How Startups Are taking advantage of Tech To Revamp Society Management

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COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of app-based security and community management services across housing societies and gated communities in India.

The Growing Complexity of Society Management

Resident welfare committees and associations now oversee an expanding number of large housing societies. Many apartments exceed 1,000 units, creating substantial operational demands: ensuring resident safety, streamlining guest entries, tracking staff attendance, handling monthly collections, and maintaining accurate payment records.

The pandemic introduced additional requirements, including social distancing protocols, restricted movement for delivery personnel, and enhanced sanitization measures. These challenges prompted residents to adopt apartment management applications from providers such as MyGate, NoBrokerHood, SmartGuard, Jio Gate, Apartment Adda, and ApnaComplex.

Market Leaders and Recent Milestones

Over the past several years, numerous new security and community management platforms have entered the market, while established players have continued to scale. In March 2026, MyGate reached 20,000 communities, with approximately 3.5 million homes actively using the platform and processing INR 150 crore in monthly maintenance payments.

“We see this as a tremendous opportunity that will drive the transformation and growth of local businesses. Many players will compete due to the market’s size, yet clear leaders are expected to emerge by 2026, accompanied by industry consolidation,” noted Sanjay Swamy, Managing Partner at Prime Venture Partners, an investor in MyGate.

The Market Opportunity

Managing housing societies involves numerous complexities. Five years ago, most processes remained manual and fragmented. “As residents in gated communities in Bangalore, we recognized the need for change. Over five years we have built a digital experience addressing nearly every community requirement,” said Vijay Arisetty, Founder and CEO of MyGate.

MyGate initially focused on simplifying gate operations but has since expanded its feature set significantly:

• Purchase of home products and services
• Rent and utility payments
• Buying or selling second-hand items
• Participation in housing society elections
• Buying, selling, or renting homes within MyGate’s 20,000 societies
• Private, secure VOIP calls to neighbors and security staff

NoBrokerHood operates as a comprehensive super app for payments, visitor management, and society operations. Its founders observed that many Indian residential societies still relied on physical registers, an approach prone to errors, lacking transparency, and difficult to audit. NoBrokerHood was launched in 2018 by Akhil Gupta, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at NoBroker, to bridge this gap.

How COVID-19 Reshaped the Sector

The pandemic triggered rapid shifts in user needs and accelerated digital adoption. NoBrokerHood, for instance, expanded from 500 to 10,000 societies within five to six months. MyGate introduced more than ten new features over the subsequent 18 months to support pandemic-related requirements, beginning with temperature and mask verification in April 2020 and later adding a Society Vaccine Status tracker.

NoBrokerHood implemented touchless entry via facial recognition for regular staff to minimize contact risks. Additional features include:

• Grocery services for essential items
• Homechef connections linking residents with home cooks in the society
• An AI/ML-backed COVID tracker providing real-time containment data
• A Vaccine Finder tool synchronized with the CoWIN portal

These platforms also list local service providers, including small kirana stores often absent from major e-commerce sites, creating mutual benefits for residents and vendors. ApnaComplex, adopted by many societies since August 2013, has notably improved communication, maintenance payment collection, and recovery of outstanding dues, according to users such as Pankaj Lal.

The Road Ahead

Industry experts anticipate that leading platforms will evolve into omni-commerce marketplaces, consolidating multiple resident needs within a single interface. “It is a battle for relevance in a competitive environment. Only the most discerning brands will maintain prominence as the market becomes increasingly integrated,” stated Akhil Gupta of NoBroker.

Currently, just 15% of Indian housing societies utilize community management apps, representing substantial growth potential. This figure is projected to rise exponentially by 2026. “We believe the product will grow more sophisticated, placing collective community and neighborhood knowledge at users’ fingertips,” added Sanjay Swamy of MyGate.

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