AI Meets Wanderlust: How GuavaTrips is Redefining Travel Planning in India

An exclusive conversation with Co-founder Jay Kumar Anadkat, and Co-founder Mangal Sain of GuavaTrips.com

India’s travel industry is experiencing a remarkable renaissance. Post-pandemic wanderlust has collided with rising disposable incomes, creating an unprecedented boom in domestic and international travel. Yet, while artificial intelligence is revolutionizing industries worldwide, travel planning in India remains stubbornly chaotic. Multiple players offer cookie-cutter packages, and personalization remains a distant dream.

Enter GuavaTrips.com—finally, an Indian startup bridging this gap with AI-curated personalized trip itineraries infused with experiential travel vibes. At the helm is Jay Kumar Anadkat, Co-founder. Over coffee at their Pune headquarters, we sat down with team GuavaTrips (Jay & Mangal) to understand what sparked this venture.

Q: Jay, what was that “aha moment” that made you think, “We need to build this”?

Jay: [Laughs] It wasn’t one moment—it was years of accumulated frustration! My wife and I are avid travelers, but every trip started with the same exhausting ritual. Open 15 browser tabs, compare flights, hunt for hotels, then figure out what to actually do at the destination.

But the real kicker came when planning our anniversary trip. We wanted something special but not too adventurous, culturally rich but comfortable, within budget but not cheap-feeling. Every travel portal tried to fit us into their existing packages. That’s when it hit me—travel is deeply personal, yet the industry treats everyone the same. So we thought, “Why not build something that actually listens to travelers?”

Q: What makes GuavaTrips different from dozens of other platforms?

Jay: Most platforms are essentially booking engines dressed up with fancy UI. They’re transactional. We’re transformational.

Our core difference is personalization throughout planning & execution. From the moment you land on GuavaTrips, we start understanding you—your travel pace, budget comfort zone, whether you’re a museum person or a mountain person. And here’s the best part: we offer a no commitment completely free personalized travel plan.

And as I mentioned we don’t stop at planning—we handle everything: flights, stays, activities, transfers, visas, insurance. And we provide 24/7 concierge support. Plans change, flights get delayed—we’re there, round the clock.

Q: What specific pain points did you identify?

Jay: We documented five major ones. First, generic packages that rarely align with individual interests, pace preferences, or budgets. A 30-year-old backpacker and a 60-year-old couple don’t want the same Paris, right?

Second, time-consuming research. Travelers spend 20-30 hours planning a single international trip—almost a full work week!

Third, lack of trustworthy personalization. You get a million Google results, but which recommendations actually match your style?

Fourth, hidden costs and transparency issues. You book a package for ₹50,000, and suddenly transfers aren’t included, visa fees are extra, activity costs separate.

Finally, fragmented post-booking support—no single point of contact when things go wrong.

Q: How does GuavaTrips address all this?

Jay: We have four core pillars. First is our on-demand AI itinerary builder (www.guavatrips.com/trip-planner)—an intelligent algorithmic engine that genuinely learns and adapts. Tell us you loved the street food tour in Bangkok, and it prioritizes food experiences in your next destination.

Second is end-to-end booking integration. One platform, one payment, one point of contact.

Q: The free itinerary generator—that’s giving away your core product, isn’t it?

Jay: [Smiles knowingly] It’s brilliant product-led growth strategy. People come in with zero commitment, get instant personalized plans, and realize, “Wow, this actually understands me.” Once you experience personalized planning, going back to generic options feels painful.

Our third pillar is 24/7 concierge support. Flight delayed six hours? We’re already rebooking your hotel check-in and dinner reservation.

Finally, curated local experiences—private cooking classes in local homes, sunrise hikes with indigenous guides, neighborhood walking tours led by residents.

Q: What’s the revenue model?

Jay: Two primary streams. Core is partner commissions—10-15% from hotels, activities, airlines, and other providers. These are industry-standard rates, so we’re not inflating prices. Additionally, we charge 2-5% service fees for planning, booking concierge, and premium support. When you factor in hours saved and hidden costs avoided, our fees more than pay for themselves.

Q: What are GuavaTrips’ actual competitive advantages?

Jay: First, we’re genuinely AI-first—our entire personalization engine is built on advanced agentic AI that leverages continuous learning.

Second, we are offering curated itineraries immersed with local experiences free to our users to help them explore various options and feel how their experience of travel is going to be.

Third—and I’m particularly proud—we have a perfect 5.0 rating on Google from 60+ verified reviews. In an industry notorious for disappointed customers, that’s consistent execution. We’ve served 1,000+ customers since launching in April 2024.

Q: You launched in April 2024. What’s the traction been like?

Jay: We launched bootstrapped and achieved profitability from day one—rare in the startup world. That 5.0 rating didn’t happen by accident. We obsess over customer satisfaction. Our free & immersive itinerary planner tool is already driving significant top-of-funnel growth with healthy conversion rates.

Q: What’s your go-to-market strategy?

Jay: Multi-pronged. Foundation is product-led growth through our free generator. We’re also investing in performance marketing on Google Search and Meta platforms focused on high-intent travel keywords. And the beauty of having a great product is that customers become your best marketers. Word-of-mouth and referrals are already significant acquisition channels.

Q: Tell me about the team.

Jay: Our founding team brings 50+ years combined experience across travel operations, product development, AI/ML, tech platforms, and business growth. We’ve all worn multiple hats in previous ventures. No ego clashes, just shared obsession with solving this problem.

Q: Any plans for funding?

Jay: We’re profitable and bootstrapped, which gives us leverage. We’ll consider funding when it makes strategic sense—when capital can significantly accelerate growth without diluting our mission. Our North Star is simple: we want to build India’s most loved personalized travel brand. Not just the biggest or most funded—the most loved.

Q: Final question. What would you tell someone thinking about their next trip?

Jay: [Leans forward] Stop compromising. Stop settling for generic packages. Stop juggling 50 browser tabs. Head to www.guavatrips.com and try our free AI itinerary generator (www.guavatrips.com/trip-planner). No strings attached. Just answer a few questions and see what personalized travel planning actually feels like.

Travel is one of life’s greatest joys. It should start with excitement, not exhaustion. That’s what we’re here to change. Whether it’s your dream Europe trip, a long-overdue Ladakh adventure, or a surprise anniversary getaway—let’s make it spectacular together.

Let’s build India’s most loved personalized travel brand.

Connect with GuavaTrips:

●      Website: www.guavatrips.com

●      Email: buzz@guavatrips.com

●      Phone: +91 8484929199

●      Headquarters: Pune, India