The Cashback Queen Of India
In 1999, this small-town girl from Ambala got a life-changing scholarship to study in Singapore. Just out of school, Swati had already planned her next move—the London School of Economics! She graduated from LSE in 2005 with a double major in Economics and Mathematics. In 2005, Swati started working at Goldman Sachs, continued for half a decade, and then decided she was going to be her own boss. In 2011, she started Pouring Pounds, a UK-based Cashback business with her husband, Rohan Bhargava. The successful test run had Swati convinced that a cashback company will do great in India. So, they started CashKaro in 2013 and Swati soon realised she was right! In 2015, CashKaro got Rs 25 crore in funding from Kalaari Capital. The next year, Ratan Tata got on board and funded the company. In 2019, Swati also launched EarnKaro, an affiliate marketing app that lets users earn money with shopping recommendations! Swati Bhargava became the reason behind India’s obsession with ‘cash back’ and ‘affiliate marketing’ deals. In 2022, CashKaro did about 4,000 crores, earned close to 225 crores in revenue, and nearly earned 20 million users registered through the site!
Power Move
In 2022, Swati left everyone in awe of her grit and determination. She was in the middle of a fundraising round for CashKaro when her chronic kidney condition got worse. The doctor told Swati she needed an immediate transplant. Undeterred, Swati decided to go ahead with the fundraiser while preparing for the surgery. On November 3, CashKaro secured INR 130 Cr in its Series C funding round which was led by Affle Global (AGPL). Three days later, Swati underwent a kidney transplant and is now recovering while charting the future course of action for her company.
The POPxo Power Women List is an annual list that celebrates incredible Indian women from diverse domains who make power moves that have a real impact. With The POPxo Power Women List 2023, we celebrate 23 phenomenal women. To see the entire list, click here.
