From Swiggy to Qalam Steels: The Entrepreneurial Journey of Mohammed Asgar Pasha
Many young people in India dream of starting their own business. Few manage to build more than one. Fewer still do it before the age of thirty. Mohammed Asgar Pasha, a 27-year-old entrepreneur from JP Nagar, Bengaluru, is one of them. Today, he runs an architecture firm, a manufacturing business and a construction solutions company, and he has co-founded two start-ups along the way. All of this sits under one growing name, the Qalam Group.
His story did not begin in a boardroom. Asgar completed his higher secondary education in Commerce and went on to study for a Bachelor of Commerce in Business, Management and Marketing at Dayananda Sagar Institutions in Bengaluru. These years gave him a clear understanding of how businesses work, how money moves and how customers make decisions.
Like many young professionals, he started small. His first roles were in event management and marketing. At Integratus Technologies Pvt. Ltd., he worked as an Assistant Event Manager and Event Supervisor. He handled corporate events, managed logistics and coordinated with clients. He then joined Awign as a Marketing Intern, where he learnt about business operations and customer relationships.
The biggest learning phase came at Swiggy. From 2019 to 2024, Asgar worked as a Workforce Management Analyst. His work involved planning teams, forecasting demand, managing staffing and improving processes. It taught him how large operations run every day and how small improvements can make a big difference. These lessons would later shape the way he built his own companies.
Even while working, Asgar was building on the side. In 2021, he co-founded Skill Salazar, where he took charge of business operations, recruitment, financial planning and expansion. In 2022, he co-founded Claradom, where he looked after business development, strategic planning and stakeholder management. He worked to improve profitability and grow the company’s presence in the market. These two start-ups gave him hands-on experience of running a business from the ground up.
In April 2023, he took a bigger step and founded Qalam Architects, where he serves as Managing Director. The firm offers architectural design, interior design, residential and commercial projects, urban planning and construction consultancy. It also works on sustainable architecture and green building solutions. Under his leadership, the firm aims to balance beauty with practical use. It also brings traditional craftsmanship into modern buildings while following environmentally responsible practices.
The same year, he founded Y.A.K Building Solutions Pvt. Ltd. The company provides construction and infrastructure solutions for residential, commercial and industrial projects across India.
His most recent venture is Qalam Steels, which he founded in December 2025 and leads as Managing Director. The company manufactures scaffolding systems, formwork systems, construction support equipment, structural engineering products and industrial steel components. Qalam Steels brings together his experience in architecture, structural engineering and manufacturing. The goal is to deliver high-quality construction equipment that builders can trust.
What stands out in Asgar’s journey is the way each business connects to the next. An architecture firm designs buildings. A construction solutions company helps build them. A steel manufacturing unit supplies the equipment that holds construction work together. Together, these companies cover design, engineering and manufacturing. This is the idea behind the Qalam Group, a set of businesses that support one another and serve the infrastructure sector as a whole.
Asgar believes in growth that is steady and responsible. His leadership focuses on strategy, innovation, sustainable infrastructure and manufacturing excellence. He places strong value on team leadership and on solutions built around the customer. He is not chasing quick wins. He is focused on building businesses that last.
His years in workforce management still guide him. He understands people, planning and processes. He knows that a business is only as strong as the team behind it and the systems that support it. This practical mindset has helped him manage several ventures at once without losing focus.
Looking ahead, Asgar wants to build businesses in architecture, manufacturing and infrastructure that can compete at a global level. He also wants to contribute to India’s industrial growth. His long-term plan is to bring design, engineering and manufacturing together under the Qalam Group and make it a trusted name in the sector.
At just 27, Mohammed Asgar Pasha has already built a strong foundation. He moved from event management to corporate operations, and from corporate operations to running his own companies. His journey shows that with clear thinking, hard work and patience, a young entrepreneur can build something meaningful. For young people in Bengaluru and beyond, his story is a reminder that big goals can start with small steps.
