India’s social media landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by a young, tech-savvy population and increasing internet penetration. This vibrant ecosystem has given rise to numerous innovative startups, each striving to carve out a niche in the competitive social media space. Here are the top 10 social media startups in India that are making waves with their unique offerings and significant impact.
1. ShareChat:
Founders: Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, Farid Ahsan
Year Founded: 2015
ShareChat is a vernacular social networking platform that supports 15 Indian languages. It allows users to share content, join interest-based groups, and discover trends in their local language. The platform’s focus on regional languages has made it immensely popular, especially in non-metro areas.
ShareChat
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, Farid Ahsan | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Year Founded | 2015 | ShareChat |
| Platform Focus | Vernacular social networking | |
| Supported Languages | 15 Indian languages |
Description: ShareChat is a vernacular social networking platform supporting 15 Indian languages. It allows users to share content, join interest-based groups, and discover trends in their local language. The platform’s focus on regional languages has made it immensely popular, especially in non-metro areas.
ShareChat – A vernacular social networking platform supporting 15 Indian languages, popular in non-metro areas.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShareChat
2.Chingari:
Founders: Sumit Ghosh, Biswatma Nayak
Year Founded: 2018
Chingari is a short-video platform that gained significant traction following the ban of TikTok in India. It allows users to create and share short videos with various effects and music. Chingari has quickly become a favorite among young users looking for an alternative to TikTok.
Chingari
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | Sumit Ghosh, Biswatma Nayak | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Year Founded | 2018 | Chingari |
| Platform Focus | Short-video platform | |
| Popularity Reason | Alternative to TikTok |
Description: Chingari is a short-video platform that gained significant traction following the ban of TikTok in India. It allows users to create and share short videos with various effects and music, becoming a favorite among young users looking for a TikTok alternative.
Chingari – A short-video platform that gained popularity as an alternative to TikTok.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chingari_(app)
3. Trell:
Founders: Pulkit Agrawal, Bimal Kartheek Rebba, Prashant Sachan, Arun Lodhi
Year Founded: 2016
Trell is a lifestyle social commerce platform where users share experiences and recommendations through short videos. Covering areas like travel, beauty, fashion, and food, Trell combines social media with e-commerce, allowing users to discover and purchase products directly through the app.
Trell
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | Pulkit Agrawal, Bimal Kartheek Rebba, Prashant Sachan, Arun Lodhi | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Year Founded | 2016 | trell |
| Platform Focus | Lifestyle social commerce | |
| Content Areas | Travel, beauty, fashion, food |
Description: Trell is a lifestyle social commerce platform where users share experiences and recommendations through short videos. Covering areas like travel, beauty, fashion, and food, Trell combines social media with e-commerce, allowing users to discover and purchase products directly through the app.
Trell – A lifestyle social commerce platform combining social media with e-commerce, covering travel, beauty, fashion, and food.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trell
4. Koo:
Founders: Aprameya Radhakrishna, Mayank Bidawatka
Year Founded: 2020
Koo is an Indian microblogging platform akin to Twitter but focused on Indian languages. It provides a space for users to express their thoughts and opinions in their native language. Koo has garnered significant attention, especially from users and influencers who prefer to communicate in regional languages.
Koo
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | Aprameya Radhakrishna, Mayank Bidawatka | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Year Founded | 2020 | Koo |
| Platform Focus | Microblogging in Indian languages | |
| Popularity Reason | Focus on regional languages |
Description: Koo is an Indian microblogging platform akin to Twitter but focused on Indian languages. It provides a space for users to express their thoughts and opinions in their native language, gaining significant attention from users and influencers who prefer to communicate in regional languages.
Koo – An Indian microblogging platform focused on regional languages, providing a space for users to express their thoughts in their native language.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koo_(social_network)
5. Roposo:
Founders: Mayank Bhangadia, Avinash Saxena, Kaushal Shubhank
Year Founded: 2014
Roposo started as a fashion social network and has evolved into a full-fledged short-video platform. It allows users to create and share videos across various genres, including fashion, music, and dance. Roposo’s interactive features and diverse content have made it popular among creative users.
