53 mins ago
ShareChat Pursues Profitability Through Microdramas and AI Production
Ankush Sachdeva noticed that many Indians wanted interesting content in their own languages.
He saw this when thousands of people shared phone numbers to join a Sachin Tendulkar WhatsApp group.
This idea helped him and his co-founders create ShareChat.
ShareChat began as a service for finding groups that could work on slow 2G internet.
As cheaper mobile data brought more people online, it became a larger content platform.
The company later launched Moj after TikTok was banned in India.
It also now operates QuickTV, which offers short dramas.
Mohalla Tech has reduced costs and losses after layoffs and a difficult funding market.
The company says its next goal is to make more money from microdramas, subscriptions, advertising, and virtual gifts.
Ankush Sachdeva’s experience running a Sachin Tendulkar WhatsApp group inspired ShareChat’s focus on local-language content.
Launched in 2015, ShareChat evolved from a 2G group directory into a user-generated content platform as India’s internet expanded.
Mohalla Tech launched Moj after TikTok was banned in India and later added advertising, live streaming, and virtual gifting.
After layoffs, leadership changes, and a valuation decline, the company shifted focus from rapid growth toward profitability.
Mohalla Tech expects revenue above Rs 1,000 crore in FY26 and is targeting an IPO within four to five quarters.
- Who
- Mohalla Tech, founded by Ankush Sachdeva, Farid Ahsan, and Bhanu Pratap Singh, operates ShareChat, Moj, and QuickTV.
- What
- The company is shifting from rapid expansion toward profitability while investing in microdramas and AI-assisted production.
- Where
- The company operates in India and has also assembled a recommendation-engineering team in London.
- When
- ShareChat launched in October 2015; Moj launched in 2020; the company is targeting an IPO in four to five quarters.
- Why
- Its original insight was that India’s emerging internet users wanted content suited to their languages and interests; its current strategy responds to changing funding conditions and seeks stronger economics.
Key facts
- Company
- Mohalla Tech operates ShareChat, Moj, and QuickTV.
- ShareChat launch
- ShareChat launched in October 2015 as a directory of discoverable groups designed for 2G internet.
- Funding
- Mohalla Tech has raised $1.23 billion overall.
- Valuation
- A $49 million convertible round in April 2024 valued the company at just below $2 billion.
- FY25 performance
- Revenue was Rs 723 crore and adjusted Ebitda loss was Rs 219 crore.
- Microdrama reach
- The company says 70 million of India’s estimated 100 million monthly microdrama viewers use its platform.
- IPO plan
- Mohalla Tech is targeting an IPO in four to five quarters, with a DRHP expected in about three quarters.
Quotes
Ankush Sachdeva
ShareChat co-founder who identified the demand for accessible content among emerging internet users
“These guys are so starved of content that they are putting their phone numbers out in public forums.”
financialexpress.com
“First quarter of FY27 we turned Ebitda profitable. Free cash flow arrived end of FY26”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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