From Delhi weekends to Mohali mornings. Before entrepreneurship, life for Prerna Kalra was split between cities. She worked in Delhi; her husband Rahul stayed in Chandigarh. For over three years, they lived a \u201cweekend marriage\u201d. When their son was born, she continued in Delhi, returning only on weekends.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very tough time, leaving my kid here,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it wouldn\u2019t have been possible without Rahul and my in-laws. You never grow alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Eventually, she moved back, joining Quark\u2014one of the region\u2019s first product-based IT companies. \u201cI was in the core team,\u201d she recalls. \u201cIt was a big shift from the public to the private sector. I had to work double so no one would say I couldn\u2019t manage.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Her work took her across India\u2014from Delhi<\/a> to Chennai<\/a>, Guwahati<\/a> to Bangalore<\/a>. \u201cI used to just change my suitcase and leave again,\u201d she says. She later joined IBM<\/a>, then Edifecs, the health information technology company where she reported directly to its founder, Sunny Singh. \u201cAn amazing person,\u201d she says, \u201cwho ran the company like a family.\u201d<\/p>\n Starting something of her own<\/p>\n After years in corporate leadership and IT consulting, the idea of starting up took shape. \u201cI was contributing so much to others\u2019 companies\u2014I felt I should build something of my own,\u201d she says. That conviction strengthened when she met her eventual co-founder, Manav Singal.<\/p>\n What followed was Road Athena\u2014an AI and GIS-powered platform offering insights into road conditions, identifying potholes and cracks, forecasting asset lifespans, and streamlining maintenance.<\/p>\n \u201cOur country has the second-largest road network in the world, and it\u2019s not humanly possible to maintain it manually anymore,\u201d she says. \u201cTechnology here isn\u2019t just important\u2014it\u2019s inevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n Story continues below this ad<\/p>\n No civil engineering background<\/p>\n None of the three co-founders come from civil engineering. \u201cThat\u2019s why we could think differently,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n While Prerna provided vision, Manav led research, and Rahul\u2014her husband\u2014brought operations expertise. A practising dentist with seven city clinics, Rahul was initially a silent funder but became increasingly involved and eventually joined full-time.<\/p>\n Their complementary skills became one of the startup\u2019s biggest strengths.<\/p>\n Recognition at home and abroad<\/p>\n In a short time, HanuAI has won the Nasscom Deep Tech Award, ESC Ubharte Sitare Award, and was invited by the World Bank to showcase its work in Washington D.C. It\u2019s also been featured in Silicon Valley and listed among India\u2019s most promising startups by Forbes.<\/p>\n Story continues below this ad<\/p>\n Today, HanuAI works with two international and three major Indian clients. \u201cWe\u2019ve already hit our annual targets in the first quarter,\u201d she says. \u201cWe don\u2019t really have a day or night\u2014we live our work.\u201d<\/p>\n Mohali as a strategic choice<\/p>\n
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