He Left a Rs 2 Crore Job in the US to Build Homeyhuts, India's First Zero-Commission Homestay Platform

It usually begins with a simple frustration. For Yash Kumar, it was the feeling of not finding authentic, affordable homestays in India that matched the experiences he'd grown used to in the United States.

By his late thirties, he was earning over Rs 2 crore annually, owned multiple homes, and lived what many would call the "American Dream." Yet, the entrepreneurial itch never left him.

In 2018, a road trip across South India rekindled that fire. He noticed that while global platforms like Airbnb thrived abroad, India's homestay owners struggled. Many faced language barriers, high commissions, and poor visibility.

"I moved back to India in April 2024, sold everything in the US and spent 6 months learning on the ground in Uttarakhand," he said.

The Solution: "Host It Yourself"

For a subscription fee starting at Rs 490 per property per month, hosts can list property, sync calendars across multiple OTAs, access dynamic pricing tools, and connect directly with verified guests — without paying any commissions.

The built-in channel manager syncs availability across more than eight OTAs and includes a "Magic Cluster" tool to auto-sync multiple listings.

For hosts, payouts are fast — the money is transferred the very next day after guest check-in. The platform supports multiple Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

Market Opportunity

The Indian homestay OTA market was valued at Rs 24,100 crore ($2.9 billion) in 2024 and is projected to reach Rs 85,420 crore ($10 billion) by 2034.

Since launch, Homeyhuts claims to have onboarded 2,000+ properties across 16 states and crossed Rs 2 crore in gross booking volume.