IIT-IIM degrees, Goldman Sachs job. Left everything to know more about security guards. Who is Abhishek Kumar, co-founder of MyGate?
At a time when most would chase promotions and perks in glass towers, Abhishek Kumar did the unthinkable. An IIT Kanpur graduate with an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, and then a Vice President at Goldman Sachs, he quit his high-profile job to shadow security guards in gated societies. Not for a documentary, not as a social experiment—but to build something that would redefine urban community living in India. That idea became MyGate.Abhishek's journey began at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, one of India's most prestigious schools. He then went on to pursue a B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, followed by an MBA from IIM- Ahmedabad. Armed with a world-class education, he entered the finance world and spent six years at Goldman Sachs, eventually rising to the position of Vice President. But the boardroom didn't satiate his long-term purpose.
Abhishek's drastic shift wasn't impulsive—it was sparked by a vision shared by Vijay Arisetty, an alumnus of NDA and ISB. In 2016, Arisetty foresaw the rise of smart community living and the pressing need for secure, connected, and digitized residential societies. Alongside him were Abhishek Kumar and Shreyans Daga, an IIT Guwahati and ISB alumnus.
In one of his LinkedIn posts, he wrote that 9 years back, he was shadowing the security guards for several weeks to gain more insights for their app. He decided to step into the shoes again and did a full 12 hours shift of a guard from 8 am to 8 pm for a day.
The trio—each from a vastly different background—came together to co-found Bengaluru-based app, MyGate, a community management app that today handles over 720,000 requests every minute and has processed more than 6 billion entries across India. Its mission? To enhance daily living with security, convenience, and connection.While some startup founders skim user data for insights, Abhishek went boots-on-the-ground. He spent months observing and speaking with security guards, understanding the operational gaps. What began as a digital gatekeeping solution quickly expanded into an ecosystem, helping residents discover local services, purchase property, and even file society tickets, of which over 6 million have been resolved through the platform. According to Tracxn, Vijay Arisetty, together with Daga and Kumar, the trio built MyGate into a Rs 1,670 crore powerhouse, transforming how Indians experience community living.Vijay Arisetty's journey began in the Indian Air Force, where he served as a decorated helicopter pilot and was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his heroic efforts during the 2004 tsunami. A career-ending sports injury led him to pivot from military service to the corporate world. He earned an MBA from ISB Hyderabad and later became Vice President at Goldman Sachs. Yet, despite the success, Vijay felt a void—driven by a desire for deeper purpose beyond the corporate grind.
( Originally published on Jul 13, 2025 )
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