Pankaj Parwanda

Mr. Pankaj Parwanda is the Co-founder of goSTOPS. Who says that the co-founder of a backpacker hostel brand has to be a backpacker himself? While passionate about traveling, Pankaj’s heart leans more towards luxury and the finer things in life. Pankaj would’ve never experienced staying at a backpacker hostel if it wasn’t for the Europe trip in 2012. What fascinated Pankaj Parwanda was the possibility to solve an important need for a large market using the backpacker hostel model. Bringing the backpacker hostels concept to India meant that the country’s youth would get access to branded high-quality accommodation that until now was beyond the reach of the Gen-Z. Pankaj’s vision for goSTOPS is all about scaling. The young Indian traveller deserves the best accommodation experience, wherever they go, without having to stretch their budget. Be it by driving sales, marketing the brand, heading finance, raising funds or leveraging technology to accelerate growth, Pankaj’s role with goSTOPS remains constant. It’s about bringing focus to scalability. With 20 locations across the country, goSTOPS have had their fair share of milestones. From finding the product market fit for goSTOPS in 2017 to raising its first round of external capital in 2019, Pankaj’s vision of creating impact at scale seems to be right on its path to fruition. Like goSTOPS, Pankaj is no stranger to accelerated growth. He graduated in 2006 from Manipal Institute of Technology as an Electronics and Telecommunication Engineer. Be it Operations, Pre-sales, Tech Consulting or Sales, Pankaj has done it all, with stints at Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia to name a few. Considering how he was chosen for the accelerated leadership program and part of the young advisory board to the APAC Chairman at Ericsson, it was only a matter of time before he would let his entrepreneurial mind take the reins. When he’s not busy helping goSTOPS grow, Pankaj is likely to be found giving recommendations on the best places to eat. A massive foodie, Pankaj will never shy away from experimenting with new dishes. He’s not the most social person, unless you talk business and talk tech with him. Pankaj is also the traveller who would happily indulge in the finest of creature comforts.