In an era often fixated on the next big disruption, or a skyrocketing valuation, Vineet Ramani, at just 29, offers a refreshing narrative. His story is one of consistent, sustainable growth, rooted in a profound philosophy: educate before you sell. Vineet’s journey from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to leading a 70-member team across four cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Raipur, and helming three successful ventures, including a burgeoning podcast, is a testament to the power of this principle. He is transforming traditional markets into modern ones, not through radical upheaval, but through thoughtful empowerment.
While his peers from Mumbai’s prestigious Jai Hind College gravitated towards conventional corporate careers, or established family businesses, Vineet harbored a different vision. He observed a glaring disconnect: India’s internet penetration was exploding, yet back home in Tier 2 cities, businesses were largely untouched by the digital revolution. They remained stuck in outdated, traditional methods, devoid of websites, social media presence, or strategic online engagement.
The COVID 19 pandemic, which forced businesses globally to pivot online, became his definitive cue. “Everyone was glued to their phones. Businesses were forced to rethink how they connected with customers,” he recalls, recognizing the opportune moment to bridge this digital divide.
Armed with just a laptop, Vineet launched Vaya Media from his living room. His approach was unique. He didn’t just pitch services, he became an educator. He would sit with local business owners, dissect competitor strategies, simplify campaign metrics, and demonstrate how platforms like Instagram could directly translate into increased sales and broader reach.
This “education first” model, defying traditional sales wisdom, proved effective, yielding an impressive 85% client retention rate. Today, Vaya Media is a full-service growth marketing agency, managing digital mandates for diverse brands across India, the UK, and the USA. This success was not merely about winning clients, it was about forging lasting partnerships, built on mutual understanding and trust.
As Vaya Media scaled, a new, critical challenge emerged: the lack of skilled digital marketing talent in Tier 2 cities like Raipur. Rather than relocate to major talent hubs, Vineet engineered his own solution. In 2022, he launched VIDA Institute.
VIDA is not merely a course-selling platform, it is a hands-on, placement-guaranteed talent pipeline. From day one, students at VIDA work on live Vaya Media projects, gaining invaluable practical experience. The results: over 300 students trained, a 100% placement rate, with many graduates securing salaries 40 to 60% higher than their city peers.
“If we can’t find skilled people, let’s create them. Train them well, pay them well, and give them opportunities,” he explains, showcasing his commitment to fostering local talent and creating a robust ecosystem. This embodies his drive to empower everyone around him.
Vineet’s thirst for knowledge and global exposure further defined his trajectory. While Vaya Media was flourishing, he embarked on an MBA at Amity University, London. This pursuit of higher education did not sideline his entrepreneurial drive; instead, it fueled his next venture.
From London, he virtually launched Vikings Real Estate. Applying his ingrained transparency-first approach to a market notoriously opaque, Vikings Real Estate quickly built immense trust by bringing clarity to property dealings.
Most recently, Vineet has extended his influence into the realm of thought leadership with the Hijack Podcast. Here, he engages in insightful conversations with leaders, policymakers, and founders, quietly building India’s digital future. Recent guests include Minister Nitish Mishra, with unicorn founders and Tier 2 creators slated for upcoming episodes. For Vineet, the podcast is more than just content; it is a living embodiment of his core philosophy: knowledge should be shared, not gatekept.
This people-first philosophy, coupled with his leadership qualities and opportunistic vision, permeates every facet of Vineet’s ventures. He prioritizes drive and values over academic degrees, seeing his team not just as employees, but as partners in vision.
His decision-making framework remains steadfast: purpose over profit, sustainable growth over quick wins, and enduring relationships over fleeting gains. “The fundamentals like purpose, mindset, and values, those stay constant,” he asserts. This underlines the philosophy he lives by: it’s not what you do, it’s about how you do it.
For Vineet, true success is not measured in revenue milestones or team size. It is in the VIDA graduate now thriving, the local Raipur business that quadrupled its revenue by embracing digital, or the podcast conversation that ignited an entrepreneurial spark in a listener. “Success was never about being seen,” he reflects. “It’s always been about how many people you lift along the way.” In a landscape often swayed by fleeting trends, Vineet Ramani stands as a powerful testament to the impact of consistent education, genuine relationships, and building world-class businesses by solving real problems for real people, proving that profound impact can indeed emerge from anywhere.
