An Exclusive Interview with Sumesh Dugar, Founder & CEO of Webbies, an India-based design and technology studio
Sumesh Dugar, Founder & CEO of Webbies, India’s premier design and technology studio, shares his visionary journey in this exclusive interview.
From bootstrapping innovation to scaling digital excellence, discover how he’s reshaping businesses through creative tech solutions.
How did your education from NIIT Pune and St. Xavier’s College shape your path to founding Webbies?
Sumesh Dugar: My education at NIIT Pune gave me a strong foundation in technology, problem-solving, and structured thinking. St. Xavier’s College shaped the other half of me — communication, creativity, and understanding people.
Together, they built the mindset that design isn’t just aesthetics and tech isn’t just code; both must work together to solve real problems.
This clarity pushed me to start Webbies in 2012 as a bootstrapped studio that believed in design-led development long before it became mainstream.
With 650+ clients from TCS, Jindal, Titan, Emami, Berger, Toyota to 250+ startups — what stands out?
Sumesh Dugar: What stands out is how similar the core challenges are, whether it’s a multinational or a two-founder startup: clarity of vision, speed of execution, and trust.
Working with 650+ clients has taught us how to adapt — MNCs expect reliability, compliance, and scale, while startups expect speed, experimentation, and ownership.
The most memorable partnerships are those where we were treated not as vendors but as collaborators shaping a product end to end.
Speaking at events like Birla High School’s Next Gens Talks, how do you inspire the next generation?
Sumesh Dugar: I try to keep it real. Young people today don’t need motivational speeches — they need clarity, direction, and examples that feel achievable. I talk about failure, iteration, and why AI is not a threat but a multiplier of intelligence.
When I speak about India in 2045, I emphasize that the future will belong to those who think creatively and collaborate with AI. If even one student walks out feeling, “I can build something too,” the talk has worked.
How does Webbies blend design thinking with technology across AI, apps, AR/VR, ERPs, and UI/UX?
Sumesh Dugar: Design thinking is our starting point — before choosing a tech stack, we understand the user, their friction points, and the behaviour we want to enable. Technology then becomes a tool, not the driver.
Whether it’s AI, apps, AR/VR, or ERPs, we return to a simple question: will this make the user’s life easier and create measurable business impact? This ensures every solution is human-centric and scalable.
Tell us about your project with Berger Paints and the road to DNA Paris Design Awards.
Sumesh Dugar: Our work with Berger Paints reimagined their digital experience by simplifying navigation, introducing interactive tools, and making complex decisions intuitive for every kind of user.
Webbies was responsible for designing the new Berger Paints website, and our approach was deeply rooted in user-centricity — we interacted with 100–150 stakeholders one-on-one over a period of three months to understand their needs, challenges, and expectations. The result was a 1300-page website built over 1.5 years!
We created a contemporary platform, integrating design, technology, and content, that caters to the varied needs of homeowners, business users and project partners.
The information architecture was carefully crafted to support diverse user journeys, while the problem–solution approach helped users quickly identify what they needed and seamlessly explore relevant products and services.
Interactive exploration tools, visual storytelling, and design-thinking frameworks bridged inspiration with action, ensuring that users not only discovered ideas but also felt empowered to act on them.
DNA Paris recognized this because the project went beyond aesthetics — it showed how design can transform a legacy brand for a digital-first world.
Advice to entrepreneurs on using AI to build impactful businesses
Sumesh Dugar: Start with a problem worth solving — not with AI itself. Use AI to accelerate operations, personalize journeys, create faster prototypes, and automate repetitive tasks. The magic happens when AI becomes invisible yet drives real results.
Build quickly, test with users, and iterate fast and let data guide you. The entrepreneurs who stay curious and keep learning will always stay ahead.
Sumesh Dugar’s insights reveal Webbies’ blueprint for digital success amid India’s tech boom. His focus on innovation, agility, and client-centric design inspires entrepreneurs everywhere. Tune in for timeless strategies driving tomorrow’s digital leaders.
| Are you an
Entrepreneur or Startup? Do you have a Success Story to Share? SugerMint would like to share your success story. We cover entrepreneur Stories, Startup News, Women entrepreneur stories, and Startup stories
|
Read more Success stories of Indian entrepreneurs, Women Entrepreneurs & startups stories at SugerMint. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn