some second-hand books from the market, and later, they officially launched Kitabwalah and promoted their products on social media platforms and, luckily, received a positive response.
Despite initial challenges such as no investment and low margins, they began sourcing books from scrap collectors and sellers to address this issue. Yes, in India academic books are sold to scrap collectors (kabadiwalas) who purchase them on weight basis. Akshay along with Srijan successfully partnered with nearly every kabadiwala in the city and expanded their reach to Patna as well as other regions of Bihar.
The Kitabwalah
In 2022, after researching and gaining knowledge of market research for a few months, Akshay and Srijan founded the online platform Kitabwalah. The platform offers used books to college students, school students, and aspirants. Not just this, they also offer books to fiction and non-fiction enthusiasts.
They sell second-hand books at much lesser prices than general booksellers because they know the struggle that students face due to limited finances. In just two years, the duo has sold around 6,000 books and generated revenue of Rs 8 lakh.
This innovative idea gained the recognition of the Bihar government, which helped them secure seed funding under the Bihar Startup Policy 2022. This initial grant of Rs 10 lakh was provided as an interest-free loan for 10 years.
In January 2024, they received a sum of Rs 4 lakh in the first phase of funding, which they chose to invest in upgrading and relaunching their website.
Future Plans
Akshay and Srijan’s success is not just due to their innovative business strategies but also due to their strong determination.
Currently, Kitabwalah offers school books for CBSE, ICSE, and Bihar boards, as well as for competitive exams. They also sell new books at competitive prices as some customers demand new books. Akshay stated that their business caters to nearly 200 to 250 customers daily from various regions. They are planning to expand and include books from other boards as well.
