Every academic year, thousands of useful products, from books and electronics to sports equipment and stationery, are not used in students’ rooms. Meanwhile, many students search for the same items at an affordable price. To address this gap, Kampus Market, a student-focused online marketplace, was founded in 2025 by Ayaan Natterwalla, a 15-year-old from Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The Kampus Market Story: Ayaan Natterwalla on Building a Student-First Commerce Ecosystem
Operating in the Student Community Platform segment, Kampus Market is built as a dedicated ecosystem where students can list, discover, buy and sell useful products within a verified student community. Unlike general-purpose marketplaces, the platform is designed to be more relevant, convenient and trustworthy for young users, connecting those having usable products with those who need them and giving those products a second life. The platform features student verification, product listings, direct expressions of interest and the ability for sellers to mark products as sold. Users’ personal information is handled carefully, with sensitive verification details visible only to authorised administrators.
With a vision to become India’s most trusted and accessible student marketplace, Kampus Market seeks to create a connected community for convenient and affordable exchange. Its mission is to make student commerce simpler, safer and more organised while promoting affordability and sustainability through reuse. In the long term, the venture aims to expand beyond transactions into a broader ecosystem that enables students to discover opportunities, resources and services created for them.
Shift Towards Community-Driven Student Commerce
Ayaan highlights a clear behavioural shift in how young people discover and purchase products. According to him, students today are comfortable using digital platforms and social media, yet the infrastructure they rely on is not built for them. Most existing marketplaces are designed for a general audience, prioritising scale and variety over relevance, affordability and trust, the three factors that matter most to a student buyer.
This shift in consumer behaviour, he notes, has created a distinct opportunity. There is a growing need for a focused community-first platform that combines the convenience of digital commerce with a strong sense of belonging and security. Students are no longer just looking for a place to transact; they are seeking an ecosystem that understands their budget constraints, academic cycles, and need for a trusted peer network.
From Classroom Observation to a Digital Platform
Kampus Market traces its origin to a simple yet persistent observation: students consistently seek affordable products, while other students have perfectly usable items lying unused. Despite this clear demand-supply gap within campuses, there was no dedicated and organised platform connecting them.
For Ayaan, the insight was personal. As a student himself, he experienced the problem firsthand and chose not to wait for an external solution. At just 15 years of age, he embarked on building one. The journey entailed conceptualising the marketplace, creating the website, designing its identity, planning safety features and introducing the platform to students.
Building a company at this age has been about continuous learning. While pursuing his education, he has navigated the complexities of website development, branding, marketing, communication and leadership while continuing his studies. Each challenge, he notes, has not only refined the platform but also strengthened his own capabilities as an entrepreneur.
R&D: The Foundation for Sustainable Growth
At Kampus Market, R&D translates into a constant study of user behaviour: how students use the website, understanding their concerns, and continuously improving the experience. Critical features such as student verification, listing management, online payments and privacy controls require ongoing development, testing and refinement.
Meeting Students Where They Are
Kampus Market’s marketing strategy is rooted in a simple principle: reach students where they already spend their time. Instead of relying on conventional advertising, the brand focused on native, high-engagement challenges. Social media forms the core of its outreach; Instagram posts and short-form videos help Kampus explain the concept in a relatable way. He also uses school and student networks, posters, word-of-mouth advocacy and community-led activities to drive awareness and trust.
Inside Kampus Market and Leadership Approach
Kampus Market works with a young, creative and collaborative work culture. Being a platform created for students, the company places student perspectives at the centre of its decision-making. It values honest communication, experimentation and initiative, where new ideas are encouraged, and problems are approached as opportunities to improve. At the same time, the company maintains a strong sense of responsibility towards user privacy and trust. Its focus is on retaining the energy and agility of a student-led venture while operating with the discipline and professionalism required to build a dependable platform.
Speaking on leadership, Ayaan Natterwalla believes it extends beyond giving instructions. For him, leadership is about taking complete responsibility for the outcome, actively listening to people and setting the right example through one’s own actions. He emphasises that a good leader should remain confident and anchored in his vision while also being open to feedback.
Expansion Strategy and Road Ahead
The company’s initial focus is to build a strong and active community within selected schools and local student networks. This focused approach will allow it to closely study user behaviour, refine the platform and establish a sustainable model for expansion.
The future vision for Kampus Market extends beyond the buying and selling of products. The company envisions evolving into a comprehensive, student-focused platform where young people can exchange resources and discover valuable opportunities. The roadmap includes strengthening the verification system, improving technology and expanding its services to students across different cities.
Beyond growth, Kampus Market also aims to inspire student entrepreneurship by demonstrating that age is not a barrier to transforming a genuine problem into a meaningful solution.
Achievements: From Idea to Impact
One of the company’s significant achievements has been transforming Kampus Market from an idea into a fully functioning platform. Since its launch, the platform has witnessed encouraging growth within its student community, with an increasing number of students joining and actively uploading listings. The team considers it a significant milestone to see students genuinely using Kampus Market to showcase products, as it reaffirms that the platform addresses a real and relevant need.
From the Founder’s Desk
Ayaan advises aspiring entrepreneurs to begin with a real problem that they understand personally. Rather than waiting for the perfect time, perfect resources or complete approval from others, he advises starting with what is available, listening carefully to feedback and improving step by step.
In a message to Business Connect readers, Ayaan highlights that innovation has no age limit. Creating something meaningful, he notes, does not require decades of experience, unlimited resources or perfect circumstances.
