Abhishek Anand of Skill Bud Technologies on AI-Led Growth, Niche Digital Brands, and Execution-First Innovation

StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future.

In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Abhishek Anand, Founder and CEO of Skill Bud Technologies Pvt. Ltd., who shares insights on building a digital innovation and growth studio designed to close the gap between ideas and execution. He reflects on how the digital marketing and technology space has become increasingly crowded, with businesses often promised rapid outcomes but left dissatisfied due to weak delivery systems and inconsistent execution—making quality, process, and trust the real differentiators.

Anand explains how Skill Bud has evolved into a multi-vertical growth partner for brands by combining digital marketing, technology development, design, immersive AR solutions, and AI-led workflows to deliver measurable business outcomes. The conversation explores the launch of focused initiatives like Grow My Hospital for healthcare growth, Generative Crafts for AI-driven solutions, and Magic Cards—NFC-enabled digital business cards that support smarter networking and branding. He also shares key learnings from 2025 around scaling without compromising standards, strengthening internal systems through AI automation, and Skill Bud’s roadmap for 2026 focused on niche expansion, productised AI services, and structured long-term growth.

StartupTalky:  What service does Skill Bud Technologies provide? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

Abhishek Anand: Skill Bud Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is a digital innovation and growth studio that helps brands grow and build their businesses through digital marketing, technology development, design, AI-led solutions, immersive AR solutions, and strategic consulting. We run and manage several brands, including Get Digital, Beardy Nerd, AR Magic, Grow My Hospital, Generative Crafts, and others. 

The simple goal of Skill Bud was to close the gap between ideas and action. Many businesses have big plans, but they don't have the right strategy, systems, or team support to make them happen. Abhisheik Anand, our Founder and CEO, saw Skill Bud as more than just a service provider; he saw it as a long-term growth partner for businesses that would help them make a real difference.

StartupTalky:  What new services have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your service?

Abhishek Anand: Last year, we started Grow My Hospital to help the healthcare industry move online. Our aim is to offer specialized solutions for hospitals and clinics that go beyond marketing. We want to help them grow, attract more patients, and build lasting trust.

We introduced AI-powered marketing tools to support daily tasks and larger marketing strategies. These tools make planning, creating content, and analyzing performance easier and more efficient. Additionally, we introduced NFC-enabled digital business cards, named Magic Cards, helping professionals and brands share information instantly while enhancing their personal and corporate branding.

What sets us apart is our focus on quality, not quantity. We care more about long-term results, careful planning, and solid execution than quick wins. Every solution is customized for each business, so our clients can rely on it and see real value.

StartupTalky:  How has the industry you are in changed in recent years and how has Skill Bud Technologies adapted to these changes?

Abhishek Anand: In the last few years, the digital and marketing fields have gotten very crowded, with many new agencies launching. A lot of the time, businesses are promised big results, but when it comes time to deliver, they don't always deliver. This has made a difference between what people expect and what actually happens. 

We at Skill Bud took a different route. We have always been more interested in getting real results than in selling services. We always put quality work and strong execution first, and we never cut corners. 

AI is now a must-have in every field, so we've fully integrated it into all of our processes, from planning to execution. We also have a group of smart people who know how to use AI well, so technology enhances our strategy and delivery rather than replacing people. This mix of AI and knowledge helps us always meet and go above and beyond what our clients expect.

StartupTalky:  What key metrics do you track to check the Skill Bud Technologies growth and performance?

Abhishek Anand: We monitor a mix of business, marketing, and operational metrics to track the company's growth and performance. These include keeping clients and getting repeat business, which shows that clients trust you and are happy with your work. We keep a close eye on the quality of leads and the conversion rate to ensure our work drives real business results.

We also track campaign ROI and performance benchmarks to see how effective our plans are. On the operations side, we review team productivity, project timelines, the number of new projects, and overall delivery time. Together, these metrics help us keep the organization growing, running smoothly, and delivering quality service.

StartupTalky:  What were the most significant challenges Skill Bud Technologies faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

Abhishek Anand: Our biggest problem last year was how to build the firm without lowering our standards. It was difficult to maintain consistency across teams and brands as demand grew. We saw that several tasks were being done more than once, which made them take longer and less efficiently. This taught us that we needed to improve our procedures, not just work harder.

