When you are determined to make it big, no force can stop you. There are many entrepreneurs in this country whose journey can be best described as a testament to perseverance, resilience, and unyielding spirit. One such story is of Ankit Agarwal. From operating a quick service restaurant (QSR) kiosk in college to establishing a successful prop-tech startup, Agarwal’s story is an inspiration for those who want to achieve their dreams.

Ankit Agarwal was born in Kolkata in 1990 to Ravi Shankar Agarwal and Radha Agarwal. While still an engineering student at the age of 19, he used his savings and borrowed money to open a QSR kiosk in front of his college. However, the venture did not succeed and had to shut down for six months. However, this setback did not deter his entrepreneurial spirit.

He was later placed at TCS in Mumbai, where he worked for a brief two months. He left the job to open a pani puri stall, which he later upgraded to a small QSR – RN Restaurant, situated in Pillai College, Mumbai. Despite hitting sales of Rs 8,000 per day, Agarwal faced severe funding crunches, to the point of leaving his rented house, spending nights in local trains while juggling three shifts in different food businesses to manage expenses.

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Finally, in 2014, Ankit Agarwal had to shut down his restaurant business and was left with no money and no place to live. However, destiny had other plans for him. He got introduced to the real estate sector and started a home loan business. Learning the workings of the industry, he finally launched Housiey in 2016 with just one employee. 

Agarwal credits the struggle for survival behind the birth of ‘Housiey’. “After my restaurant business failed, I was left with nothing. However, I had an unyielding self-belief and an open mindset that allowed me to quickly adapt and try new things. And that’s what led me to real estate and eventually to the creation of Housiey,” he said. Housiey connects home buyers directly with builders, eliminating the hassles of dealing with multiple brokers. With Housiey, Agarwal has catered to over 5500+ families buying their homes and executing property transactions worth Rs 2300+ crores.

From his initial venture in college to propelling Housiey’s success, Ankit Agarwal’s story is inspiring proof that with tenacity, belief, and adaptability, one can achieve even the loftiest of dreams. It’s a journey that continues to inspire and offers valuable lessons to aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere.