Ankush Sachdeva, the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of ShareChat, has made headlines as the youngest entrepreneur featured in the inaugural edition of the 2024 Hurun India Under35s list. This prestigious compilation recognizes 150 exceptional Indian entrepreneurs aged 35 or younger, highlighting Sachdeva’s significant impact on the Indian tech landscape.
Graduating from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur with a B.Tech in computer science and engineering in 2015, Sachdeva embarked on his entrepreneurial journey shortly thereafter. Alongside his co-founders, Bhanu Pratap Singh and Farid Ahsan, he launched ShareChat in 2015, aiming to create a social media platform tailored specifically for the diverse Indian audience.
ShareChat allows users to watch and share trending videos, connect through chat rooms, and engage in conversations in 15 different Indian languages. This focus on local content has been pivotal to the platform’s appeal, resulting in over 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store alone. However, the path to success was far from straightforward. The trio faced numerous challenges, reportedly attempting 17 different ventures before finding their footing with ShareChat.
Before launching ShareChat, Sachdeva honed his skills with an internship at Microsoft in 2014, gaining invaluable experience in the tech industry. His entrepreneurial spirit was evident early on, as he and his co-founders explored various ideas during their time at IIT Kanpur.
ShareChat isn’t the only platform to bear Sachdeva’s mark; he also developed Moj, a short video platform that emerged as India’s answer to TikTok, which is currently banned in the country. Moj has also seen remarkable success, surpassing 100 million downloads on the Google Play Store.
Sachdeva’s accolades extend beyond the Hurun Under35s list. In 2018, he, along with Singh and Ahsan, was featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia, cementing their status as innovators in the tech industry.
Ankush Sachdeva’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, innovation, and a deep understanding of local needs. As he continues to lead ShareChat and explore new avenues in the tech space, his story serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs across India and beyond.
