Ankita Sheth: The Woman Behind The Travel Industry Game Changer, StayVista

HerZindagi introduced its first-ever edition of WomenPreneur awards this year. The awards celebrated women running successful businesses across categories. The awards were hosted in New Delhi with Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Hon'ble Union Minister of Women & Child Development, Minority Affairs, Govt. of India gracing the event as the chief guest.

During the event, female entrepreneurs were recognised for their achievements through 15 different award categories. Among the winners was Ankita Sheth, Co- Founder, StayVista Pvt. Ltd. who bagged the Game Changer In Business award.

There are women entrepreneurs but only a few manage to leave a big impact. StayVista co-founder Ankita Sheth is one such achiever. This is her story.

The Foundation Of StayVista

Speaking of the foundation of StayVista, a Luxury Villa Rental platform, the co-founder, Ankita Sheth said, "StayVista was fueled by the concept of delivering excellent stay experiences. The foundation of StayVista was laid in 2015, along with my co-founders Pranav Maheshwari and Amit Damani with an aim to bridge the gap in India’s travel landscape by offering fully-serviced, luxury villas for group getaways. In over seven years of operation, StayVista has achieved many milestones."

"We have added 500+ curated homes to our collection of offerings and hosted more than 3,00,000 guests. The company has grown from a handful of employees to over 300. Our presence has grown from a few holiday destinations in Maharashtra to more than 50+ destinations in all corners of India. All this is alongside creating over 1500 direct jobs and contributing opportunities in a difficult job market," she added.

The Rise And Rise Of StayVista

Ankita Sheth's StayVista is a Luxury Villa Rental platform offering 500 plus handpicked holiday homes across 50 plus destinations. The brand was established to offer an exclusively managed stay experience within a two to four-hour drive or flying distance around big getaway cities. In the last three years, Ankita's company, StayVista has seen massive growth. StayVista's company revenue is on a rise ever since its inception in 2019. For FY 2019-2020, the company achieved a revenue of ₹39.6 Cr, ₹46.4 Cr in FY 2020-2021 and ₹93.8 Cr in FY 2021-2022.

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Previously, StayVista raised $1.2 million in 2020 in a pre-series A funding and $5 million in 2022 in Series-A funding round which was led by DSG Consumer Partners and Capri Global. Last year, in the month of March, the company was rebranded to StayVista to hint at the management of villa stays and curated experiences offered by the brand.

Ankita Sheth's Achievements

Sheth has many accolades to her name. Her company, StayVista has been recognised by CondeNast Traveller in 2021 as the ‘Favourite Villa Rental Platform in India’ and also won the MakeMyTrip Award for ‘Kid-friendly Homestay of the Year’. Ankita Sheth was awarded by the Business World - 'BW Disrupt 40 under 40'. She recently won the Game Changer In Business award at HerZindagi's WomenPreneur Awards.

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Plans Going Forward

In the coming years, Ankita Sheth plans to expand into allied products like glamping and serviced apartments. The brand aims to offer facility management services to villa owners across India. The brand aspires to be a home away from home for Indian travellers and expand its business across Asia and other key locations.