In honor of Unshackled Ventures‘ 10-year anniversary and National Immigrant Day, we celebrate Tejas Agarwal, founder and CEO of Sahay AI. Tejas brings over seven years of robotics and AI experience to transforming rail infrastructure, making inspections faster, safer, and more efficient. With a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a deep background in autonomous systems, Tejas launched Sahay AI to tackle critical gaps in rail operations. His team’s custom AI models now enable predictive maintenance, offering rail companies a proactive approach to safety.

In this Faces of Entrepreneurship interview, Tejas shares insights into his journey, resilience as an immigrant entrepreneur, and his vision to revolutionize rail travel. Through his work, he exemplifies how entrepreneurship can drive meaningful change in public infrastructure and inspire the next generation of innovators.

What does “entrepreneurship” mean to you?
Tejas Agarwal: Entrepreneurship is about solving real-world problems through innovation and creating something meaningful. It’s more than starting a business; it’s building something that drives you every day. As Elon Musk said, “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” It’s a journey of passion and resilience, turning challenges into opportunities.

What is your company’s origin story? What is the biggest reason you started your business? What did those early days look like and teach you?
TA: Sahay AI started with a simple yet powerful idea—enabling data transparency where there was a significant gap both in terms of organizational structure as well as infrastructure. After reading about the Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio/PA in early 2023, I became fascinated by the inefficiencies in rail operations. Conversations with industry professionals revealed outdated inspection methods, and that sparked the idea for Sahay AI. The early days were all about deep research, talking to customers, and developing a solution that truly addressed their pain points.

What do you wish you knew when you started? Is there anything you would do differently?
TA: I’ve learned more than I ever expected—moving from robotics and AI to mechanical, full-stack, DevOps, sales, and operations. If I could go back, I’d focus more on leveraging my network faster and researching avenues to be more organized before diving in. Managing relationship structures for enterprises and time effectively is the key lesson I would have explored earlier.

What does “success” look like for you? We’d love to hear your biggest, boldest dream. What do you think will help you achieve it?
TA: Success is making rail travel safer, faster, and more efficient. My boldest dream is to help the rail industry become the fastest, cheapest, greenest, and safest mode of transportation compared to any else. We’re building rugged solutions that directly address the industry’s critical challenges, and that’s how I envision making an impact.

What are your personal driving principles, your top values?
TA: Curiosity and constant learning drive me. I believe every day is a chance to improve and push ourselves to become better. Staying mission-driven and practicing patience are essential values—success doesn’t happen overnight, but by working persistently, you eventually start winning.

What’s it like to work alone or with your partners?
TA: Being a solo entrepreneur is exciting but challenging. You soon realize the value of having a team to share the load. For us, it’s been a partnership built on learning and innovation with my team. We keep things collaborative and fun—exploring new tech, brainstorming ideas, and figuring out how to turn them into reality.

What role does mentorship play in your world (as a mentor or mentee)? Tell us about what makes mentorship valuable to you and your business.
TA: Mentors are invaluable. They help you avoid mistakes you’d otherwise walk straight into. Their wisdom and experience prepare you for real-world challenges, and I’ve been fortunate to have some incredible mentors guiding me. They’ve shaped how I think about customers, strategy, and execution.

Many entrepreneurs continue to perfect their daily routines to support their work and greater vision; would you mind sharing your morning routine or a regular ritual that grounds your work each day?
TA: A good morning sets the tone for the day. I start with a workout to clear my mind, followed by a healthy breakfast and early office arrival. The first hours are dedicated to emails, scheduling, and customer meetings. I keep the afternoon for project work and development, wrapping up by 7pm. Then it’s time for a relaxing evening, usually cooking dinner.

How do you manage the work-life balance as an entrepreneur? What strategies have you found effective in maintaining your well-being?
TA: Balance is about setting boundaries. I prioritize time for myself by incorporating regular workouts and personal downtime, and I delegate work when needed. Scheduling time for personal and professional activities helps me stay sharp and motivated.

Where do you turn for inspiration?
TA: Inspiration comes from seeing the tangible impact of what I’m building. I also draw inspiration from other entrepreneurs who have overcome immense challenges to create something revolutionary and the biggest one is my parents who are my strongest pillars of support. Staying curious and constantly learning from those around me keeps me driven.

Building and sustaining a business often involves overcoming various challenges. Can you share a specific moment where your entrepreneurial resilience was tested, and how did you navigate through it to ensure the sustainability of your business? What lessons did you learn from that experience?
TA: Early on, we realized that key stakeholders were slow to move, and our technology needed field testing. It was frustrating but we soon figured out alternative ways of proving our technology and making inroads, especially by building stronger relationships and proving the value of our solution. The lesson? Resilience pays off, and persistence turns obstacles into stepping stones.

Have you raised outside capital thus far?
TA: Yes, we’ve raised pre-seed capital to support product development and early pilots. We secured funding from awesome early-stage investors who believed in our vision, technology and me.

Do you have a favorite quote, mantra, or words of wisdom to get through the tough days?
TA: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” This quote reminds me that entrepreneurship is a journey, and the only way forward is to keep moving, no matter what.

What is a problem that keeps you up at night?
TA: Scaling the business while maintaining quality and keeping key eye on safety. As we grow, ensuring that our technology continues to meet high standards and supports a wider customer base is a constant challenge.

How do you think about helping others through your work?
TA: By making rail operations safer and more efficient, we are not just solving business problems—we’re improving public infrastructure and safety. Helping others is embedded in our mission to create a greener, more reliable transportation system. Also, who doesn’t want smarter, faster transport systems, especially in big cities where subways are literally the lifelines.

What advice do you have for fellow (and aspiring) entrepreneurs building and leading teams?
TA: Be the leader who listens and learns from everyone. Building a strong, aligned team requires clear communication and empowering others to bring their best. Stay humble, and never stop learning from your team. It’s also important to realize that every individual has their own life and is going through something or the other. Keeping them motivated as well as being there for your team is in my opinion very important.

What kind of an entrepreneur do you want to be known as – as in, what do you want your legacy to be?
TA: I want to be known as someone who pursues impactful solutions while lifting others along the way. I want to work for the people while using the skills that I have and actually making a difference in safety, efficiency or time savings. I am also a big believer of sustainability and feel I have a responsibility to do my own part.

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