From Accidental Entrepreneur to Fitness Icon: Jitendra Chouksey's Fittr Revolution
Discover how Jitendra Chouksey bootstrapped Fittr from a WhatsApp group to a global fitness community of 5M+, raising ~$17M. The journey of an IT pro turned fitness disruptor.
Jitendra Chouksey, or JC as he’s widely known, is the man behind Fittr, a name synonymous with a science-backed, community-first approach to fitness in India and increasingly, across the globe. Often describing himself as an "accidental entrepreneur," his journey from a corporate IT professional to a fitness icon who founded a company aiming to make 50 million people fit is nothing short of inspirational. This dossier dives deep into the story of Jitendra Chouksey and the disruptive health-tech venture he built, Fittr.
Want to hear Jitendra Chouksey share his incredible journey, challenges, and the Fittr philosophy in his own words? Don’t miss his candid conversation on the Founder Thesis podcast with Akshay Datt.
Check out the video of the conversation here or read on for insights.
🏋️ The Making of an Entrepreneur: Personal Struggles & Early Sparks
Jitendra Chouksey's path to founding Fittr wasn't a typical entrepreneurial trajectory; it was deeply personal, born from his own struggles and transformation.
From Bullied Kid to Fitness Enthusiast JC's early life was marked by a challenging period of being bullied for being overweight. He weighed around 86 kgs when he was in class 11th or 12th. This experience, however, fueled a determination to understand fitness. Around 8th grade, inspired by a friend, he tentatively stepped into a gym – an "underground sort of a gym" – and even recalls stealing 100 rupees for the monthly fee because convincing his dad was a big task. This initial step sparked a lifelong passion. He started building muscle underneath the fat and found himself getting skilled at push-ups, pull-ups, and lifting heavy. This consistency in working out has now been a part of his life for over two decades.
"I think it became a part of my life... It's almost twenty, twenty-one years that I have been working out every single day."
The IT Professional with a Fitness Passion JC graduated as an Information Technology Engineer in 2008 and embarked on a corporate career spanning over eight years with companies like Mphasis (initially referred to as Mastek in the podcast), L&T, and IBM. He worked as an SAP consultant, with stints in Pune, Mumbai, and Bangalore. During his time at IBM in Bangalore, he even met his wife, Akriti, through Facebook.
However, the demanding nature of corporate roles, often involving 12-hour workdays and a sedentary lifestyle, began to take a toll on his health. This personal health challenge, coupled with a frustrating experience with a micromanaging manager at IBM who would comment on his fitness habits, re-ignited his focus on fitness and nutrition science. His transfer to Pune, and later joining Mphasis, provided a more supportive environment. The birth of his daughter, Rachel, in July 2014, was a significant turning point.
"That day, I think it was like a sort of promise to myself and my wife. I told her that, boss, whatever we are doing today and whatever the circumstances, I promise you one thing. Every day will be better than yesterday. And that is the promise which I have upheld since those last seven years."
Following this, JC cut out bad habits, intensified his workouts, and began posting fitness pictures on social media around 2013, gaining visibility after participating in the Body Power Expo in January 2014.
The Accidental Start: WhatsApp, Facebook, and SQUATS As JC shared his transformation and knowledge, people started approaching him for fitness advice. This led to the creation of a small WhatsApp group in 2014 where he trained friends and family for free, using Google Drive to manage their details. The results spoke for themselves, and the group grew, with requests pouring in from different cities and even countries. At one point, he was training 180-190 people for free.
The sheer volume of queries became overwhelming. To manage this, JC decided to compile his knowledge into a booklet he titled "Get Shredded." Around the same time (likely 2015), he created a Facebook group called "SQUATS" (Systematic Quantitative Unified Aesthetic Transformation System) to share the booklet and answer questions. This, however, led to an explosion in engagement, with the Facebook group swelling to about 25,000 members in just a few weeks.
His first seminar in Pune attracted over 300 people, signaling a clear demand for his science-backed, no-nonsense approach to fitness.
🌱 Fittr's Genesis: From Community to Company
The burgeoning online community and the clear need for credible fitness guidance laid the foundation for Fittr.
