In an exclusive chat with loudest.in, Bhatia shares how Radiowalla’s IPO success was powered by strategic B2B positioning, tech innovation, market credibility.
Harvinderjit Singh Bhatia is the CEO and Co-Founder of Radiowalla Network Limited, a leading B2B retail media and customer engagement company. With extensive experience in finance, media, and entrepreneurship, Bhatia has been instrumental in shaping Radiowalla’s growth through innovative tech-driven solutions, strategic market expansion, and a strong focus on delivering measurable value to clients.
Under his leadership, the company has established itself as a pioneer in in-store radio, corporate audio services, and digital signage across India.
In an exclusive chat with loudest.in, Bhatia shares how Radiowalla’s IPO success was powered by strategic B2B positioning, tech innovation, market credibility, and authentic storytelling,driving investor trust, brand differentiation, and sustainable growth.
Here are edited excerpts:
Q1. What marketing levers were most critical in Radiowalla’s IPO success story?
Radiowalla’s IPO success was the result of a well-rounded strategy that combined strong B2B positioning, innovative technology, and market credibility. By clearly establishing its leadership in the retail media space and focusing on B2B customer engagement services such as in-store and corporate radio, the company differentiated itself from consumer-facing peers. Its use of AI-assisted playlist creation, programmatic advertising, and expansion into digital signage showcased scalability and modern relevance. Radiowalla also highlighted the vast market potential,over 200,000 retail stores in India,while leveraging its existing network of 29,000+ stores and 270 million monthly footfalls to demonstrate growth opportunities.
Transparent communication of its robust financial performance (FY23 revenue of ?14 crore, EBITDA of ?1.52 crore, PAT of ?1.02 crore) and clear IPO objectives around technology upgrades and expansion further built investor trust. Credibility was strengthened by anchor investors such as Ashish Kacholia, strong lead managers, targeted media outreach, and the extensive experience of its promoters and senior management team in audio and digital media, all of which inspired confidence among potential investors.
Q2. How do you position a B2B tech brand to stand out in a consumer-driven market like India?
Radiowalla focused on a strategic mix of value-driven communication and consistent brand presence to strengthen its market positioning. The company emphasised its direct business impact,improving efficiency, engagement, and customer experience for clients,while crafting a distinct identity built on a strong brand narrative, technical precision, and clear visual systems to establish authority in its niche. Solutions were presented through compelling, relatable storytelling, often supported by global examples to highlight differentiation. Messaging was tailored to the Ideal Customer Profile, underscoring ROI, reliability, and industry expertise. Across all touchpoints, sales, marketing, and account management teams maintained a unified voice to ensure clarity, trust, and lasting relationships.
Q3. What role does storytelling play in building investor confidence for tech startups?
Storytelling is vital for investor confidence in many ways:A strong, authentic narrative helps a startup stand out in crowded markets by making it memorable and relatable to investors. It simplifies complexity by translating technical jargon into clear value propositions and practical business use cases. Storytelling also builds emotional trust, revealing the founder’s vulnerability, vision, and commitment,qualities investors value deeply. Most importantly, it clarifies the company’s vision and trajectory, enabling investors to see not only the current solution but also its future potential, impact, and scalability.We’ve moved from the era of mass consumer radio to hyper-targeted audio experiences for business.
Q4. How can early-stage founders balance financial discipline with bold brand-building?
Balance is achieved by focusing on ROI-driven brand investments, directing early spending toward activities that deliver measurable growth or customer acquisition. Marketing expansion should be staged, with budgets increasing in line with proven business traction, avoiding overspending before achieving product–market fit. Lean operations are essential, leveraging creative, cost-effective channels and strategic partnerships,such as
Radiowalla’s collaboration with the Retailers Association of India for targeted outreach. Strong financial oversight, including vigilant cash flow management, unit economics tracking, and regular forecasting, keeps growth sustainable. Authentic storytelling, built on the founder’s journey and brand purpose, serves as a powerful, low-cost marketing tool.
Q5. What’s one marketing mistake you often see in B2B companies trying to scale?
A common mistake is the over-reliance on paid acquisition (Google/LinkedIn ads) while neglecting organic strategies like content, SEO, industry partnerships or thought leadership. This results in high costs and shallow brand equity. Other frequent errors include misalignment between sales and marketing, lack of clear ICP targeting, and failing to analyze results for continuous refining.
Q6. From Radio Mirchi to Radiowalla, how has your view of marketing evolved across industries?
Marketing has evolved from a mass-consumer orientation, as seen during the Radio Mirchi era, where the focus was on broad reach, creative formats, and brand recall through memorable campaigns and popular radio personalities, to a more customized, B2B-driven approach at Radiowalla. This shift emphasized tailored, data-backed solutions for business clients, transparent performance metrics, and storytelling rooted in expertise and trust.
Today, modern marketing integrates technology with compelling narratives, delivering measurable outcomes that resonate with both business clients and investors. The focus has moved beyond mere visibility to fostering scalable, results-driven engagement that builds lasting stakeholder trust.