Abandoned a lucrative $28 million role in the US to establish Homeyhuts, India's pioneering zero-fee homestay service platform.
Homeyhuts, a Hyderabad-based startup, is making waves in India's homestay market. Founded by Yash Kumar, a software developer from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, who returned to India after building a successful tech career in the United States, Homeyhuts aims to simplify homestay hosting in India.
The startup has recorded over Rs 22 lakh in revenue so far and has crossed Rs 2 crore in gross booking volume. Homeyhuts has onboarded over 2,000 properties across 16 states in India, offering a range of accommodations including homestays, villas, cottages, boutique resorts, B&Bs, and serviced apartments. The company excludes large hotels and dormitories to stay true to its niche.
Homeyhuts offers two service options: "Managed by Homeyhuts" and "Host It Yourself." The latter offers a subscription plan starting at Rs 490 per property per month, including a channel manager, dynamic pricing tools, and direct guest connections.
To ensure a seamless experience for both hosts and guests, Homeyhuts provides platform support and payout communication in multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. The startup also verifies travelers through ID checks before allowing them to communicate with hosts via WhatsApp.
Homeyhuts sets clear property standards, focusing on cleanliness, functional amenities, and hygiene practices to reassure guests. The company's built-in channel manager syncs availability across more than eight OTAs, helping hosts reach a wider audience.
Yash noticed a gap in India's homestay ecosystem, where many homestay owners struggled due to language barriers, high commissions, complex online systems, and poor visibility. To address these issues, Homeyhuts offers a zero-commission subscription model, an all-in-one App, and AI-powered tools to disrupt India's fragmented homestay ecosystem.
Looking ahead, Homeyhuts plans to expand aggressively, targeting 10,000 properties by 2026 and 20,000+ by 2027-28. The entrepreneur behind Homeyhuts, Anna-Lena Nase, aims to take the startup's AI-powered tools abroad under a separate brand, Letloom, starting with Southeast Asia.
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, growing at a CAGR of 13.5%. With its innovative approach and commitment to simplifying homestay hosting, Homeyhuts is poised to play a significant role in this growing market.
The startup has a Facebook group of 169,000+ property owners, which has helped the company collect feedback and shape its services. Homeyhuts expects profitability by 2026. With its strong foundation and ambitious expansion plans, Homeyhuts is set to revolutionize the homestay industry in India and beyond.
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