Every founder is driven by a core problem they’re determined to solve. For Mirdul, it was this: Why does practical, actionable market research remain so inaccessible and challenging for startups, SMEs, and early-stage teams?
Over 90% of startups don’t fail due to a lack of ambition they fail because of poor market fit, disjointed planning, and delayed go-to-market execution. An IBM-Oxford study highlights a common thread: founders often build on assumptions rather than evidence a misstep that can be costly both financially and emotionally.
To bridge this critical gap, Mirdul Amin Sarkar India’s leading market research mentor, consultant, and Founder of Market Research Universe (MRU) has launched a game-changing platform: MRUnavigator. Headquartered in India, MRUnavigator is the world’s first real-time market research platform tailored for startup ideation, business planning, pitch deck creation, and Go-To-Market execution offering a comprehensive, all-in-one ecosystem without breaking the bank.
Built in India for the world, the platform empowers startup founders, CXOs, investors, researchers, academicians, management students, and aspiring entrepreneurs to create data-driven, market-fit ventures and build successful, future-ready businesses.
“We weren’t trying to create a fancy dashboard. Our goal was to make startup founders, SMEs, corporate CXOs, and marketers say, ‘This finally makes sense.’”
Mirdul Amin Sarkar
From Strategy Decks to become Top Market Research Mentor to Product Vision
Before founding MRU, Mirdul worked with brands and institutions across diverse industries, often crafting strategy decks that were heavy on jargon but lacked practical, ground-level relevance. He consistently observed a recurring challenge: startups and SMEs struggled to validate ideas, estimate market size (TAM, SAM, SOM), benchmark competitors, and develop effective Go-To-Market strategies that aligned with their financial limitations.
The problem wasn’t a lack of intent—it was the absence of practical, affordable, and context-rich tools.
The Product: MRUnavigator
The flagship tool inside the MRU platform is MRUnavigator an intuitive tool that breaks down:
- Real-Time Market Research
- Startup Ideation
- Business Planning
- Pitch Deck Creation
- Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy
- Launching
Designed like a mix of a research assistant and a strategic consultant, MRUnavigator allows brands to access ready-to-use frameworks, downloadable insight templates, and even personalized analysis in some plans.
“It’s like getting a consultant’s brain in a DIY format,” Mirdul explains. “We don’t believe in data dumps. We believe in guided clarity.”
Differentiation: What Makes MRU Stand Out?
Unlike platforms that overwhelm users with dashboards or lock value behind complex filters, MRU’s experience is built around.
- 500+ Startup Business Ideas, 10,000+ Business Niches
- Catering to 15+ Industries
- Simple UX with strategic depth
- Startup-relevant pricing (starting at ₹5000 only )
- Built-in guidance from industry experts and consultants
- Industry-specific insight packs
Most importantly, it’s India-first every framework and insight is thoughtfully tailored to meet the unique needs of Indian startups, founders, and investors. At the same time, its structure and methodology are globally relevant, making it a powerful tool for early-stage ventures and decision-makers around the world.
Challenges & Turning Points
Building a research product that is both powerful and usable wasn’t easy.
The biggest challenge?
“Educating the market that research doesn’t need to be boring or expensive,” - says Mirdul.
“Founders often view research as a luxury. But once they experience MRU, they realize it’s not a luxury—it’s a necessity for achieving calculated success and building a future-ready business.”- says Mirdul
Convincing early users, refining onboarding, and building a no-nonsense brand identity were all part of the grind. But word-of-mouth and early use-cases started snowballing. Today, MRU has been used by startup founders, SMEs to corporate CXOs.
Advice for Founders
When asked what early-stage founders should focus on when thinking of research, Mirdul is clear:
‘Research should never be seen as a one-time task or a hurdle to get over it should be a habit ingrained in the startup’s DNA. At Market Research Universe (MRU), we’re not just delivering data; we’re building a culture where research becomes the foundation of every decision. Our goal is to make research accessible, actionable, and aligned with real business needs so that even the leanest startup can make smart, market-fit decisions with confidence.’
What’s Next?
MRU is now expanding its features to offer industry-specific navigators for categories like:
- FMCG & D2C
- SaaS & B2B Tools
- Health & Wellness
- Fintech & Lending
- Energy & Sustainability
- Automotive
- Fashion & Beauty
- Food & Beverages
They’re also building a Founder’s Research Playbook, a curated journey of essential research templates that can be used across product, marketing, and fundraising.
At a time when data fatigue is real and clarity is rare, the Market Research Universe is quietly becoming a must-have for India’s growing founding economy.
Because in the world of startups, guessing is expensive. But clarity? That’s priceless.