Bootstrapping with ₹90,000 Fittr was officially founded in January 2016 with an incredibly lean initial capital of just ₹90,000 (approximately $1200 USD at the time), pooled from initial co-founders who invested small amounts like five thousand rupees each. The company emerged from the SQUATS Facebook community. JC, who was still with Mphasis, initially managed this alongside his job, often working from home due to back issues (osteoarthritis).
Remarkably, the platform was an immediate hit.
"We got around one hundred and thirty-nine customers in the first month itself."
Despite initial slim margins that primarily covered maintenance and basic salaries, JC wasn't too concerned about profits, as he still had his Mphasis salary. However, when a new manager at Mphasis created issues regarding his side project, JC, after much contemplation and against some advice, decided to quit his job in April 2016 to focus entirely on SQUATS (Fittr). By then, the venture was already making around 24-25 lakhs in monthly revenue.
Early Profitability & Impressive Growth One of the most striking aspects of Fittr's early days was its ability to achieve profitability while being entirely bootstrapped. Before securing its Pre-Series A funding, Fittr had amassed a cumulative revenue of $13 million USD. In its very first year of operation (FY 2016-17), the company reported a business of around ₹9.4 crores, with healthy profits. This was achieved with a small team and a clear focus on delivering results through quantified nutrition and effective coaching.
Core Philosophy: Consistency, Simplicity, and Science 💡 Jitendra Chouksey's leadership is deeply rooted in a philosophy that champions a return to basic, evidence-based principles. He emphasizes consistency over greatness, simplicity over unnecessary complexity, and the importance of fundamentals like quantified nutrition, effective exercise, adequate sleep, and proper hydration.
"Success isn't about greatness. It's about consistency. And those who are consistent are bound for greatness!"
This "no BS," education-first approach aims to combat the widespread misinformation and fad diets prevalent in the fitness industry. Fittr's seminars and content have always focused on unlearning myths about fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, explaining concepts in a scientific manner.
The Power of Community: 5 Million Strong 🌍 Fittr's community is its cornerstone, growing from a small WhatsApp group to over 850,000 members by April 2020, then to over 3 million by January 2024, and further swelling to over 5 million global community members by May 2024. JC mentioned on the Founder Thesis podcast that collectively (app and Facebook group), they had around 870,000 people at the time of the recording. The platform has documented over 300,000 client transformation success stories and has a significant global footprint, with users in 103 countries. Approximately 30% of its user base was international even in its earlier stages. This organic growth is fueled by word-of-mouth referrals from successful transformations, creating a powerful flywheel effect.
💰 Funding the Mission: Strategic Capital for Scale
While Fittr's early success was self-funded, strategic capital infusion became necessary to achieve its ambitious mission of reaching 50 million people. Fittr has raised approximately $17 million in total funding.
May 2019 (Seed): An undisclosed amount from Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, providing capital and celebrity endorsement.
April 2020 (Pre-Series A/Seed): $2 million from Surge, Sequoia Capital India's accelerator program, to scale the platform and enhance tech capabilities. JC mentioned that the Surge team, particularly Rajan Anandan, deeply understood and supported Fittr's community-centric model, which was a key reason for partnering with them after a less aligned experience with Y Combinator (which JC decided to leave despite being selected).
September 2021 (Series A): $11.5 million led by Dream Capital and Elysian Park Ventures, with participation from Surge.
January 2024 (Venture Round): $3.5 million led by Rainmatter Capital (Zerodha), focusing on health, wellness, and education-aligned businesses.
JC emphasized that the need for funds arises from the desire to scale and address a large Total Addressable Market (TAM) – with billions suffering from lifestyle diseases, reaching them effectively requires investment in technology, hiring, and distribution. Even so, he mentioned Fittr hadn't used any of Sequoia's initial investment at the time of the podcast, still operating on its own profits.
🛠️ The Fittr Ecosystem: Products, Services & Differentiation
Fittr offers a comprehensive suite of products and services, all underpinned by its core philosophy.
Personalized Fitness & Nutrition Coaching: Fittr's flagship service, connecting users with over 600 INFS-certified coaches.
