Category:
Car Classified Script
Why CarDekho and CARS24 Succeed: A Practical Guide for Indian Startup Founders
By admin on Nov 07 2025
If you look at the Indian used-car market today, it feels crowded and competitive. But two companies stand out clearly: CarDekho and CARS24. Both grew from small teams into large businesses that almost every car buyer or seller knows. Many Indian founders look at them and wonder, “What did they do right, and what can I learn from them?”
This blog breaks down their success in simple, practical language. No theory. No fancy jargon. Just real lessons that any Indian entrepreneur can use while building a marketplace or a classified platform.
1. They solved the most painful problem first
Most used-car businesses think success depends mainly on having many listings. But both CarDekho and CARS24 started with something more important: reducing the fear of buying and selling.
For buyers, the fear was:
“Is this car really in good condition?”
“Am I paying too much?”
For sellers, the fear was:
“Will I get a fair price?”
“How long will it take to sell?”
Instead of starting with a big platform full of listings, they focused on making the process feel safe and predictable.
CARS24 created a simple process: book an inspection, get a valuation, and sell quickly.
CarDekho built trust through verified listings, expert reviews, comparison tools, and detailed content.
If you're building your own marketplace and want a simple reference point, I explained a similar idea in my blog on Why Your Car Listing Script Needs Auto-Fill Components — how reducing small frustrations can increase trust and conversions.
Takeaway: Before thinking about traffic or features, identify the biggest fear in your category and solve that first. Trust is the best growth engine.
2. They didn’t behave like traditional classifieds
Many marketplaces fail because they stay in “listing mode”: they only show ads, and nothing else. CarDekho and CARS24 went beyond that.
CARS24 went operational
They started buying cars, refurbishing them, and auctioning them. This meant:
Faster sales
Higher control over quality
More predictable pricing
Better customer experience
It's a tougher model because it requires capital, but it creates strong customer loyalty.
CarDekho built an ecosystem
CarDekho didn’t just depend on user listings. They built multiple products:
New car reviews
Price comparison tools
Loan and insurance partners
Dealer networks
Content guides for buyers
This reduced risk and gave them more revenue channels.
For founders who are exploring similar models, my blog How Do Car Listing Websites Make Money? breaks down these revenue channels more simply.
Takeaway: Think beyond traditional classifieds. Add services, tools, and partnerships that solve real problems around the main transaction.
3. They used data to improve decision-making
Both companies rely heavily on valuation data. Pricing a used car is complicated because the value changes based on brand, model year, kilometres driven, location, condition, and even the season.
CarDekho collects data from dealers and market trends.
CARS24 uses inspection reports, sales patterns, and historical pricing.
With this, both built pricing systems that help customers trust the numbers.
Takeaway: Start small, even with a spreadsheet. Track:
Model
Year
KMs
City
Selling price
Time to sell
Rejected price
Buyer interest
You don’t need AI on day one. Basic data already makes your platform feel more reliable.
4. They Grew Online but They Added Simple Offline Support
Even in 2025, Indian people still prefers some offline assurance for big purchases. Both brands understood this early.
CARS24 opened physical inspection centres.
CarDekho partnered with dealers and workshops.
This mix made users comfortable, especially first-time sellers.
Takeaway: For high-value categories, add at least one offline element. It can be:
A partner garage
A documentation centre
A verification agent
A pick-up service
This small offline step can automatically increase trust.
5. They invested heavily in content and education
CarDekho didn’t become popular overnight. They produced thousands of articles and videos:
Car comparisons
Ownership reviews
Price breakdowns
Feature explanations
How-to guides
People who were not even buying a car still visited their site because the content helped them.
CARS24 also published market insights that explained pricing, depreciation, and documentation.
If you are planning long-term traffic for your own platform, my guide How to Start a Car Rental Business: A Complete Guide explains why educational content brings more trust than paid ads.
Takeaway: High-quality content builds authority and long-term traffic. For a marketplace, useful content is often a better investment than advertising.
6. They maintained strong customer experience
Startup founders often chase traffic first. But CarDekho and CARS24 focused on:
Clear steps
Quick responses
Transparent fees
Simple interfaces
Reliable support
CARS24 kept the selling process predictable.
CarDekho made research easy.
Takeaway: A smooth experience reduces marketing costs. If users trust your process, they will recommend it.
7. They understood Indian buyer behaviour
Indian users behave differently from US or European markets. These companies succeeded because they respected local habits:
People prefer guidance
Documentation confuses many sellers
Negotiation is natural
Big purchases need reassurance
User education is essential
Tier-2/3 cities drive major demand
I explained this more deeply in my blog What You Need to Become the Owner of the Most Popular Car Listing Website, where I talk about how local behaviour shapes marketplaces.
Takeaway: Build for India, not Silicon Valley.
8. Their business models fit their strengths
A startup succeeds when the model matches its strengths.
CarDekho
Strengths: content, SEO, dealer network
Model: lead generation, ads, new+used listings
CARS24
Strengths: operations, inspections, fast transactions
Model: buy-sell, auction, refurbishment, partnerships
Neither tried to copy the other.
Takeaway: Choose a model based on your team, budget, and abilities.
9. What Indian startup founders can learn
If you want to build your own marketplace or classified platform:
Start small
Fix the biggest friction
Add tools that actually help
Focus on one city at first
Build partnerships
Publish helpful content
Improve every step of the user journey
This approach is exactly why many founders use Best Classified Script when they want to launch quickly without hiring developers. It gives them a ready structure so they can focus on solving real user problems instead of building from zero.
Final Thoughts
CarDekho and CARS24 did not win because they had funding. They won because they solved real Indian problems. They built trust, controlled quality, improved pricing, and simplified the user experience.
For Indian founders, the message is simple:
Start with trust.
Add tools that matter.
Keep the experience simple.
Learn from real users.
Grow city by city.
And if you want to launch your own car listing or marketplace platform without a long development cycle, Best Classified Script gives you a practical starting point so you can focus on solving real market problems from day one.
