You make your own reality: Amrit Acharya left US job to build Zetwerk in India despite his father’s initial scepticism; years later, his father stood beside him as company went public

Zetwerk co-founder and CEO Amrit Acharya took the manufacturing company public, marking a significant milestone in his entrepreneurial journey. By his side at the National Stock Exchange, as they rang the listing bell, was his father, who had once been sceptical of his decision to give up a career abroad and build a business in India.

Reflecting on his journey, Acharya said, "When I moved back, my father, a professor, was sceptical. I had walked away from the traditional Indian dream of a job abroad. But our story is also that of today's India, where my cofounders and I, 20-somethings from small towns, without family connections, can raise capital, build a business, take it global and take it public, all within a decade.

Shares of Zetwerk Manufacturing Business made a muted debut on the stock exchanges on Friday, October 23, listing at Rs 159, a premium of 5.3% over its IPO price of Rs 151. However, the stock reversed its opening gains to close at Rs 138.30, down 13.02% from its listing price and 8.41% below the issue price.

From returning to India to taking Zetwerk public

Acharya, in a post on X, said that he started Zetwerk when he was 29 years old. "My wife Sharanya and I had just returned from the US to build our lives in India. Last month, we welcomed our daughter. Last week, we took the company public. It is yet to sink in," said Acharya.

Talking about his father, he said that his father, who is a professor, was quite sceptical about the move. "I had walked away from the traditional Indian dream of a job abroad. But our story is also that of today's India, where my cofounders and I, 20-somethings from small towns, without family connections, can raise capital, build a business, take it global and take it public, all within a decade," said Acharya.

Despite his initial hesitation, Acharya said his father eventually changed his views.

"On IPO day, my father stood beside me as we rang the bell at the National Stock Exchange. He is not sceptical any more :) Someone wise once said “You make your own reality. And once you've done it, everyone's of the opinion it was all so obvious”. That is how the future works. Before something transformative exists, people call it improbable. Afterwards, they call it inevitable. This is the spirit in which we are building Zetwerk: with a relentless commitment to the future," said Acharya in a post on X.

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Acharya shares ambition of Zetwerk

Zetwerk co-founder and CEO Amrit Acharya said the company aims to build a world-class industrial institution by bringing together software and hardware. He said Zetwerk’s presence can be seen in everyday products and services, from coffee machines and headphones to metros, flights and laptops.

“Our ambition is to build a world-class industrial institution bringing together two distinct worlds: software and hardware.

Think of your day today. You may have made coffee, worn headphones, taken the metro or a flight, or opened your laptop. There is a little bit of Zetwerk in all of these.”

"We want our customers placing complex, multimillion-dollar orders to have an experience that is "boringly predictable" - simple, transparent and reliable. We have over ₹15,900 crore in revenue, more than 80% repeat customers and a manufacturing order book of ₹13,000 crore. We've come a long way, but also have a long way to go," said Acharya.

What does Zetwerk do?

Founded in 2017, Zetwerk Manufacturing Businesses Private Limited operates a technology-driven manufacturing platform that helps industrial and consumer companies source customised products and scale up production through a network of manufacturing partners.

Its operations span sectors such as electronics, renewable energy, aerospace and defence, oil and gas, AI infrastructure and industrial automation. Rather than owning manufacturing facilities across its supply chain, Zetwerk uses an asset-light model to coordinate production, offering services ranging from product design and vendor selection to quality assurance and logistics through its proprietary technology platform, Zetwerk OS.

Zetwerk’s operating revenue rose 40% year-on-year to Rs 15,913 crore in FY26. Revenue in the June quarter grew 55% to Rs 4,118 crore. The company reported a net loss of Rs 733 crore, including Rs 669 crore from its discontinued civil infrastructure business. Excluding that business, the net loss stood at Rs 64 crore.

The company plans to use the proceeds from its initial public offering (IPO) primarily to repay or prepay some of its outstanding borrowings, either in part or in full. It also intends to use the funds for inorganic growth through acquisitions and other strategic opportunities, as well as for general corporate purposes.

Of the estimated IPO proceeds of Rs 2,160 crore, Rs 1,300 crore has been earmarked for one borrowing repayment or prepayment objective, while Rs 860 crore has been allocated for another.