Fittr App (Freemium Model): A central hub offering a vast nutrition database (1.1 million food items), calorie counter, workout tracker, free exercise videos (Yoga, HIIT, etc.), healthy recipes, and community forums. Premium services include access to personalized coaching. JC mentioned the app has 8-10 tools to help create diet/training plans and 600+ exercise videos.
Institute of Nutrition and Fitness Sciences (INFS): Co-founded by Jyoti Dabas, INFS is Fittr's educational arm. It offers online certification courses in nutrition and fitness, professionalizing the industry and creating a talent pipeline for Fittr. INFS has enrolled over 12,000 students in certificate courses. JC highlighted on the podcast that 90-95% of Fittr trainers are from the Fittr community and are INFS certified, with course fees around ₹20,000-₹25,000 for a 6-7 month duration.
Fittr HART (Health & Activity Tracking Ring): A smart ring tracking metrics like heart rate, sleep, HRV, and activity, signaling Fittr's expansion into health diagnostics.
Transformation Challenges: Large-scale online fitness events motivating community members with prizes.
Differentiation: Fittr distinguishes itself through its deeply engaged community, its science-first educational approach via INFS-certified coaches, and the authenticity of its founder. While competitors might focus on AI or physical gyms, Fittr's moat lies in its human-centric, knowledge-sharing model.
📊 Financial Trajectory & Strategic Pivots
Fittr's financial journey showcases bootstrapped success, investment-fueled growth, and strategic realignments.
Early Phase (Pre-Pre-Series A): $13 million USD in cumulative revenue (bootstrapped).
FY21 (ending March 2021): Turned profitable post initial institutional funding.
FY22 (ending March 2022): Revenue from operations neared ₹89-90 Crore, but the company incurred losses of approximately ₹25 Crore during expansion.
FY23 (ending March 2023): Revenue dipped slightly to around ₹87.5 Crore, with losses widening to ₹41.17 Crore due to increased operational and advertising expenses.
FY24 (ending March 2024): Revenue remained stable at ₹85 Crore (total ₹86.3 Crore), with losses dramatically reduced by 73.5% to ₹11 Crore through significant cost-cutting.
FY25 (projected): Aims for a return to profitability with revenues anticipated at ₹128 Crore, contingent on a pivot towards health diagnostics and sustained cost optimization.
The period of increased losses in FY22 and FY23, followed by drastic expense reductions in FY24, indicates a significant course correction by the leadership to ensure long-term sustainability.
🚀 Leadership Philosophy & Future Vision
Jitendra Chouksey's leadership is driven by a mission to democratize fitness and empower individuals.
Democratizing Fitness & Busting Myths A core tenet is making scientifically sound fitness knowledge accessible to all, combating misinformation. Fittr aims to teach people that sustainable fitness is achievable and less complicated than often portrayed.
"We are trying to fix that problem by telling people that boss, you don't need motivation for fitness. Fitness is a habit... It's basic hygiene."
The Vision: An End-to-End Healthcare Company Fittr's vision extends beyond fitness coaching to becoming an "end-to-end healthcare company," with a greater emphasis on health diagnostics (like Fittr HART). The long-standing goal remains to make 50 million people fit and create over 100,000 meaningful career opportunities in the fitness industry.
🌪️ Navigating Challenges: Resilience and Adaptability
JC's journey with Fittr hasn't been without its trials. He candidly spoke on the Founder Thesis podcast about early co-founder disagreements and departures. Some initial co-founders left, taking the website under development and some of the best coaches, which was a significant setback.
"When these guys left, they not only took our website, they took three of our best coaches... I was left with literally zero."
He also recounted a specific incident involving a party and unacceptable behavior by some associates, which led to a firm stance on company culture, reinforcing that Fittr would always stand for health and fitness without compromise. These experiences, though difficult, helped shape the company's strong ethical foundation and JC's resolve. The financial pressures in FY23 and the subsequent bold moves to cut costs and pivot strategically further underscore this resilience.
Jitendra Chouksey's story is a testament to the power of personal conviction, community building, and unwavering adherence to core principles. Fittr, under his leadership, continues to evolve, aiming to make a lasting impact on global health and wellness.
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