Abandoned a high-paying $28 million position in the United States to establish Homeyhuts, an initially commission-free homestay service in India.
In the bustling heart of Bangalore, an Indian entrepreneur named Yash Kumar noticed a gap in the homestay market during a road trip in 2018. Observing many homestay owners struggling due to language barriers, high commissions, complex online systems, and poor visibility, he decided to take action.
Fast forward to 2024, Homeyhuts was born, a Hyderabad-based startup focused on simplifying homestay hosting in India. The platform offers support and payout communication in multiple Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada, catering to a diverse audience.
India, with nearly 27 lakh second homes, has a significant potential for homestays. However, only a fraction of these properties are online today. Homeyhuts aims to change this, with a vision to onboard 10,000 properties by 2026 and 20,000+ by 2027-28.
Homeyhuts was initially launched with a pilot in Uttarakhand and later introduced 'Managed by Homeyhuts,' a service where the startup handles everything, including listings, guest communication, and booking management. Subscription plans for Homeyhuts start at Rs 490 per property per month, while an alternative pay-per-booking model charges 8-10% commission.
Guest connections are secured through ID checks, and communication is seamless via WhatsApp. To list a property, hosts must provide ownership proof, government-issued ID, and complete a one-time video KYC. Homeyhuts defines clear property standards, including clean and well-maintained rooms, functional amenities like Wi-Fi and water, and proper hygiene practices, to reassure guests.
The Indian homestay OTA market was valued at Rs 24,100 crore ($2.9 billion) in 2024 and is projected to reach Rs 85,420 crore ($10 billion) by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 13.5%. Homeyhuts has recorded Rs 22 lakh+ in revenue so far and has onboarded over 2,000 properties across 16 states, crossing Rs 2 crore in gross booking volume since launch.
Homeyhuts offers a zero-commission subscription model, an all-in-one App, and AI-powered tools to disrupt India's fragmented homestay ecosystem. The platform also supports multiple Indian languages and includes a built-in channel manager that syncs availability across more than eight OTAs, as well as a 'Magic Cluster' tool to auto-sync multiple listings of the same property.
A breakthrough came in July 2025 with 'Host It Yourself,' an all-in-one App Solution that allows hosts to list properties, sync calendars across multiple OTAs, access dynamic pricing tools, and connect directly with verified guests, without paying any commissions.
Homeyhuts has a Facebook group of 169,000+ property owners, which has helped the company gather feedback and shape its services. The startup also plans to take its AI-powered tools abroad under a separate brand, Letloom, starting with Southeast Asia.
Homeyhuts emphasizes sustainability over short-term profits and aims to be profitable by 2026. All travelers must undergo ID checks, with direct host communication enabled via WhatsApp post-verification. With its user-friendly approach and commitment to supporting local homestay owners, Homeyhuts is set to revolutionize the homestay industry in India and beyond.
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