Yash Shah

People make business happen. Not products, not processes, not hierarchies, nothing.. Quintessential People..

Today, DevX Puts Ahmedabad’s Startup Story on the Main Board (Originally published for Slice of Startup Life on eChai Ventures) In 2017, three friends walked into a half-empty floor in Ahmedabad. The walls were peeling, the floor was still dusty, and the landlord was not sure if leasing it to them made sense. Coworking was barely known here, and in a city built on factories and family businesses, the idea of young founders sharing office space felt untested. But Parth Shah, Rushit Shah, and Umesh Uttamchandani saw something different. They imagined a place where entrepreneurs could work, grow, and feel part of something larger. That evening, they began what would later become DevX. The first steps were not easy. Families were worried, landlords were doubtful, and clients were uncertain. This is where each of the three founders showed what made them different. Umesh carried optimism that reassured others and turned hesitation into agreement. His calm conviction won them their first landlord. Rushit had the persistence to keep conversations alive until they became real partnerships. One of DevX’s first anchor clients came on board only because he refused to let the dialogue end. Parth steadied it all, slowing the team when excitement pushed them to run too fast and reminding them to make one center work well before opening another. From those small steps DevX began to grow. What started as a coworking space soon evolved into something bigger. The team realized that companies were not only looking for shared desks. They needed managed office solutions, with custom design, turnkey fit-outs, and operational support that would let them move in and begin work without the cost and delay of long leases. DevX built exactly that. Today it is one of India’s leading flexible workspace providers, offering both coworking and managed offices together. The real test came during Covid. Many believed the business of leasing and offices would decline as remote-first models took over. Instead of waiting, DevX adapted. It strengthened its design arm through Phi Designs, and began helping large companies set up offshore development centers in India. This shift allowed DevX to diversify and turn a crisis into an opportunity, while continuing to support giants who needed reliable partners to reimagine workspaces for a changed world. That adaptability shaped its scale. From a single floor in Ahmedabad, DevX has expanded into 28 centers across 11 cities, with 14,000 seats and more than 250 clients, serving early-stage startups as well as large corporates. Growth was steady and deliberate, built on the same traits that defined the founders from the beginning: optimism, energy, and discipline. Now, with DevX’s IPO open and the bell-ringing set for September 17, their journey joins the larger arc of Ahmedabad’s startup story. The city has already seen landmark exits. Havmor Ice Cream was acquired by South Korea’s Lotte in 2017. eInfochips was acquired by Arrow Electronics in 2018. Elitecore Technologies was acquired by Sterlite Tech in 2015. Beardo was acquired by Marico in 2020. SocialPilot was acquired by Sweden’s group.one this year for 50 million US dollars. And many others. Each of these stories showed that companies from Ahmedabad could compete nationally and globally. DevX now adds another chapter, a founder-led startup stepping onto the main board, not as an acquisition but as an institution in its own right. For me, DevX has never been only about offices. I have seen their spaces become gathering points where founders meet, where communities host events, and where collaborations begin. Many of our own eChai meetups took place inside DevX centers, and so did countless gatherings by others. The leadership gave not only space but also their time and energy back to the ecosystem. That is why their success feels connected to the city’s success.

Hosting the Sales Masterclass for Startups this evening at GVFL in Ahmedabad. It’s part of our ongoing eChai series that brings founders together to share what’s working, what’s not, and how to build real sales momentum. Joining us are two sharp operators. @yashparallel, Co-founder of Momentum and previously Clientjoy (acquired), and @sandeep220490, founder of AppsRow and one of the most practical voices on sales execution for early-stage teams. Over 100 founders, community enablers, and startup folks have signed up. Free registration at eChai.Ventures

Ahmedabad’s Startup Scene is stronger than ever.

@theSaaSpreneur @sugandhanisa You have me confused with someone else @theSaaSpreneur 😇

he did it. He outdid every cringe LinkedIn post ever.

I am low-key excited to see AI getting replaced by another AI 😂

India Test captain: Jasprit Bumrah India T20 captain: Surya Kumar Yadav India ODI captain: Rohit Sharma All 3 will play the IPL for Mumbai Indians under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya 🤯😂

Never missed a test at home to a niggle, injury or non-performance. The only stat of yours that will change after today. @ashwinravi99 : You shall be missed. Thank you for starting your YT channel 👀

@GabbbarSingh Feels like you yourself don't believe this. Smart person like you knows what it takes to send a guy to someone's doorsteps with veg chowmein. You know how difficult it is to accomplish this. Par engagement bhi toh chahiye 😅

God complex should be reserved for Founders who are sending Rockets to Mars, not someone sending a Bangladeshi guy to your doorsteps with Veg chowmein.

@missmaddenstein Agree with you about folks spewing unsolicited, incoherent and reprehensible opinions about what others should be doing. It IS scary, yes.

If you’re unable to get enough female applicants for a Bangalore-based AI program, then maybe the correct response is acknowledgement that you could be using better channels/platforms/networks/adverts for callouts instead of lashing out with a holier than thou attitude 🤷🏽‍♀️

@kunalb11 Average people + excellent process = 🔥

Process is how mediocrity gets their power - anon

@JioCare It says the same thing as before - as you can see in the screenshot. Haven't received an SMS. I tried chatbot. I tried calling the toll free. Everything seems to be going in the loop. Can you arrange such that I can speak to a person?

@yashparallel Jio.com > Track Order section and by entering the Lead No - Kirti (2/2)

@JioCare : The app has a bug which is not allowing me to add address for installation. Pls help.

@GoogleIndia and @billdesk : Thank you for implementing a drop down that is not sorted alphabetically. Those 2 minutes I spent looking for my bank, I am never going to get back 😤

As soon as a cricket match is over, @BCCI should bubble wrap @Jaspritbumrah93 and put him in some cryo preservation device. Only 30 mins before a match should he be taken out and re-heated in a microwave or something. Thank you #tiss for the idea.

@eighthorcrux Fair to say that India always played a 20-16 match. His economy was 4 point something. But most of the boundaries were thick inside or outside edges.

A gentle reminder that don't let anyone fool you into believing that it was Virat or Axar or Rohit or Surya who brought it home. Teamwork, team effort and all sure, but it was this freak who single handedly brought it home. ❤️

@MartinGTobias History, universe and philosophy

I have found the best founders are fundamentally curious about the world. This is a question I often ask; “Other than the company you are building, what is a topic you are insanely curious about?” What say you ?

@ImRo45 is out for revenge

@HubSpot @clientjoycrm There were a couple more things discussed as well. Do join in the next time if you are around. Thank you @jatin10 and @eChaiVentures for having me in this conversation. If you liked this thread, RT the first one from here and drop a follow --> x.com/yashparallel/s…

@HubSpot @clientjoycrm Building that thought process within yourself and the team becomes important. The team will have to go from understanding requirements and giving quotes to listening to problems and identifying insights.

It was an interesting evening spent with services founders discussing about transitioning from #services to #SaaS at @GvflLimited. Some notes from the conversation. A thread 🧵