This young visionary is changing the face of international trade with a sharp sense of opportunity and a talent for leadership! This young entrepreneur, Nikhil Agrawal, has raised one of the biggest seed rounds in the sector because of his special combination of technological know-how and business savvy. His leadership has changed how companies handle international trade by fostering innovation and creating high-performing tech teams. He is dedicated to breaking down barriers to international trade and realising India’s potential, having traveled much and developed a love for empowering entrepreneurs.
Excerpts from the interview:
Your path—from computer science and business studies to co-founding a firm funded by Y Combinator and then creating Pazago—indicates a unique combination of technical expertise and strategic vision. In retrospect, do you consider yourself more of a businessman who understands technology or a technologist who understands business?
I’ve always worked at the nexus of business and technology, which are inextricably linked. I consider myself as a business developer with a thorough understanding of technology, not only as a tool but also as a force multiplier capable of radically altering entire sectors. I seen firsthand how technology could streamline intricate financial decisions at Alinea Invest. I discovered at Credit Karma how automation and data may generate enormous efficiencies on a large scale. An continuation of that idea is Pazago, which transforms a dispersed, relationship-based sector into an organised, data-driven ecosystem. This viewpoint has influenced my leadership style. I don’t just build technology; we make technology that solves practical problems, boosts commercial results and builds confidence in a historically untrustworthy industry.
You grew up observing your father as he experienced the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur. Was there a specific instance—perhaps a crisis he handled or a choice he made—that influenced your perception of what starting a business actually entails?
One of my first experiences with true entrepreneurship was observing my father manage a supply chain issue in his company. There was no clear indication of when a shipment that was delayed would be fixed. Businesses depend heavily on connections, trust and sometimes, uncertainty. I recall witnessing the irritation, the phone calls and the continuous back and forth. That experience stayed with me. In trade and supply chains, where companies are compelled to rely on hope instead of procedure, visibility and certainty, it made me acutely aware of the problems.
Having studied in Boston and London, worked in Silicon Valley and now run a business in India, you have been exposed to a variety of entrepreneurial cultures. What do Indian entrepreneurs frequently misunderstand about global scaling?
The most common misperception about India is that its economy still mostly relies on services. In actuality, India is quickly developing into a product-driven, deep-tech ecosystem. It’s an antiquated notion that Indian businesses excel at execution but struggle with creativity. The finest solutions in India aren’t simply catching up; they’re setting global standards. Take a look at how the country jumped ahead in fintech, digital payments and supply chain technology. However, Indian businesspeople frequently misjudge how difficult it is to scale internationally. Regulatory environments, purchasing patterns and market expectations differ greatly and what works in India does not necessarily apply to other countries. Expanding is only one aspect of scaling worldwide; another is deeply localising without sacrificing operational effectiveness.
How do you handle the conflicting demands of being a youthful founder, where you must not only be fearless and innovative but also win over seasoned investors and business experts who might doubt your background?
In a conventional, high-stakes business like cross-border trading, the only way to gain trust is to produce outcomes, both regularly and in large quantities. Until you demonstrate that you know the business better than everybody else in the room, age is merely a consideration. In addition to discussing transformation, we have built it by putting it into practice. I collaborate with leading exporters from a variety of industries, have helped our clients cut shipment delays by more than 30% and have developed an end-to-end fulfillment infrastructure that applies process rigour to a previously disjointed industry. People want you to be disruptive when you’re young, but true disruption comes from creating something that functions better rather than just creating noise. We have gained the confidence of investors and industry participants in this way.
Many business owners talk about having a “lightbulb moment”—a singular realisation that a system is flawed and ready for change. When did you have that encounter?
It was the identification of patterns in hundreds of exporter discussions, not a single instance. Every company I talked to had the same problems: they didn’t know what their orders were, they didn’t have a systematic method for handling logistics or quality control and delays and cost overruns were just “part of the business.” It dawned on me then: a $400 billion industry that relies on WhatsApp chats, Excel sheets and intuition. Rebuilding the entire process from the ground up with technology, structure and openness was the goal, not just fixing one inefficiency.
Which tactics have been successful in changing attitudes?
Showing people how technology works is more difficult than persuading them that it does. Exporters don’t mind change; they just object to it if it seems dangerous, difficult, or unrelated to their processes. Our approach has been to demonstrate benefit right away and onboard people gradually. We begin by addressing one issue at a time, such as visibility, quality control, or order management efficiency, rather than expecting them to completely revamp their operations overnight. Naturally, they embrace the entire stack after realising the impact.
How do you envision fostering trust in an industry that has historically been dominated by interpersonal interactions?
I prioritise responsibility and predictability over technology.
Consistent execution: All exporters are certain that their orders will be fulfilled accurately and that we will identify problems before they become serious ones.
Partnership mentality: We’re an extension of their company, not just a platform, making sure that quality assurance, logistics and currency risk management run well.
Human touch: We strengthen the relationship layer with data-driven decision-making and real-time support, rather than eliminating it when we automate procedures.
Many founders discuss “building with impact,” but what does that imply in real life, in your opinion?
Impact, in my opinion, is more about tangible results than lofty declarations. There will be a significant impact if we can increase trade’s predictability, effectiveness and profitability for companies. It involves tackling significant, real-world issues on a large scale. Every choice made is motivated by the same question: Does this make life easier for exporters? An impact occurs if a Mumbai seafood exporter avoids cargo rejection as a result of our technology anticipating a possible quality issue. There will be an impact if a business owner can stop chasing around freight forwarders, shipping lines and suppliers via email and WhatsApp in order to follow an order. There will be an effect if a Gujarati factory receives payment more quickly as a result of our integrated financial solutions streamlining trade financing.
What would the perfect future look like, where your vision
is completely realised?
Imagine a world in which cross-border trade functions with the same accuracy and predictability as an online purchase, free from delays, quality rejections and supply chain inefficiencies. That is the future we are creating! Every stage of an export order is automated, transparent and completely integrated in this world, from sourcing to fulfillment to payments. Exporters no longer have to spend weeks tracking down information, resolving conflicts, or figuring out complicated compliance issues. Rather, their integrated financial solutions, AI-powered suggestions and real-time insights make international trade simple. Which prediction is the most audacious? Technology will make exporting as simple as domestic sales within the next ten years. Trade finance will be quick and integrated into transactions and AI will predict disruptions before they occur.
