She Built a Startup for India’s Public Transport System | Priya Singh, Chalo Mobility
Wed Jan 14 2026
How do you build a tech giant in India's hardest market?
In this episode of The FoundHers Podcast, we sit down with Priya Singh, Co-founder of Chalo Mobility, to break down the reality of building in India’s public sector. From launching a mobility tech app in Bhopal to working closely with government systems, Priya shares honest insights on what it really takes to scale, stay profitable, and create change at a national level.
With over 20 years of experience across the government, UN, and startup ecosystem, Priya brings an unfiltered perspective on Indian consumer behaviour, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, the truth about working with the government, and what resilience truly means for founders building in complex ecosystems.
If you’re curious about public sector startups, urban mobility in India, or building real-world impact, this episode is a must-watch.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
01:45 What is Chalo Mobility?
03:05 Launching the app in Bhopal
07:55 Bus v/s Metro
12:35 How to get profitable in the public sector?
18:40 Is it easy to work with the government?
23:00 How are women treated in government roles?
28:25 3 truths about the Indian consumer
31:48 Why is resilience important?
33:45 What is Priya finding in this journey?
37:20 Conclusion
📢 Subscribe for more entrepreneur stories, startup lessons, and business insights from Indian founders.
#entrepreneur #startup #indianstartups #founderstory #chaloapp #publictransport #womeninbusiness #businesspodcast #businindia
About Priya Singh:
Priya Singh is the Co-founder and Director at Chalo Mobility and serves as Chief Business Officer, leading Public Market business and Brand Advocacy across India and international markets. She oversees a vertical that contributes nearly 80% of Chalo’s revenue, scaling operations to 30,000 buses across 100+ cities. With over 21+ years of experience across government, global institutions, and startup ecosystems, Priya brings deep expertise in building commuter-first, scalable urban mobility systems.
About the show:
Bringing women founders, leaders and experts together to share their experience and business journeys.
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thefoundherspodcast_/
https://startinc.in/podcast/
Hinal Mehta, Host
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hinalmehta15/
StartInc
https://www.instagram.com/startinc.in/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/startinc/posts/?feedView=all
Priya Singh, Guest
https://www.linkedin.com/in/priya-singh-49a96212/
https://chalo.com/
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How do you build a tech giant in India's hardest market? In this episode of The FoundHers Podcast, we sit down with Priya Singh, Co-founder of Chalo Mobility, to break down the reality of building in India’s public sector. From launching a mobility tech app in Bhopal to working closely with government systems, Priya shares honest insights on what it really takes to scale, stay profitable, and create change at a national level. With over 20 years of experience across the government, UN, and startup ecosystem, Priya brings an unfiltered perspective on Indian consumer behaviour, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, the truth about working with the government, and what resilience truly means for founders building in complex ecosystems. If you’re curious about public sector startups, urban mobility in India, or building real-world impact, this episode is a must-watch. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction 01:45 What is Chalo Mobility? 03:05 Launching the app in Bhopal 07:55 Bus v/s Metro 12:35 How to get profitable in the public sector? 18:40 Is it easy to work with the government? 23:00 How are women treated in government roles? 28:25 3 truths about the Indian consumer 31:48 Why is resilience important? 33:45 What is Priya finding in this journey? 37:20 Conclusion 📢 Subscribe for more entrepreneur stories, startup lessons, and business insights from Indian founders. #entrepreneur #startup #indianstartups #founderstory #chaloapp #publictransport #womeninbusiness #businesspodcast #businindia About Priya Singh: Priya Singh is the Co-founder and Director at Chalo Mobility and serves as Chief Business Officer, leading Public Market business and Brand Advocacy across India and international markets. She oversees a vertical that contributes nearly 80% of Chalo’s revenue, scaling operations to 30,000 buses across 100+ cities. With over 21+ years of experience across government, global institutions, and startup ecosystems, Priya brings deep expertise in building commuter-first, scalable urban mobility systems. About the show: Bringing women founders, leaders and experts together to share their experience and business journeys. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thefoundherspodcast_/ https://startinc.in/podcast/ Hinal Mehta, Host https://www.linkedin.com/in/hinalmehta15/ StartInc https://www.instagram.com/startinc.in/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/startinc/posts/?feedView=all Priya Singh, Guest https://www.linkedin.com/in/priya-singh-49a96212/ https://chalo.com/