To fix this, we identified the cause of the problems and ensured we did things correctly from the start. We improved our processes, supported our leaders, identified more effective ways to work together, and pushed everyone to take on more responsibility. We also started using AI to handle mundane tasks, ensure they are done well, and support project management. These strategies helped us cut down on repetitive tasks, get more done, and keep growing without sacrificing quality.

StartupTalky:  What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack that you pulled off.

Abhishek Anand: We use many marketing channels, including content marketing, performance marketing, personal branding, public relations, community engagement, and social- and search-platform-specific techniques. Our main goal is to make sure our marketing supports clear business objectives, not just to increase views.

We found that moving away from broad service positioning and offering more specific solutions worked very well for us. When we launched Grow My Hospital, a brand focused only on the healthcare industry, we could solve industry problems, build trust faster, and get better leads.

We also launched NFC-based digital visiting cards called Magic Cards, which we promoted as a smart way to network and present yourself, not just as a product. Magic Cards grew quickly through live demos, real use cases, and content-driven awareness. These targeted efforts helped us grow fast, build stronger client relationships, and find new growth opportunities.

StartupTalky:  What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

Abhishek Anand: We rely on a mix of operational systems and digital tools to keep our business running well. For example, we installed an attendance management system and CCTV cameras in the office to improve discipline, transparency, and productivity.

We use different AI-powered tools for content creation, automation, and data analysis. For design and collaboration, we use Canva and Adobe. To run campaigns and track results, we rely on Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, and analytics platforms. Our own CRM and project management software, which includes task management features, helps us keep projects on track and make team communication easier. All these tools help our teams work more efficiently and maintain high quality.

StartupTalky:  What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen between India and the world?

Abhishek Anand: India is still adapting to new technologies like AI and NFC-based solutions, while businesses in other countries use them regularly. This difference creates a great chance for growth, especially for tools that help people connect online and build a digital presence.

Products like Magic Cards have strong potential in India, as more businesses and professionals seek smarter, contactless, and eco-friendly options over traditional business cards. Clients in India tend to be more price-sensitive and make decisions quickly. Clients from other countries often focus on established processes, following rules, and building long-term partnerships. We design our products to be affordable, easy to use, and scalable for both groups.

StartupTalky:  How are you using AI, whether in service delivery, internal processes, or customer experience, and what impact has it created?

Abhishek Anand: We use AI across many areas of our work, including planning, content creation, performance analysis, workflow automation, and customer engagement. Before using AI, we take time to understand the business and find the best ways to add value.

We recently launched a new brand, Generative Crafts, focused solely on AI-driven solutions. Generative Crafts offers AI-powered services tailored to businesses' specific needs.

This method has greatly increased speed, reduced manual work, and enabled better decisions. Using this approach has helped us work faster, reduce manual tasks, and make better data-driven decisions. AI has not replaced our creativity-it has made it even stronger. We see AI as a creative partner that helps us deliver better results for our clients.

StartupTalky:  How do you plan to expand the Customers, service offering, and team base in the future?

Abhishek Anand: We want to grow by strengthening our niche-based verticals and continuing to deliver focused solutions for specific industries. Adding more NFC-based Magic Cards and AR solutions that help businesses improve engagement and brand experience will be a big part of our growth.

We also want to offer more AI-driven, productized services that make marketing and business processes easier while still delivering measurable value. We also want to grow our presence in Indian markets and some other parts of the world. Internally, we are working to strengthen our leadership and execution teams so we can grow in a way that lasts.

Our approach remains centered on smart, structured growth rather than aggressive expansion.

StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with another Service company founder?

Abhishek Anand: Before focusing on fast growth, I tell service company founders to ensure they have strong systems and maintain quality. When everyone on the team knows what to do and does it well, growth becomes stable and clients trust you more.

At the same time, use technology like AI to improve your work, but don't rely on it alone. Using smart tools with discipline, creativity, and a clear plan is the best way to get things done. This balance will help you stand out and give people something of value that lasts in a competitive market.

Explore more Recap'25 interviews here.