Razorpay hands over its IPL airtime to founders solving India’s real problems

New Delhi: Business-to-business (B2B) marketing spends during major sporting events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) are uncommon, with most airtime typically dominated by consumer-facing brands and celebrity-led campaigns. Razorpay, a payments and banking platform for businesses, took a different approach this year by using its ad slots to feature 37 founders from its network of startups.

“For years, cricket ad breaks have belonged to celebrities,” said Harshil Mathur, CEO and Co-founder of Razorpay. “This year, we flipped the script, handing the spotlight to 37 individuals, not entertainers, but builders; founders creating jobs, solving real problems, and shaping India’s future.”

The initiative was developed in collaboration with creative agency Talented, which produced 37 films featuring startup founders. These were filmed across three cities and tailored to each business. “From day one, we knew we did not want another flashy IPL spot people forget by the next over,” said Yash Dugar from Brand Strategy at Talented. “We wanted to hand the mic to the real builders – the ones Razorpay was built for. 30 days, quick pivots and a lot of heart. Every time one of those films aired, and a founder shared it like it was their own, we were proud, emotional, and reminded why we do this: to make work that’s seen and felt.”

The campaign began with Razorpay creating over 100 customised videos for entrepreneurs in its startup accelerator programme, Rize. These were not standardised templates but individualised films designed to highlight the founders’ visions and missions. As the campaign gained traction, many founders reworked the content into their own brand narratives, resulting in a surge of user-generated posts within the startup community.

Watch the launch film and founder playlist:

Public figures also joined the campaign. Among them was content creator-turned-D2C founder Kusha Kapila and Shark Tank India panellist Ritesh Agarwal. Kapila, who launched her brand Underneat recently, said, “Being part of a wave that doesn’t put fame before ambition is refreshing for creators like me. Razorpay handed the mic to the people building quietly. I loved being part of that energy!”

The initiative attracted the attention of public institutions. iStart Rajasthan, the state’s startup programme, nominated two startups to be featured in the IPL ad series, saying, “From AI and agritech to mobility and manufacturing, Rajasthan’s startups are solving real problems at scale.” 

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology also commended the campaign, describing it as a celebration of “India’s boldest innovators who are building with purpose and redefining what’s possible.”

Apurv Sethi, SVP of Marketing at Razorpay, said the campaign was less about conventional advertising and more about platforming the people the company serves. “These are the people solving hard problems, creating jobs, and building the future. As a brand built to support them, it was only right we gave them the mic.”