Maasi launches in Bengaluru to bring trained, verified nannies on demand

BENGALURU: The nanny hunt is over, says Maasi. The childcare platform, where parents can hire trained, background-verified nannies on demand or on subscription plans, launched in Bengaluru today, 22 October 2026. During its invite-only beta, it has cared for 1,200 families and built a waitlist of more than 5,000 parents.

Prices are out in the open. An Instant Nanny visit starts at Rs 660, and subscription plans start at Rs 15,660 a month.

The idea began with a friend’s difficult choice. A close friend of co-founder Gargi Pandey left a career she had spent years building for one reason: she could not find a nanny she trusted to care for her child. Her story is common. India’s latest Periodic Labour Force Survey found that 44.4 per cent of women outside the labour force cited childcare or homemaking commitments as their main reason for not working.

“That’s when we saw the nanny problem as something bigger than an inconvenience,” said Pandey, who is also chief operating officer. “When a family can’t find care, a parent, usually the mother, steps back from work. We want to make sure no one has to make that choice.”

Pandey and her co-founders, Aashu Manchali and Reshov Roy, all come from families that ran schools, including Madam Manchali’s Montessori in HSR Layout, where Manchali spent his childhood. Before Maasi, they ran Urban Parents Club, a Bengaluru community of more than 8,000 parents. The question asked most often there was always the same: does anyone know a good nanny?

“Childcare is the hardest problem in Indian homes, and the system around it has let everyone down,” said Manchali, co-founder and chief executive officer. “Agencies have exploited parents and nannies alike. Our community tried everything under the sun and kept ending up disappointed. We’re building the gold standard of care, starting with the nanny.”

Parents can book an Instant Nanny at short notice, or choose a part-time or full-time subscription plan. The plans include Day Nanny, 24×7 live-in care, Governess and Japa (postpartum) care. Every caregiver is background-verified, trained in childcare and safety, and works in a Maasi uniform. If a caregiver leaves, Maasi arranges a replacement.

One parent says it works. “Maasi gave us trusted care for our child from the very start,” said Srikant, vice president at Qatipa. “The whole experience felt like a breeze, and our biggest headache was finally solved.”

Maasi launches with more than 400 trained caregivers ready in Bengaluru. It is backed by leading investors and operators who have built some of India’s largest workforces.

Roy, co-founder and chief technology officer, sees a wider opening. “This is the best time in history to formalise India’s home care workforce,” he said. “Parents now book trusted help through an app as a matter of course, and caregivers deserve the same structure, pay and respect as any other profession. We’re building the systems that make care dependable, from verification and training to a replacement when a family needs one.”

With 1,200 families cared for and 5,000 more on the waitlist, Maasi is opening access in stages. Parents in Bengaluru can request early access now on Maasi’s iOS and Android apps, or at app.mymaasi.com.

Maasi is operated by Elephant in the Room Infotech Private Limited.

Three things stand out. First, the problem. The founders tie the startup to a labour market fact: 44.4 per cent of women outside the workforce cited childcare or homemaking as their main reason. The pitch is that better care can keep more parents at work, and that is a large and obvious need.

Second, the start. The founders did not build in a vacuum. Urban Parents Club, with more than 8,000 parents, gave them a ready audience and the same question asked over and over. A beta that has cared for 1,200 families and a waitlist of over 5,000 suggest the demand is there, and the staged opening shows they want to grow carefully.

Third, the promise. Background verification, childcare and safety training, uniforms and a replacement if a caregiver leaves are the things parents worry about most. Roy’s remarks suggest the company sees itself as building a structured workforce, with pay and respect for caregivers, and not just an app for booking help.