In a time when consumer focus is fractured and app engagement metrics are more challenging to maintain, there is one startup that is quietly revolutionising how digital rewards function—by turning the script around. Enter Pauket, a rapidly emerging innovator reimagining in-app marketing and rewards infrastructure for the digital era.
Founded in 2023 by tech-savvy Sudarsan Babu and Srividya Rajagopal, Pauket is emerging as a category-defining platform in the ad-tech space. With a profound knowledge of how digital incentives can influence consumer behaviour, the company is developing a “Coupon-as-a-Service” (CaaS) model – where brands, apps, and users are placed in a value creation loop that benefits all parties.
A Shift from Coupon Demand to Coupon Supply
Most digital reward systems pursue consumer clicks and impressions at the expense of real engagement. Pauket, on the other hand, addresses the inefficiencies in how brands make offers by emphasizing supply-side innovation.
Instead of asking brands to fish for demand, Pauket’s model empowers them to directly seed intelligent, trackable, and dynamic rewards within high-traffic consumer apps such as Google Pay, Cred, MyJio, and BookMyShow. Think of it as Google Ads—but for coupons.
Its flagship product, Coupon Connect, offers an API-first infrastructure that allows apps to launch white-labeled reward engines in less than two weeks. Whether it’s rewarding users for completing a course on an EdTech platform or offering food discounts through a lifestyle app, Pauket delivers seamless, engaging experiences.
Founders With Purpose
Sudarsan Babu, a serial entrepreneur, brings nearly a decade of experience in using coupons to drive targeted demand across his ventures. With each iteration, he felt the limits of traditional coupon systems—and saw the possibility of building something bigger.
Srividya Rajagopal’s journey is equally fascinating. A former product leader at PayPal, she played a key role post the acquisition of Honey, the $4B discount platform. She helped build cashback infrastructure that saved users over $200 million. When she noticed how complex and disjointed reward systems remained for most businesses, the idea of Pauket took root.
Together, they envisioned a “universal rewards engine”—akin to what UPI did for payments—one that would democratize incentivization for all.
From Concept to Traction
Since its launch, Pauket has grown at an impressive pace. As of early 2025:
- 150+ brands and 15+ apps are using the platform
- Over ₹10 crore in coupons have been distributed
- The network has reached 5 million+ users
Clients span across verticals—from D2C e-commerce to EdTech and hospitality. Standout partnerships include Guvi (EdTech), Slurrp (food discovery), and retail giants like Toni & Guy, Triumph Holidays, and Anjappar.
What’s unique is Pauket’s performance-based pricing—brands pay only for actual conversions, not just visibility. This metric-first approach ensures high ROI and eliminates the guesswork often associated with digital marketing spends.
The Pauket Ecosystem: Beyond B2B Tech
Pauket is not just a backend tool – it’s building a rich ecosystem:
- Pauket Promo: A Shopify app for D2C brands to operate reward campaigns with ease
- Pauket Claim App: A customer-facing application that streamlines coupon redemption and removes the inconvenience of paper vouchers
- Live Campaign Analytics: For tracking actual performance in real-time across apps and channels
By marrying data intelligence with frictionless UI, the platform creates a win-win for both merchants and users.
Culture of Innovation
Behind the scenes, Pauket’s success is deeply rooted in its internal culture—lean, agile, and value-obsessed. The team operates on a simple north star: “Are we delivering real value for every rupee and minute spent on our platform?”
Rather than functioning independently, Pauket enables co-creation. Its model for business lives on partnerships—with brands, platforms, and even neighborhood merchants—constructing a federated network that horizontally scales without sacrificing the user experience.
Gearing Up for Global Expansion
The startup’s aspirations are now extending beyond Indian shores. Pauket is already scouting markets in the UAE and the U.S. and is looking to go international by the end of 2024. A Q1 2025 fundraising round is also in the works that will fuel global expansion, product optimization, and talent acquisition.
With digital shopping and app-based interactions expected to dominate consumer behavior in the next decade, Pauket’s CaaS model is poised to meet the moment. By creating infrastructure rather than just a product, it has the potential to become the infrastructure layer of digital rewards globally.
The Road Ahead
As India prepares for another IPL season – a consumer golden period – Pauket is providing brands with the means to surf the cricket wave through match-day coupons, contextually-triggered rewards, and campaign-ready integrations within apps. For brands, it is about engaging with users when they are most engaged. For apps, it is an opportunity to monetise traffic without sacrificing experience.
In the crowded world of ad tech, Pauket isn’t just another player. It’s a platform-led movement – one that believes rewards should be smart, seamless, and scalable. And as more businesses come on board, one thing becomes clear.
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