Vahan AI Is Betting Big on Blue-Collar Jobs
Vahan uses AI-powered technology to connect job seekers with employers directly through WhatsApp, streamlining the recruitment process with automated matching and communication.
Vahan AI, the Bengaluru-based hiring platform for blue-collar and gig workers, just secured a new investment from LemmaTree, a Temasek-founded venture firm with global reach. The move signals growing investor confidence in India’s booming frontline workforce—and in Vahan’s AI-driven approach to connecting workers with jobs at massive scale.
Founded by Madhav Krishna and backed by Y Combinator, Vahan has already placed over 1 million workers across 920+ Indian cities. With clients like Zepto, Swiggy, Blinkit, and Zomato, the platform is currently matching 40,000 workers to jobs every month. The new funding from LemmaTree will fuel multilingual AI capabilities, international expansion into Southeast Asia and MENA, and integration of upskilling tools through the acquisition of L.earn, a mobile-first digital learning platform initially launched by actor Sonu Sood.
AI That Triples Recruiter Productivity
At the core of Vahan’s platform is its AI recruiter—an automation tool that can handle candidate matching, documentation checks, and communication in multiple languages. “The AI recruiter can triple productivity,” said Krishna. “If a human recruiter hires one person a day, they can now do three—and that number will grow as the AI improves.”
Vahan’s team is doubling down on Indian vernacular language support, aiming to add eight more to better serve the country’s diverse workforce. It’s also expanding its reach into warehousing, manufacturing, and driver recruitment, while building dedicated sales and growth teams to support scale across tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Why Investors Are Paying Attention
In a tough funding climate, Vahan’s focus on the blue-collar sector stands out. Krishna sees the space as one of India’s “infinite markets,” especially as quick commerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon ramp up their logistics and delivery operations. The company’s 2024–2025 revenue hit ₹26.9 crore ($3.25M), with recent rounds led by Khosla Ventures and Japan’s Persol Group, and earlier backing from Airtel, Gaingels, and Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
The LemmaTree partnership also includes the acquisition of L.earn, a GoodWorker-backed skilling platform offering free, mobile-first training content tailored to gig and frontline workers. This integration allows Vahan to embed learning journeys directly into the job-seeking experience—a strategic move in a labor market increasingly driven by continuous upskilling.
A Billion-Person Opportunity
As foundational AI models become cheaper and more accessible, Krishna believes value will be defined by execution and domain expertise. “We’re building it in a very unique space for a very unique use case,” he said. “We’re helping small recruiters in small agencies become more productive. That helps us differentiate, beat the competition, and capture more market.”
With India’s gig and blue-collar workforce projected to drive 70% of new job growth by 2030, Vahan’s focus couldn’t be more timely—or more critical.
Read more on Fortune India
Listen to Shafiq Khartabil with Madhav Krishna on the Venture Everywhere podcast: Hire Calling. Now on Apple & Spotify and check out all our past episodes here!
