Ankur Gupta (Dhobi G)

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Overview

Ankur Gupta is an Indian entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Dhobi G, a Chennai-based laundry-tech startup. Founded alongside Ravi Ranjan and Daksh Sabharwal, the company addresses the often-neglected segment of institutional laundry services, primarily targeting college campuses. Under Gupta's leadership, Dhobi G has gained recognition for its innovative approach to solving student laundry issues using technology-driven solutions, such as automation and logistics optimization.

Recent Developments

In recent years, Dhobi G has achieved several significant milestones and developments:

  • October 2025: Dhobi G secured fresh funding of ₹1.5 crore from Indian Overseas Bank (IOB). This capital injection is aimed at expanding their campus laundry services across India, specifically targeting over 20,000 students in the next 12 months. The funds are earmarked for extending their operations into five additional campuses, namely in Chennai, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, and northern Indian cities.
  • April 2025: Dhobi G was awarded the B2B category of the Startup Maharathi Challenge 2025, hosted by the Government of India and Startup India. The event underscored the company's innovative approach to addressing the intrinsic issue of student laundry services with empathy and scalability.
  • August 2023: Dhobi G welcomed its first institutional client, SRM University, marking a significant step in expanding its market presence and proving its business model as a scalable solution. The success with SRM University led to securing substantial seed funding from NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore.

Personal Information

AttributeInformation
Full NameAnkur Gupta
BornNot publicly available
NationalityIndian
OccupationEntrepreneur, COO of Dhobi G
Known ForCo-founding Dhobi G
Net WorthNot publicly available
EducationEngineering degree (specifics NA)

Early Life and Education

Details about Ankur Gupta's early life and precise education are sparse. It is known that he, along with his future co-founders, were engineering students who shared a common plight: the lack of efficient laundry solutions in their hostel lives. This issue later became the foundation stone for launching Dhobi G. The trio's shared experiences and engineering background equipped them with the problem-solving mindset necessary to tackle and innovate within the startup sector.

Career and Notable Achievements

Ankur Gupta's professional journey took a remarkable turn when he co-founded Dhobi G, alongside Ravi Ranjan and Daksh Sabharwal.

  • 2022: Dhobi G was officially incubated as part of Velocity Cohort 2.
  • 2023: Successfully launched operations at SRM University, marking the company’s first institutional partnership.
  • 2025: Won the esteemed Startup Maharathi Challenge award for its pioneering role in laundry technology and services sector.
  • 2025: Garnered ₹1.5 crore funding from Indian Overseas Bank, a testament to its burgeoning growth and innovative service model.

Current Work and Impact

Currently, Ankur Gupta continues to steer Dhobi G as its COO. The company is at the forefront of transforming how institutional laundry services are managed in India, emphasizing a tech-first approach. This contributes significantly to reducing manual labor, ensuring higher accountability, and increasing efficiency in water and resource utilization. Dhobi G’s service model not only fosters operational improvements but also aims to professionalize the laundry sector, thus creating more structured employment opportunities as “laundropreneurs.”

Conclusion

Ankur Gupta’s work with Dhobi G highlights a path not frequently trodden in the startup world—combining simple everyday problems with scalable tech-driven solutions. The company’s recent successes, awards, and expansions underscore its role in innovating the laundry services sector. Gupta's journey from student frustration to national recognition demonstrates an entrepreneurial spirit capable of driving substantial societal impact and instilling institutional innovation.

References

  1. Startup Story Media Article
  2. Entrepreneur Hunt Article
  3. The Hindu Article