Global Business
Not every startup story starts with a pitch deck, a flashy accelerator, or a tech conference in a metro city. Some begin quietly, with someone deciding that where they come from shouldn't limit where they're going.
Back in 2011, Murtaza Amin was charting an unconventional path from Burhanpur - a tier-3 town in Madhya Pradesh where startups aren't part of daily conversation. But something clicked when he attended a startup event in Mumbai. He saw how powerful data could be, especially when used right. That moment sparked something bigger - a clear sense that he wanted to build, not just watch from the sidelines. So he did.
With no fancy degrees, no big-name investors, and no playbook to follow - just a problem he wanted to solve and the guts to get started anyway - Murtaza launched BizProspex, a company focused on fixing what most businesses quietly struggle with: bad data.
At the time, it wasn't a buzzword or a trending space. But the problem was real. Businesses around the world were burning money chasing leads that didn't exist, working off outdated CRMs, and making decisions based on guesswork. BizProspex stepped in with a simple goal: give companies clean, verified, usable data - and do it well.
Fast forward to today, and that decision has grown into a team of over 100 people, serving more than 450 clients across the globe. From Walmart and Merrill Lynch to YayPay, Stirista, and BrightData, BizProspex has quietly powered smarter decisions and real results for companies that needed better data to grow.
But while the client list grew internationally, the company stayed rooted in Bharat - not just as a sentiment, but in practice. Its workforce is largely built from small towns and tier-3 cities, places that are often left out of India's tech dreams. Murtaza made it a point to hire people who had the hunger to learn, not just the perfect resume.
"Some of our best team members are people who wanted to stay back in Burhanpur, and make it better," he says. "They just had that drive to figure things out and do good work."
This approach has also sparked something unexpected - reverse migration. As BizProspex grew, it created meaningful jobs back home, allowing people to return to their towns, work with purpose, and be part of something ambitious without having to leave everything behind.
Earlier this month, Murtaza's post on X caught the attention of millions of people. In a reply to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, he shared how his company brings millions to the Burhanpur economy and employs over 100 people locally - making it the biggest white-collar employer in the district. He challenged the idea that Indian startups aren't innovating, by simply pointing to what's already happening, quietly, outside the spotlight.
"I run a 100 people software company from #Burhanpur MP, I bring M$+ / yr to Burhanpur economy & I am the largest white collar employer in #Burhanpur," he wrote.
The post hit a nerve, gathering 2.7 million views and over 27,000 likes -because it was honest. It reflected a different kind of startup story. One that doesn't always make headlines but is quietly changing lives and economies. It is a quiet reminder that real innovation can be happening in a small room with a spotty Wi-Fi connection, far from the spotlight.
And that's what makes this story different.
Starting from a place where things are harder - where logistics slow you down, red tape wears you out, and there's no "ecosystem" to lean on - makes you build differently. You learn patience, resourcefulness, and the value of every small win.
Murtaza just wanted to build something useful. His story tells us that you don't need the perfect condition to start. You just need to start.
There are hundreds of stories like this across India, quietly unfolding outside the headlines.
