Startup Story: Valentine’s Day often celebrates love in familiar ways. But some partnerships tell a quieter, more enduring story, one built on shared ambition, deep trust, and years of growing together. The journey of Gaurav Gupta and Arpana Shahi, founders of GABIT, is one such story.
GABIT is a Gurugram-based health-tech startup founded in 2022 by Gaurav Gupta and Arpana Shahi, focusing on integrated wellness via a "smart ring" that tracks sleep, stress, and fitness. It offers a holistic platform combining AI-driven insights, personalized nutrition/fitness plans, and skincare.
Married for 19 years and partners long before they were cofounders, Gaurav and Arpana represent a rare balance of personal stability and entrepreneurial drive. Their relationship, rooted in years of shared life experience, has become a quiet but powerful force behind how they are building GABIT.
From College Companions To Co-Founders
Gaurav and Arpana met in college, long before pitch decks, or investor meetings entered their lives. Over the years, each went on to build and operate their own ventures independently, learning the realities of entrepreneurship from the inside out.
GABIT marks their first venture together as cofounders. That distinction matters. It brings with it not just professional alignment, but a depth of understanding shaped by 19 years of marriage, individual journeys and mutual respect.
The decision to build together was not impulsive. The idea took shape during the COVID period, when a shared belief began to deepen: that health and wellness in India needed a more integrated, sustainable approach, one that looked beyond hacks and quick fixes and focused on long-term outcomes.
Shared Vision, Shared Standards
At its core, GABIT reflects how Gaurav and Arpana think about life itself. Health is not a vertical to be optimised in isolation. It is interconnected, personal, and deeply human.
That philosophy has shaped the company from day one. Decisions are guided by long-term thinking rather than short term noise. Ego is deliberately kept out of the room. What matters is whether something genuinely improves people’s lives.
This shared vision has also helped them navigate the natural complexities of building a company together.
Drawing Clear Lines, By Design
Working with a spouse can blur boundaries quickly, but for Gaurav and Arpana, clarity has been non-negotiable.
“Where many founder relationships blur personal and professional boundaries, we are intentional about protecting both. Work discussions have a place. Personal time has a place too. At the same time, the two worlds are deeply aligned. That clarity, not constant overlap, is what allows us to integrate life and work in a way that stays sustainable.”
Roles are clearly defined. Decision-making responsibilities are respected. This structure allows them to collaborate deeply without letting work consume the relationship that came first.
Healthy Conflict, Not Power Struggles
Disagreements, they believe, are not a threat to either a marriage or a company. How those disagreements are handled makes all the difference.
Arpana explains, “Disagreements are inevitable. What sets us apart is how we handle them. Conflicts are approached as problem-solving exercises, not power struggles. The focus stays on outcomes, not egos.”
This mindset has become part of GABIT’s culture. Conversations stay direct, honest, and grounded in mutual respect, whether they are happening in the boardroom or at home.
A Valentine’s Story Rooted in Reality
After 19 years of marriage, a college romance that grew into lifelong partnership, and multiple entrepreneurial journeys that finally converged, Gaurav Gupta and Arpana Shahi are building something rare.
GABIT is a reflection of everything they have learned about patience, resilience, and alignment over the years. Their story reframes the idea of a founder power couple, not as a glossy narrative, but as one built on consistency, trust, and shared purpose.
This Valentine’s Day, Gaurav and Arpana’s story reframes what a power couple looks like. Not loud, not performative, but deeply aligned. When love is steady and leadership is shared, success stops being a solo pursuit. It becomes a long game, built side by side.
