Bengaluru (India)-based inclusivetech startup NUVO is positioning itself as a pioneer in reshaping how individuals in India access, manage, and share their personal data. Founded in 2023 by Smriti Chaudhary and Saurav Raaj, the company is addressing a long-standing challenge in the country’s digital ecosystem: ensuring meaningful data access and control for underserved populations, particularly rural women. Industry assessments regularly point out that limited mobile phone ownership among rural women, combined with minimal awareness of digital data rights, has left millions excluded from essential healthcare and financial services. At the same time, numerous organizations struggle with compliance requirements due to inconsistent or inefficient consent management practices.
NUVO has framed its mission around closing these gaps through a privacy-led approach to digital identity and data governance. The startup views data ownership and user consent as fundamental pillars for enabling large-scale digital inclusion.
Blockchain-Based Personal Data Wallet Prioritizes Privacy
To address these structural challenges, NUVO has developed a Personalized Data Wallet built on blockchain infrastructure and strengthened with Zero Knowledge Proof computation. The platform has been designed to enable users to securely maintain their digital identity records, store verified information, and share specific data with institutions through a Universal Consent Layer. This consent mechanism ensures that individuals retain control while organizations gain a reliable and compliant data exchange system.
The company positions the wallet as a tool that empowers users to reclaim agency over personal information in a digitized society where data is often fragmented or inaccessible. By providing a seamless method for privacy-preserving verification, the platform supports both institutional transparency and individual autonomy.
Organizations engaging with NUVO’s solution are offered a trustworthy framework for consent-based data exchange, which the startup believes will reduce administrative burdens while promoting regulatory adherence. The model also aims to mitigate the risks associated with the absence of standardized consent protocols, a challenge faced by many sectors in India’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Accelerator Support Strengthens Strategy and Impact
NUVO’s participation in the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme served as a catalyst for refining its business strategy and technology roadmap. Through mentorship from industry specialists and access to a broad partner network, the program helped the company sharpen its product vision and prepare for long-term scalability. The guidance provided through the initiative played a role in strengthening NUVO’s operational approach as it seeks to expand its inclusivetech footprint.
Co-founder Smriti Chaudhary conveyed that the company’s core objective revolves around enabling every individual to maintain complete control over their personal data and credited the accelerator for helping align NUVO’s innovative ambitions with on-the-ground inclusion challenges.
Himanshu Nivsarkar, who leads CSR and ESG initiatives at Kotak Mahindra Bank, expressed that NUVO exemplifies the type of inclusive innovation the program aims to support, emphasizing that solutions like NUVO’s contribute to a more equitable digital environment by bridging access gaps and fostering greater trust.
Shaping a More Equitable Digital Future
With its privacy-first design and blockchain-powered foundation, NUVO is positioning itself as a rising force in the inclusivetech domain. The company’s focus on secure data ownership, transparent consent, and user autonomy signals an emerging shift in how digital participation can be expanded across India’s diverse population. By promoting responsible data governance and enabling millions to access essential services more confidently, NUVO is contributing to a future where digital inclusion becomes a standard rather than an exception.
