SRV Media: Building a ₹280 Crore Full-Stack Marketing and Fintech Powerhouse from a Hostel Room

"We started SRV Media in a hostel room with just ₹26,000—the PF amount I received after leaving my job. Today, we are a 580-person team with a combined turnover of ₹286 crore, and both our ventures have been profitable from day one." This remarkable journey, shared by Dr. Vikram Kumar, founder of SRV Media and co-founder of Easebuzz, is a masterclass in the power of bootstrapping, horizontal service integration, and a relentless focus on profitability over vanity metrics.

While most startups chase explosive valuations backed by venture capital, Vikram and his co-founder Rohit Prasad built a comprehensive digital ecosystem that serves the entire lifecycle of a business. From designing websites and running performance marketing campaigns to providing an RBI-licensed payment gateway and managing outsourced call centers, SRV Media has become a "one-stop-shop" for enterprises looking to scale in the digital age. By integrating marketing with fintech, they have created a defensible moat that few agencies in India can match.

The Hostel Room Genesis: Solving for "One-Stop" Marketing

The story of SRV Media began in 2010 while Vikram was pursuing his MBA at Symbiosis International University. Along with his classmate Rohit Prasad, he envisioned a horizontal layer of services that could handle every digital touchpoint for a brand. "We had this aspiration that one day we would provide end-to-end services in digital media marketing," Vikram recalls.

Starting with just two friends who were unemployed but skilled, the team used YouTube and online courses to train themselves and their first hires. They didn't have the capital to hire senior experts, so they relied on a robust **Campus Recruitment** and internal **Learning & Development (L&D)** model—a strategy that remains the backbone of the company today.

The Fintech Moat: The Easebuzz Integration

What truly sets SRV Media apart is its synergy with Easebuzz, an RBI-authorized payment aggregator. In the Indian market, Vikram noticed that MSMEs often struggled with fragmented service providers. An e-commerce brand would hire one agency for marketing, another for development, and a third for its payment gateway.

"You won't find a single digital media marketing company in India that also has its own RBI-licensed payment gateway," Vikram notes. This vertical integration allows them to serve complex clients like universities. For instance, for Symbiosis, they manage everything: from the digital marketing that attracts students to the application form development, the outsourced call center that handles inquiries, and the payment gateway that collects the fees.

Leadership through Responsibility Swapping

Reflecting on his partnership with Rohit, Vikram shares a unique management technique: **Annual Responsibility Swapping**. "One year I take care of the entire operations and Rohit handles sales; the next year, we swap," he explains. This ensures that both founders have a 360-degree view of the business, prevents leadership silos, and allows the organization to remain agile.

This philosophy extends to the entire team. To combat the high attrition rates common in the service industry, SRV Media maintains a 10-20% "bench strength" and relies heavily on its in-house L&D team to fill gaps quickly. They have accepted the reality that Gen Z talent may stay for only two years, and they have built their processes to be resilient to that churn.

Innovation and the "PhD" Edge

Vikram's commitment to the field goes beyond business; he recently completed his **PhD in Digital Marketing**. This academic rigor has translated into two patents in his name—one focused on AI in digital media and another on general AI applications. He believes that entrepreneurs must do in-depth research into their chosen domain to stay ahead of the curve.

"Innovation can be as small as the gift you give to a client," Vikram says. "You must study hard and ensure your learnings are imparted to your entire team through a strong L&D function." This combination of academic depth and practical business sense has allowed SRV Media to climb from being the 125th marketing company in Pune to the 2nd largest in terms of manpower.

The Future: A Billion-Dollar Integrated Ecosystem

Looking ahead, SRV Media and Easebuzz are targeting massive growth. Easebuzz processed over ₹1,00,000 crore in Gross Transaction Value (GTV) in FY24, and the group is aiming for even higher targets in FY25. For Vikram, the ultimate goal isn't just a number; it's the satisfaction of solving real-world problems for Indian MSMEs.

"Entrepreneurship is about sacrifice and patience," Vikram concludes. "It’s a tough journey, but if you are ready to give your 100%, it is the most fulfilling path you can take."

Key Takeaways

For Agency Founders: Horizontal integration (Marketing + Development + Support) makes you indispensable to your clients and builds a stable revenue base.

For MSME Owners: Look for partners who offer a "One-Stop Shop" to avoid the headache of managing multiple vendors for your digital presence.

For Students: Don't fear starting small. A hostel room and a small amount of savings can be the foundation of a multi-thousand crore enterprise if you focus on skill-building and profitability.

About the Guest

Dr. Vikram Kumar is the founder of SRV Media and one of the founders of Easebuzz. An engineer from BIT Mesra and an MBA/PhD from Symbiosis, he is a rare "Pracademic" in the Indian startup ecosystem. With over 15 years of experience in digital marketing and fintech, Vikram has led SRV Media to become one of India's premier integrated marketing firms, while Easebuzz has emerged as a leader in the payment solutions space.