Current Role | Co-Founder & CEO, ShareChat (Mohalla Tech Pvt Ltd) |
Previous Position | IIT Kanpur Alumnus | Founder, Mohalla Tech |
Key Recognition | Forbes India 30 Under 30 | Economic Times Startup Icon | World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer |
Background and Early Foundations
Ankush Sachdeva grew up in Noida, India, and graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. While still a student, he co-founded Mohalla Tech in 2015 with the belief that India’s internet should be accessible in regional languages.
The result? ShareChat, a vernacular social media platform that reshaped digital content discovery for Bharat users — those outside India’s English-speaking elite.
Today, the Ankush Sachdeva ShareChat story is a benchmark for how inclusive tech can scale in one of the world’s most diverse and complex markets.
Career Milestones and Impact
Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
2015 | Co-founded ShareChat with a focus on India’s non-English internet audience |
2020 | Launched Moj, India’s short-form video platform post TikTok ban |
2021 | Raised over $900M from Google, Temasek, Tiger Global, Snap Inc. |
2024 | Crossed 400M+ monthly active users across ShareChat and Moj |
- User Base (2025): 400M+ monthly active users
- Languages Supported: 15+ Indian regional languages
- Business Model: Creator monetization, AI-powered content feeds, short-form video ads
- Valuation: Estimated at $5 billion (pre-IPO status)
Leadership Style and Influence
Ankush Sachdeva is known for his product obsession, grassroots insight, and technical sharpness:
- Advocates for India-first innovation with real-world relevance
- Invested early in natural language processing (NLP) and AI to personalize vernacular feeds
- Built a company where local culture and scalable engineering coexist
He has set the tone for Indian startup founders who want to serve Tier 2 and Tier 3 digital India — not just metros.
Legacy and Future Focus
Ankush’s legacy is in proving that regional language platforms can be unicorns — and socially impactful:
- Elevated content creation from small towns to national influence
- Fostered India’s creator economy outside YouTube and Instagram
- Built a model for local-language AI, content moderation, and monetization
Looking forward, he’s focused on:
- Deepening generative AI and personalized discovery for Indian languages
- Launching creator commerce tools and NFTs for vernacular influencers
- Preparing ShareChat for IPO readiness and sustainable profitability
