Treat vendors as partners
Dinesh Pai from Rainmatter emphasised that large companies build resilience by treating startup vendors as true partners during hard times, focusing on long‑term relationships rather than short‑term P&L wins. The point was made in a thread arguing partner treatment builds trust and durable ecosystems for vendors (Dinesh Pai).
Dinesh Pai of Rainmatter said big companies should treat startup vendors like partners when business turns hard, not as line items to squeeze. (x.com) Pai made the point in a post on X, where he argued that standing by smaller vendors during downturns builds trust that lasts longer than a quarterly profit-and-loss gain. Rainmatter is the startup investment platform backed by Zerodha. (x.com) (rainmatter.com) That argument fits Rainmatter’s stated model. On its website, the firm says it is a “patient long-term” investor, is not chasing quick exits, and helps startups with funding, mentorship, networks and product validation. (rainmatter.com) Pai has made the same case in interviews about founders as well as vendors. In a June 23, 2025 interview with Moneycontrol, he said Rainmatter was built to support startups with capital, distribution and trust, “without demanding exits,” and described a 15-year investment horizon. (moneycontrol.com) Rainmatter has been formalizing that long-hold approach as it scales. The Financial Express reported on March 11, 2024 that the firm planned to register as an Alternative Investment Fund, while Pai said the goal was to consolidate investments rather than bring in outside investors. (financialexpress.com) The platform has also grown far beyond a small side bet. The Hindu BusinessLine reported on January 2, 2025 that Rainmatter deployed ₹250 crore across 40 startups in 2024 and had invested in around 100 companies across fintech, climate, health and storytelling. (thehindubusinessline.com) In a June 7, 2024 interview with Cleantech Hero, Pai said Rainmatter backs startups in fintech, climate, health and storytelling, with climate work tied to long timeframes and ecosystem building. That makes his vendor point less a one-off management tip than an extension of how Rainmatter says it deploys capital. (cleantechhero.com) The thread lands after two years in which Indian startups and their service providers have faced tighter funding, slower dealmaking and more pressure on cash flow. Pai’s closing argument was simple: companies that want resilient supply chains should behave like long-term partners before the next crunch arrives. (financialexpress.com) (x.com)
