Meet Kartik Nikas, the young entrepreneur combining travel, marketing and digital-first thinking to build Safarnex
At 20, Kartik Nikas is already on a journey that started with a simple decision: to start building something of his own.
Today, Kartik Nikas is the Founder of Safarnex, a young-led travel agency focused on creating memorable and accessible travel experiences for the new generation of travellers. But the story of Safarnex did not begin with a big office, a large team or years of experience.
It started when Kartik was just 18 years old.
Starting With Travelznex at 18
Kartik Nikas entered the travel industry at the age of 18 when he started Travelznex.
For a young entrepreneur, starting a business at 18 meant learning almost everything from the ground up. From speaking with customers and understanding their requirements to generating leads, promoting travel packages and handling the challenges that come with running a travel venture, every experience became part of his learning process.
Travelznex gave Kartik his first real exposure to the travel industry and helped him understand that travel is not simply about selling a destination.
It is about people.
It is about the excitement someone feels before a trip, the questions they have before booking, the trust they place in a travel company and, ultimately, the memories they take home.
That understanding became an important part of Kartik’s approach to his next venture.
Where Travel Met Marketing
While building his experience in travel, Kartik Nikas also developed a strong interest in digital marketing and brand building.
He explored areas such as social media marketing, travel content, performance advertising, lead generation, customer acquisition and online communication.
For Kartik, marketing became more than simply running advertisements.
He became interested in understanding why people connect with a brand, how an idea becomes a conversation and how digital platforms can turn a small business into something people recognize and remember.
This combination of travel and marketing eventually shaped the vision behind Safarnex.
Building Safarnex at 20
After his experience with Travelznex, Kartik Nikas started the next chapter of his entrepreneurial journey with Safarnex.
At 20, he is now building Safarnex as a modern, young-led travel agency designed around the changing way people discover and experience travel.
Safarnex offers a range of travel experiences, including group departures, customized trips, adventure travel, spiritual journeys, road trips, honeymoon packages, family holidays and corporate travel.
The brand’s travel experiences cover destinations across India, from the mountains of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to Rajasthan and other popular travel destinations, along with selected international destinations such as Dubai and Bali.
But for Kartik, the destination is only one part of the journey.
More Than Just a Travel Package
One of the ideas behind Safarnex is to make travel feel more personal.
A traveller may remember the mountains, a sunrise or a temple visit—but they may remember even more strongly the people they travelled with, the conversations they had and the unexpected moments along the way.
That is why Safarnex is focused not only on itineraries, but also on experiences and travel communities.
Through group trips and curated journeys, the brand aims to give travellers opportunities to explore destinations while meeting new people and creating shared memories.
Its philosophy is captured in three simple words:
“Discover New Horizons.”
A Digital-First Travel Brand
As a young founder who grew up alongside social media and digital platforms, Kartik Nikas understands how today’s travellers discover destinations.
A travel decision can begin with a short video, a photograph, a recommendation or a conversation online.
Safarnex therefore places strong emphasis on digital marketing, social media and online communication to reach travellers where they already spend their time.
This is where Kartik’s background in marketing becomes particularly relevant to his work as a travel entrepreneur.
His goal is to combine the personal side of travel with the reach of digital platforms.
Travel With a Purpose
Safarnex also carries a social-impact vision through its initiative, “Donating from Every Booking.”
The concept is built around contributing a portion of profits from bookings towards social causes, with the broader idea that travelling can also contribute towards something beyond the journey itself.
Safarnex is also a GST-registered and MSME-certified business, reflecting Kartik’s efforts to develop the venture with a structured and professional approach.
The Human Side of Starting Young
Behind the titles of Founder and Entrepreneur is a 20-year-old still learning every day.
Kartik’s journey has involved figuring things out as he goes, learning from customers, understanding marketing, dealing with the realities of business and constantly looking for ways to improve.
Starting at 18 meant there was no long playbook to follow.
There were experiments that worked, ideas that needed to be changed and lessons that could only come from actually doing the work.
That process continues today with Safarnex.
“I started Travelznex at 18 because I wanted to experience entrepreneurship by actually building something. It taught me a lot about travel, customers and marketing. Safarnex is the next step in that journey. I want to build a brand that people trust, connect with and remember—not just for the destinations, but for the experiences we create.”
— Kartik Nikas, Founder of Safarnex
From an 18-Year-Old Founder to a 20-Year-Old Builder
Kartik Nikas’ story is still in its early chapters.
At 18, he took his first step into entrepreneurship with Travelznex. At 20, he is building Safarnex with a broader vision of creating a recognizable travel brand for India’s new generation of travellers.
His journey brings together three areas that have shaped his entrepreneurial identity: travel, marketing and digital business.
As Safarnex grows, Kartik’s focus remains on expanding its travel experiences, building a stronger traveller community and creating opportunities for more people to discover destinations across India and beyond.
For a journey that started at 18, there is still a long road ahead.
And perhaps that is what makes the story interesting.
Kartik Nikas isn’t just planning trips. He is building a travel brand—one journey, one customer and one idea at a time.
About Kartik Nikas
Kartik Nikas is the Founder of Safarnex, a young-led travel agency offering domestic and international travel experiences. He began his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 18 with Travelznex and developed experience across travel sales, digital marketing, social media, lead generation and customer acquisition. Today, at 20, Kartik is focused on building Safarnex into a modern, experience-driven and community-oriented travel brand.
About Safarnex
Safarnex is a young-led travel agency founded by Kartik Nikas, offering group departures, customized holidays, adventure trips, spiritual journeys, road trips, honeymoon packages, family vacations and corporate travel across India and selected international destinations. The brand’s philosophy is “Discover New Horizons.”
Safarnex — Discover New Horizons.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safarnex_
