From launching businesses during his student years to completing a master’s degree and working in London, Solapur-based entrepreneur Akshay Bhagwat’s journey reflects an early passion for business, diverse experiences, and an interest in exploring opportunities across industries.
SOLAPUR, MAHARASHTRA — For some, entrepreneurship begins with a business opportunity. For others, it starts with a fascination that develops long before their professional careers take shape.
For Akshay Bhagwat, that fascination began in childhood.
Growing up in Solapur, Maharashtra, Akshay was always interested in the world of business — how ideas take shape, how businesses operate, and what it takes to build something of one’s own.
Being part of a family with an established business background provided early exposure to entrepreneurship. However, his curiosity extended beyond the businesses around him. Even during his school and college years, he was drawn to exploring independent ideas and creating new experiences.
Today, Akshay is involved in businesses across automotive, mobility, energy, lighting, and hospitality. His journey, however, began with ventures of his own, years before his current professional responsibilities.
Taskbars: Bringing New Experiences to Solapur
Akshay’s early entrepreneurial interests took shape during his junior college years when he founded Taskbars, an event management venture in Solapur.
The idea was to introduce fresh entertainment experiences and create opportunities for people in the city to come together.
Among its initiatives was what Akshay recalls as Solapur’s first open mic night, which drew a full house. Taskbars also organized a food festival that received an enthusiastic response.
For someone still in junior college, organizing such events involved bringing together people, coordinating multiple activities, managing arrangements, and turning an idea into an actual experience.
Although Taskbars operated for only a few events, it became an important introduction to the practical side of entrepreneurship.
It also reflected something that would continue to influence Akshay’s interests: an enthusiasm for exploring ideas beyond familiar industries.
RYTO: Exploring One of India’s Early Peer-to-Peer Rental Platforms
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Akshay founded RYTO (Rent Your Things Out), a startup built around the concept of peer-to-peer rentals.
Positioned as one of India’s early peer-to-peer rental platforms, RYTO aimed to make it possible for individuals to rent out items they owned directly to other people.
The concept was based on a simple idea: everyday belongings could have value even when they weren’t being used. Through a rental platform, owners could potentially earn from underutilized items while others could access products without purchasing them outright.
At a time when technology-led business models and the sharing economy were attracting growing interest, RYTO represented Akshay’s attempt to explore an emerging opportunity.
The venture eventually came to an end during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nevertheless, the experience added another dimension to his entrepreneurial journey, taking him from event management into a technology-driven platform business.
From Solapur to London: Education, Work and International Exposure
In 2021, Akshay moved to London, United Kingdom, beginning a chapter that would span approximately three and a half years.
During this period, he pursued and completed his master’s degree at Brunel University London.
Following his studies, he also gained professional work experience in London, allowing him to experience both academic and professional life in the United Kingdom.
Living, studying, and working abroad between 2021 and 2024 introduced him to different professional environments, cultures, and perspectives.
Beyond academic learning, the experience offered opportunities to meet people from varied backgrounds and gain a broader understanding of life and work outside India.
While Solapur remained home, his years in London became an important part of his personal and professional development.
An Interest Beyond Business: Acting and Entertainment
Although entrepreneurship has remained a central interest, Akshay’s curiosity has never been restricted to business alone.
In 2018, he completed a Diploma in Acting from Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares, reflecting his interest in cinema, performance, and the creative arts.
His exposure to acting added a different dimension to his background, alongside his experiences in entrepreneurship and business management.
He continues to have an interest in media, entertainment, and film production, including the possibilities of exploring these industries through future ventures and collaborations.
Building on the Bhagwat Family’s Business Foundation
Today, Akshay is involved in the Bhagwat family’s established businesses and newer ventures across Solapur and the surrounding region.
His professional responsibilities primarily involve business operations, management, aftersales, marketing, and business development.
His business interests include:
Bhagwat Associates | Ashok Leyland
Involvement in the commercial vehicle business, with a focus on dealership management, workshop operations, aftersales, and business development.
Bhagwat Rides | Royal Enfield
Involvement in the Royal Enfield dealership, particularly operations, management, and business development.
Philips Smart Light Hub | Solapur
Business interests in lighting and smart lighting solutions.
Bhagwat and Brothers | Hindustan Petroleum
Involvement in fuel retail operations through an HP-branded petrol pump.
Hotel Panchali & Hotel Kamal Grand | Solapur
Business interests connected with hospitality and commercial property.
Together, these businesses represent involvement across different sectors, each with its own operating environment, customer expectations, and opportunities.
For Akshay, working across multiple industries offers the opportunity to understand different business models while contributing to their day-to-day operations and development.
People, Friendships and the Importance of Relationships
Alongside his interest in business, Akshay has always enjoyed meeting people and maintaining friendships.
Growing up in Solapur has given him longstanding connections within the city, while his experiences through education, business, travel, and professional interactions have introduced him to people across Maharashtra, neighbouring states, and beyond.
He values the opportunity to meet individuals from different backgrounds, exchange ideas, and learn about their experiences.
For him, relationships extend beyond professional networking. Friendships, shared interests, and genuine conversations have remained an important part of his personal life.
This interest in people also complements his entrepreneurial outlook, where exposure to different perspectives can often lead to new ideas and unexpected opportunities.
Looking Beyond Existing Businesses
While Akshay’s current professional responsibilities remain closely connected to the family’s businesses, his interests are not limited to the sectors in which he is already involved.
Having explored event management and a technology-based rental platform at a young age, he remains interested in discovering opportunities across different industries.
His areas of interest include new business ventures, dealership and distribution opportunities, strategic partnerships, investments, technology-driven concepts, and business collaborations.
His background in acting also contributes to an interest in opportunities within media, entertainment, and film production.
He enjoys connecting with entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals, and individuals who bring fresh perspectives and interesting ideas.
For Akshay, exploring new opportunities is as much about understanding people and industries as it is about business itself.
Rooted in Solapur. Open to Possibilities.
Despite the different directions his journey has taken, Solapur remains central to Akshay Bhagwat’s story.
It is where his fascination with business began, where he launched his earliest ventures, and where much of his professional involvement is based today.
From organizing events as a junior college student and exploring an early peer-to-peer rental concept to completing his master’s degree and working in London, his experiences have taken him through different environments and industries.
Today, he continues to build on those experiences through his involvement in established businesses while remaining open to new ideas, partnerships, and ventures.
His journey is still evolving, shaped by a longstanding interest in entrepreneurship, a willingness to explore different fields, and the relationships developed along the way.
For business opportunities, strategic partnerships, new ventures, media collaborations, or professional enquiries, connect with Akshay Bhagwat through his official website.
Website: www.akshay-bhagwat.com