Every now and then, I come across a story that reminds me why I started Business Giseness in the first place.
Not to talk about business plans or startup trends, but to understand the human weight behind entrepreneurship — the kind that doesn’t show up in headlines or valuation charts.
When I sat down with Hanumanth G C, founder of Mr Girmit, Every word he spoke carried a quiet conviction, born from years of struggle and self-belief.
You can watch the full episode here, Mr Girmit – From North Karnataka to India
1. The Work Ethic: Forged in Necessity, Not Choice
Hanumanth grew up in Ranibennur, a small village in North Karnataka, where every sunrise marked another day of hard labor.
He told me about working alongside his father before dawn, about the calloused hands and the quiet understanding that there was no room for failure.
There was something deeply moving about the way he described those mornings — not with bitterness, but with clarity.
Those struggles didn’t just shape his childhood; they built his foundation.
He learned early that no one was coming to save him, that the only person he could rely on was himself.
So, when he decided to professionalize Girmit — a local street snack beloved in his region — he approached it with that same instinct: work hard, depend on no one, and give everything you have.
There was no backup plan, no cushion, just belief and sweat.
2. The Isolation of Bootstrapping: When the Only Investor Is You
Hanumanth’s journey is a sharp contrast to the glossy startup narratives we see today.
There were no pitch decks, no investors, no air-conditioned offices — as he put it, “no AC chambers.”
He bootstrapped everything. Every rupee came from his own pocket. Every failure hit him directly.
And yet, every inch of progress was fully his own.
Listening to him describe that journey was like hearing a story of quiet rebellion.
In a world obsessed with external validation, he chose persistence over permission.
His business didn’t grow from funding; it grew from faith — in his idea, in his process, and most of all, in himself.
His story reminded me of Anitha S., who shared a similar battle in Episode 3: From Maid to Multi-Lakh Enterprise
Both of them took on enormous personal risk, fueled only by the belief that their hard work had to mean something.
3. The Unfinished Fight: Building a National Vision
Today, Mr Girmit isn’t just a food outlet — it’s a system.
Hanumanth has built the operational backbone for a franchise, creating structure where there was once only instinct.
But he’s the first to admit: the fight isn’t over.
The real challenge now is scale — turning a regional favorite into a national name, without losing the soul of what makes it special.
That’s the battle he wakes up to every morning.
What struck me most is how grounded he remains.
Even with systems, processes, and expansion plans, his focus is still on the core — research, refinement, hygiene, and consistency.
To him, success isn’t a milestone; it’s a moving target that demands constant effort.
The Heart of It All
As I wrapped up our conversation, I realized that Hanumanth’s story captures something universal: the essence of entrepreneurship when you start from zero.
It’s not about scaling fast or getting funded. It’s about building something that refuses to break, even when everything around you does.
Mr Girmit is more than a brand.
It’s a living testament to the idea that hard work, discipline, and relentless vision can carry a person from a small North Karnataka village all the way to the national stage.
You can hear the full story — the emotions, the setbacks, and the lessons
