In 2018, we began with a WhatsApp group with a simple hypothesis: people in tier-2/3 towns weren’t really using the internet meaningfully yet. We believed that if we started with local content in their own language, they’d come back every day; once there was a habit and trust, that same space could naturally grow into classifieds and, eventually, something they used for almost everything online.This spark became Lokal. Our first instinct was to put everything in one place & one app - local updates, classifieds, jobs, matrimony and more. It worked, till it stopped working. Users gave us the insight - when one use case outweighs the others, everything else seems like noise. We listened. Like how Craigslist quietly seeded a generation of focused companies & marketplaces, we began unbundling and verticalising.
Today, Lokal is a house of focused apps, many products, one mission:
to connect Tier-2/3+ India to the Knowledge, opportunities, tools and experts they’ve always deserved.
We now operate dozens of live apps across categories like:
- Edutainment & Skill Learning – practical skills and learning in regional languages (GyanTV)
- Matrimonial Matchmaking – hyperlocal, compatibility-first partner search (Lokal Matrimony)
- Agri Consulting – farmer-first advisory in local languages (AgriLokal)
- Social & Community – Place to find & post social updates (Lokal app)
- Emotional Well-being & Peer Support – safe spaces to talk and feel heard (Dostt & Eaze)
- Astrology & Guidance – instant access to trusted Astrologers via chat and voice (AstroLokal)
- Advisory Services – early bets in legal help, financial guidance, career counselling, and more
Under the hood, Lokal is a discovery and access platform: local-language internet + deep Bharat insight+ AI. When someone opens a product we’ve built, they don’t wade through clutter; they get a straight line to what they came for. This is the story new teammates walk into:
a company that started as a whatsapp group, became a family of focused apps, and kept one belief at the centre — access changes lives.We ship fast. We learn fast. We build for Bharat.
We are backed by leading global and domestic investors including Y Combinator, Sony, Global Brain, India Quotient, and 3one4 Capital
About the Role
GyanTV creates short video lessons (2–5 minutes) for UPSC and State PSC aspirants. We are building a network of freelance reviewers to watch these videos and tell us two things: Is the content factually correct? And will a real aspirant actually understand it?
What You Will Do
- Watch assigned videos (2–5 min each) and fill a structured review scorecard
- Fact-check key graphics and claims against standard sources (NCERTs, PIB, official reports, the Constitution so on)
- Flag outdated information schemes renamed, data revised, amendments passed
- Rate comprehension quality Is the explanation clear for a first-time learner? Is pacing right? Are terms explained before use?
- Note specific timestamps when you find an issue and report
- Complete each scorecard within 24 hours of assignment
Who We Are Looking For
- Currently preparing for UPSC CSE or any State PSC exam OR have done so in the last 3 years
- Preferred: Cleared UPSC/State PSC Prelims
- Strong on GS fundamentals: History, Polity, Geography, Economy, Environment
- Can tell the difference between a factual error and a framing choice
- Comfortable writing structured, specific feedback (not just 'this was confusing')
- Access to a smartphone or laptop and reliable internet
- Expert level Proficiency in Hindi and English. Knowing one of the South Languages is a bonus.
How to Apply
Send us a short note (under 150 words) telling us:
- Which exam you are preparing for / have prepared for
- Your strongest subjects
- One example of a factual error or confusing explanation you have encountered in study content
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a paid calibration test (5 sample videos, ~1.5 hours).
HR Note - Hiring & Onboarding Process
Internal reference. Not for candidate distribution.
1. Sourcing
Primary channels (in order of expected yield):
- Telegram: Post in UPSC/PSC study groups (search: UPSC Prelims 2026, BPSC, UPPSC, MPPSC group names). These groups have 10k–100k members and high engagement.
- LinkedIn: Target profiles with 'UPSC aspirant', 'Civil services preparation', 'GS Faculty' in headline. Post in UPSC-focused communities.
- Coaching institutes: Partner with smaller institutes in Delhi (Mukherjee Nagar, Karol Bagh), Prayagraj, Patna - their students are prep-phase and need income.
- Referral: Ask early reviewers to refer peers. Offer a ₹200 referral bonus after the referred person completes 10 paid reviews.
2. Screening (Before Paid Work)
Do not skip this step. The calibration test is the core filter.
Step 1 — Application filter (automated):
- Must have written Prelims of UPSC or any State PSC (self-declared, verified later)
- Written note must demonstrate specific subject knowledge - reject generic applications
- Reject if the example of 'factual error or confusing content' they provide is itself factually wrong
Step 2 — Calibration test (paid, ₹150 flat):
- Send 5 pre-scored videos (our gold standard - create this before launch)
- Applicant fills the standard scorecard for all 5 videos
- Score agreement threshold: flag at least 80% of known factual issues; comprehension ratings within 1 point of gold standard on 4 of 5 videos
- Pass: onboard. Fail: do not proceed. No second attempts.
3. Onboarding (For Passed Applicants)
- Send: Reviewer Guide (scorecard explanation, rating rubric with examples, source hierarchy)
- Send: Source reference list (which sources are authoritative for which topics — e.g., NCERT for basics, PIB/official gazette for policy/schemes, MoSPI for data)
- Do a 20-minute onboarding call or a self-paced walkthrough video — cover the scorecard fields, what counts as a factual error vs. a framing difference, and what 'good' vs. 'poor' comprehension looks like with examples
- Assign first 3 videos with extra review from your in-house team — flag any divergence and give feedback before they go solo
4. Ongoing Quality Control
- Inter-rater reliability checks: Every 2 weeks, send the same 2 videos to 5 reviewers independently. If a reviewer's scores diverge significantly from the median, flag and re-brief.
- Gold standard seeding: Mix 1 pre-scored 'test' video into every 10 assignments. Reviewers do not know which one it is. Use this to monitor quality drift.
- Accuracy bonus gate: Reviewers who maintain >85% agreement on test videos qualify for the accuracy bonus tier. Re-evaluate monthly.
- Exit: If a reviewer misses 3 test-video thresholds in a month, remove from active pool with a note. They can re-apply after 3 months.
5. Important Guardrails
- Bias control: The rubric must separate 'factually incorrect' from 'I disagree with this interpretation'. Especially for contested topics in Polity, Modern History, Economy. Brief reviewers explicitly on this.
- Conflicts of interest: If a reviewer has a strong ideological affiliation (evident from their note or social profiles), assign them topics where bias risk is lower (Geography, Environment, Science & Tech).
- NDA / Confidentiality: Reviewers sign a basic NDA covering unreleased video content before accessing any material.
- Payments: Weekly UPI/bank transfer. Maintain a simple tracker (Google Sheet is fine at small scale) — video ID, reviewer ID, status, score, payout.
6. Scale Milestones
Suggested build-out:
- Month 1: 10–15 reviewers, ~100 videos reviewed. Focus on calibration quality, not volume.
- Month 2–3: Expand to 30–40 reviewers. Introduce the accuracy bonus tier. Identify your top 5–8 reviewers for harder or more sensitive content.
- Month 4+: Consider subject-specialised pools (e.g., Economy specialists, History specialists) as volume scales.
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