Roposo
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | Mayank Bhangadia, Avinash Saxena, Kaushal Shubhank | Gurugram, Haryana |
| Year Founded | 2014 | Roposo |
| Platform Focus | Short-video platform | |
| Content Genres | Fashion, music, dance |
Description: Roposo started as a fashion social network and has evolved into a full-fledged short-video platform. It allows users to create and share videos across various genres, including fashion, music, and dance. Roposo’s interactive features and diverse content have made it popular among creative users.
Roposo – Initially a fashion social network, now a short-video platform featuring diverse content genres like fashion, music, and dance.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roposo
6. Mitron:
Founders: Shivank Agarwal, Anish Khandelwal
Year Founded: 2020
Mitron is a short-video platform that gained popularity as an Indian alternative to TikTok. It enables users to create and share engaging short videos, fostering a vibrant community of content creators. Mitron’s user-friendly interface and local appeal have driven its rapid growth.
Mitron
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | Shivank Agarwal, Anish Khandelwal | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Year Founded | 2020 | Mitron |
| Platform Focus | Short-video platform | |
| Popularity Reason | Alternative to TikTok |
Description: Mitron is a short-video platform that gained popularity as an Indian alternative to TikTok. It enables users to create and share engaging short videos, fostering a vibrant community of content creators. Mitron’s user-friendly interface and local appeal have driven its rapid growth.
Mitron – A short-video platform that emerged as an Indian alternative to TikTok, fostering a community of content creators.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitron
7. Leher:
Founders: Vikas Malpani, Atul Jaju, Shankar Nath
Year Founded: 2018
Leher is a social network for live discussions, enabling users to create and join live audio and video discussions on various topics. It aims to replicate the experience of live, interactive conversations in a virtual space, making it a popular choice for those seeking meaningful discussions and networking opportunities.
Leher
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | Vikas Malpani, Atul Jaju, Shankar Nath | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Year Founded | 2018 | Leher |
| Platform Focus | Live audio and video discussions | |
| Popularity Reason | Meaningful discussions and networking |
Description: Leher is a social network for live discussions, enabling users to create and join live audio and video discussions on various topics. It aims to replicate the experience of live, interactive conversations in a virtual space, making it a popular choice for those seeking meaningful discussions and networking opportunities.
Leher – A social network for live discussions, allowing users to engage in live audio and video discussions on various topics.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leher
8. Tooter:
Founders: N/A (Anonymous Team)
Year Founded: 2020
Tooter is a microblogging platform modeled after Twitter, positioning itself as a “Swadeshi” (indigenous) alternative. It provides users with a space to share updates, news, and opinions, emphasizing freedom of expression and a user-friendly experience tailored for the Indian audience.
Tooter
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | Anonymous Team | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Year Founded | 2020 | Tooter |
| Platform Focus | Microblogging | |
| Popularity Reason | Indigenous alternative to Twitter |
Description: Tooter is a microblogging platform modeled after Twitter, positioning itself as a “Swadeshi” (indigenous) alternative. It provides users with a space to share updates, news, and opinions, emphasizing freedom of expression and a user-friendly experience tailored for the Indian audience.
Tooter – A microblogging platform modeled after Twitter, promoting itself as an indigenous alternative with a focus on freedom of expression.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutoring
9. Kutumb:
Founders: Mohit Sharma, Aman Singh
Year Founded: 2020
Kutumb is a community-focused social networking app that enables users to create and join groups based on common interests or localities. It provides a platform for community engagement, discussions, and local news sharing, fostering stronger community bonds in both urban and rural areas.
Kutumb
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | Mohit Sharma, Aman Singh | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Year Founded | 2020 | Kutumb |
| Platform Focus | Community-focused social networking | |
| Popularity Reason | Stronger community bonds |
Description: Kutumb is a community-focused social networking app that enables users to create and join groups based on common interests or localities. It provides a platform for community engagement, discussions, and local news sharing, fostering stronger community bonds in both urban and rural areas.
