India’s digital revolution did not begin in English. It unfolded in dozens of languages, shaped by culture, humor, and everyday conversations from small towns and cities. While global social media platforms focused on urban, English-speaking users, one Indian startup quietly built for the rest of the country. That startup was ShareChat.
ShareChat’s journey is not a story of overnight success. It is a story of persistence, cultural insight, and learning from repeated failure.
The Problem Global Platforms Missed
For years, India’s internet growth was driven by users who were more comfortable reading, writing, and expressing themselves in their native languages. Yet most social media platforms entering India followed an English-first design approach. Regional language support, if added at all, was treated as an afterthought.
This created a massive gap. Millions of users wanted to consume jokes, songs, stories, and conversations in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, and other Indian languages, without having to filter everything through English.
ShareChat was built to solve exactly this problem.
The Founders and the Early Vision
ShareChat was founded in 2015 by Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, and Farid Ahsan, all alumni of IIT Kanpur. The company operates under Mohalla Tech Pvt. Ltd. and is headquartered in Bengaluru.
What makes this story remarkable is Ankush Sachdeva’s personal journey. Before ShareChat, he worked on 17 different startup ideas, all of which failed. Instead of treating those failures as endpoints, he treated them as experiments. Each attempt sharpened his understanding of product-market fit, user behavior, and scalability.
When the founders finally focused on vernacular social networking, they were not guessing. They were applying years of accumulated learning.
Understanding the Gap in India’s Digital Market
When social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram expanded in India, they followed an English-first approach. However, most Indian internet users were more comfortable consuming and creating content in their native languages.
This gap became the foundation of ShareChat’s success.
Instead of adapting an English platform to Indian languages, ShareChat was built from day one as a vernacular-first social network.
Founders of ShareChat
ShareChat was founded in 2015 by three IIT Kanpur graduates:
- Ankush Sachdeva
- Bhanu Pratap Singh
- Farid Ahsan
The company operates under Mohalla Tech Pvt. Ltd. and is headquartered in Bengaluru, India.
Among them, Ankush Sachdeva’s journey stands out. Before ShareChat, he attempted 17 different startup ideas, all of which failed. Instead of quitting, he used those failures as learning experiences, eventually leading to ShareChat’s breakthrough.
Funding and Valuation Journey
ShareChat attracted investments from top global and Indian investors, including:
- Temasek Holdings
- Tiger Global
- Snap Inc.
- Lightspeed
- Elevation Capital
- India Quotient
- The Times Group
Major Funding Highlights
- 2016: Seed funding of around $1.35 million
- 2021: $266 million raised at a valuation of $3.7 billion
- 2022: $520 million funding round, valuation reached $5 billion (approx. ₹40,000 crore)
This made ShareChat one of India’s most valuable social media startups.
Business Challenges and Reality Check
Like many tech startups, ShareChat also faced challenges:
- Market slowdown and funding constraints
- Layoffs during 2022–2023
- Increased competition from YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels
- Leadership restructuring, with some co-founders stepping away from active operations
Despite these hurdles, ShareChat continues to operate as a major player in India’s digital ecosystem.
About Marketing Mirrors
Marketing Mirrors is a fast-growing digital storytelling platform that showcases real-life success stories of Indian entrepreneurs, creators, and innovators. Through their content, they highlight brands and individuals who’ve turned ideas into impact — inspiring thousands to chase their dreams.
