CashKaro's Swati Bhargava talks ambition, health, and overcoming bias at SheSparks

"Ambition doesn't look at the comfort of your life; that calling just comes from within," shared CashKaro's Swati Bhargava, highlighting lessons from her journey from the small town of Ambala to Singapore, London, and back to India, managing a Rs 600 crore topline.

At SheSparks 2025, YourStory's flagship event for women, Swati Bhargava, Co-founder of CashKaro and EarnKaro, took the audience through the lessons and blessings that have shaped her journey.

"My lesson number two was that when you have restlessness within you, don't take it as a bad thing. It is a sign asking you to say, can you come out of your comfort zone and do something else?" shared Bhargava at the event in IIT Delhi, noting her decision to leave her cushy investment banking job in London and come back to India to build an ecommerce-focused company.

As she navigated the fast-paced Indian startup ecosystem, Bhargava learned to tackle the unconscious biases that often plague women founders. Despite her stellar academic record—scoring 100 in math and earning a scholarship to the London School of Economics, she occasionally faced investors who assumed her husband and co-founder, Rohan, handled the company's financials. She refused to let these assumptions deter her.

"I always call myself an entrepreneur, not a female entrepreneur. Because it's a level playing field," she asserted. When investors directed complex financial questions to Rohan, she confidently answered the metrics herself, noting that training them once or twice solves the issue forever.

Beyond boardroom battles, Bhargava highlighted that entrepreneurship is a marathon requiring immense resilience. In 2022, this resilience was tested when she had a health scare. Her kidney function plummeted to 3-4% during a crucial Rs 130 crore fundraise. Balancing daytime hospital visits with evening investor calls, she successfully closed the round before checking into the hospital for a transplant.

During this gruelling period, Bhargava discovered the profound strength in asking for support. She reflected that vulnerability is a beautiful thing and that being honest with everyone enables them to truly help. She urged the women in the audience to break the habit of shouldering every burden alone, noting that her team and family were instrumental in her recovery.

Concluding her keynote with a powerful reminder about self-care, Bhargava stressed that health is an indispensable business asset. "Don't wear overworking as a badge of honour. Don't lose your sleep and don't lose your health for anything or anyone," she advised.