Kutumb – A community-focused social networking app enabling users to create and join groups based on interests or localities, enhancing community engagement.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutumb_Foundation
10. Bolo Indya:
Founders: Varun Saxena
Year Founded: 2019
Bolo Indya is a short-video content platform with a focus on regional languages. It enables users to create and share videos across various categories, including education, entertainment, and personal development. Bolo Indya’s emphasis on local languages and community engagement has driven its popularity.
Bolo Indya
| Feature | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Founder | Varun Saxena | Gurugram, Haryana |
| Year Founded | 2019 | Bolo Indya |
| Platform Focus | Short-video content in regional languages | |
| Content Categories | Education, entertainment, personal development |
Description: Bolo Indya is a short-video content platform with a focus on regional languages. It enables users to create and share videos across various categories, including education, entertainment, and personal development. Bolo Indya’s emphasis on local languages and community engagement has driven its popularity.
Bolo Indya – A short-video content platform focusing on regional languages, allowing users to create and share videos in various categories such as education and entertainment.
Also Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolo
some questions and answers about the top social media startups in India:
Q: What makes ShareChat unique compared to other social media platforms?
A: ShareChat focuses on vernacular content, supporting 15 Indian languages, making it accessible to users who prefer regional languages over English.
Q: When was ShareChat founded and by whom?
A: ShareChat was founded in 2015 by Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, and Farid Ahsan.
Q: How did Chingari gain popularity in India?
A: Chingari gained significant traction as an alternative to TikTok after TikTok was banned in India.
Q: Who are the founders of Chingari?
A: Chingari was founded by Sumit Ghosh and Biswatma Nayak in 2018.
Q: What is the primary focus of Trell?
A: Trell is a lifestyle social commerce platform where users share experiences and recommendations through short videos, covering areas like travel, beauty, fashion, and food.
Q: When was Trell founded?
A: Trell was founded in 2016 by Pulkit Agrawal, Bimal Kartheek Rebba, Prashant Sachan, and Arun Lodhi.
Q: What languages does Koo support?
A: Koo supports various Indian languages, providing a platform for users to express themselves in their native tongues.
Q: Who are the founders of Koo?
A: Koo was founded in 2020 by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka.
Q: What was Roposo’s initial focus, and how has it evolved?
A: Roposo initially focused on fashion but has evolved into a comprehensive short-video platform with diverse content genres like fashion, music, and dance.
Q: Where is Roposo headquartered?
A: Roposo is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana.
Q: What is Mitron’s primary function?
A: Mitron is a short-video platform that allows users to create and share engaging short videos, similar to TikTok.
Q: When was Mitron founded and by whom?
A: Mitron was founded in 2020 by Shivank Agarwal and Anish Khandelwal.
Q: What type of platform is Leher?
A: Leher is a social network for live discussions, enabling users to create and join live audio and video discussions on various topics.
Q: Who are the founders of Leher?
A: Leher was founded in 2018 by Vikas Malpani, Atul Jaju, and Shankar Nath.
Q: What is Tooter, and how does it position itself in the market?
A: Tooter is a microblogging platform modeled after Twitter, positioning itself as an indigenous alternative with a focus on freedom of expression.
Q: When was Tooter founded?
A: Tooter was founded in 2020 by an anonymous team.
Q: What is Kutumb’s primary focus?
A: Kutumb is a community-focused social networking app that enables users to create and join groups based on common interests or localities.
Q: Who are the founders of Kutumb?
A: Kutumb was founded in 2020 by Mohit Sharma and Aman Singh.
Q: What content does Bolo Indya specialize in?
A: Bolo Indya specializes in short-video content in regional languages, covering categories such as education, entertainment, and personal development.
Q: Who founded Bolo Indya and when?
A: Bolo Indya was founded by Varun Saxena in 2019.
Conclusion:
The rise of these social media startups highlights the dynamic and innovative nature of India’s tech ecosystem. Each platform brings something unique to the table, catering to different user needs and preferences, from vernacular content and short videos to live discussions and community engagement. As these startups continue to grow and evolve, they are likely to play a significant role in shaping the future of social media in India.
