Scaled a $50B Government Permits Platform for User Growth and Adoption

Business users faced challenges in accessing critical services necessary for managing their operations and service officials faced challenges in managing and tracking business applications. The platform was also underutilized (on both mobile and desktop) by business users which was a lost opportunity for both, the businesses and the government.

I played a key leadership role in scaling a government permits acquisition platform, contributing to the growth of a $50B ARR solution that enables businesses (with a total addressable market of over 8.2 million) to begin their operations by securing permits from government departments. The core objective of my role was to improve user acquisition and address the challenges hindering the platform’s growth and overall adoption.

Discovery & Insights
To begin addressing the issues, I led a series of in-depth discovery workshops across 20 cities in Maharashtra, where I directly engaged with users from both business and government sectors. The primary objective was to uncover the root causes affecting the platform’s adoption and user experience.

Through these workshops and one-on-one interactions, I discovered several key pain points:

1. Unavailability of Required Services: Users found that not all the necessary government services were accessible through the platform, which limited its utility.

2. Complex Navigation for Users: Many users were not familiar with digital platforms and were accustomed to traditional manual processes. The platform’s interface was challenging for those not comfortable with technology, which led to frustration and disengagement.

3. Reluctance to Adopt Online Payments: Digital payments were not yet widely accepted in some cities, and many users were more comfortable paying in cash directly at government offices. This reluctance to embrace online payment systems was a significant barrier to platform adoption.

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Based on the insights gathered, I developed a comprehensive strategy that focused on three key areas:

1. Improving the User Experience (UX): Simplifying the platform to make it intuitive and accessible for all user types, from business owners to government personnel.

2. Prioritizing and Integrating High-Demand Services: Ensuring that the most critical services were available and seamlessly integrated into the platform.

3. Expanding the Platform’s Reach: Using targeted outreach efforts to acquire new users and improve top-of-the-funnel engagement, particularly in areas with lower digital penetration.

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Solution:

1. Launched an unified portal for 350+ government services, enabling businesses to obtain permits across 20 departments.

2. Launched solutions for quick onboarding and E2E transaction management (submission, payment and tracking).

1. Drove 20% growth YoY (over $1B in new ARR) with a high user satisfaction (average rating of 4.5/5)

2. 20% increase in activation (first application submission) to 4200 per month

3. Improved revenue by 5% in a year