Latest news with #SanjeevBarnwal
India.com
10-07-2025
- Business
- India.com
Meet Men, Once Target Of Trolls For Their Startup, Now Their Company Is Valued For Rs 320,000,000,000; Their Business Is…
photoDetails english 2929804 Updated:Jul 10, 2025, 03:47 PM IST Trolled But Not Troubled 1 / 8 Meesho wasn't always taken seriously. In fact, jokes and memes mocking its affordability flooded the internet. But instead of being discouraged, founders Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal turned the mockery into motivation—and built one of India's most valuable startups. (Images credit: @RohitKYT/X, @thefaadguy/X, @CA_vkchangani/X, @Investclubsv/X_ It All Started With a Failure 2 / 8 In 2015, IIT Delhi grads Vidit and Sanjeev launched a hyperlocal fashion delivery app—Fashnear. It didn't work. The duo even stood outside stores trying to attract customers. Though the idea failed, it gave them critical insights into India's retail market. Meet the Founders 3 / 8 Vidit Aatrey hails from a middle-class family in Meerut. Alongside his IIT mate Sanjeev Barnwal, they decided to try again—this time by supporting small sellers using social media. They saw potential in what others ignored. Birth of Meesho 4 / 8 The idea: empower home-based entrepreneurs, especially women, to sell products using WhatsApp and Facebook. They created a simple, commission-free platform—and Meesho was born in late 2015. Their dining table became their office. Trolled for Being 'Cheap' 5 / 8 As Meesho grew, so did online jokes calling it 'too cheap to trust.' But instead of fighting the image, they embraced it. Affordability became Meesho's USP—helping it win millions of price-conscious shoppers in smaller towns. Beating the Biggies 6 / 8 In FY2023, Meesho's user base grew by 32 per cent, ahead of Amazon's 13 per cent and Flipkart's 21 per cent. It became India's most downloaded shopping app, hitting 145 million installs, and reached customers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities like no one else, as per . The Meesho Model 7 / 8 Meesho allows over 1.1 million sellers to offer products in 700+ categories—without paying commission. That's how they keep prices low. In 2022, they crossed 100 million monthly orders. The business model clicked. A Unicorn Story That Inspires 8 / 8 In 2019, Facebook invested Rs 200 crore. By 2021, Meesho became a unicorn with 1 billion dollars valuation. From being the butt of jokes to becoming a top shopping platform—Meesho's journey proves that belief beats ridicule. (Images credit: @RohitKYT/X, @thefaadguy/X, @CA_vkchangani/X, @Investclubsv/X
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Low-cost e-comm platform Meesho files for Rs 8,500 crore IPO
While Pine Labs, which is a leading merchant commerce platform focused on providing fintech solutions to businesses, is likely to have a fresh issue of Rs 2,600 crore, and an offer for sale of 14.78 crore shares, the low-cost direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand focused on sleep and home solutions firm Wakefit has structured its IPO with a fresh issue of Rs 468.2 crore and an OFS of 5.84 crore shares. On the other hand, cloud kitchen startup Curefoods, which just got converted into a public entity, filed for a Rs 800 crore. Its OFS details are awaited, while the logistics service provider Shadowfax Technologies has also confidentially filed the IPO papers for a Rs 2,500 crore issue along with an OFS, valuing the company around Rs 8,500 crore. Meesho, cofounded by Vidit Aatrey (chief executive) and Sanjeev Barnwal (chief technology officer) is looking to get listed around late September or early October, according a to source. Total money mopped up through the IPO will be around Rs 8,500 crore ($1 billion), of which Rs 4,250 crore each will be primary issues and secondary issues. In the run up to its IPO, Meesho too had converted into a public entity like Curefoods last month. The Bengaluru-based Meesho has chosen the confidential route as it looks to protect sensitive information from rivals Flipkart and Amazon among others. Earlier Shadowfax, Curefoods and the leading discount brokerage Groww and many others had done so and allows the issuer to reassess its IPO timelines if market conditions turn.
Mint
03-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Meesho files confidential draft papers for ₹4,250 cr IPO
Bengaluru: E-commerce firm Meesho Pvt. Ltd has filed a confidential draft prospectus with the markets regulator for an initial public offering to raise as much as ₹ 4,250 crore in primary capital, according to a person in the know. The Bengaluru-based companyreceived shareholders' approval last week for its IPO and a change in the designation of Meesho co-founder and chief executive Vidit Aatrey as chairman and managing director. Meesho declined to comment on Mint's queries. The company, which has raised capital from Fidelity Investments, SoftBank Group, Prosus, and Peak XV Partners, joins a host of new-age firms opting for a public-market listing this year despite volatile market conditions. India's Nifty 50 dropped to a 12-month low of 21,743.65 points in March, but has since rebounded. On Thrusday afternoon, the benchmark index was nearly unchanged at 25,501.00 points. Last week, fintech companyPine Labs filed draft prospectus for an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Furniture makerWakefit and cloud kitchens playerCurefoods filed pre-IPO papers earlier this week. Confidential pre-IPO filings allow companies to keep sensitive information private for a longer duration and submit updated documents closer to the actual share Technologies,Steamhouse India,Groww, andPhysicsWallah, too, have opted for the confidential route for their IPO. Top secret: IPO-bound startups may opt for confidential filings to keep options open, sensitive information under wraps Meesho has reportedlyrejigged its board of directors ahead of its IPO, with representatives of SoftBank and Prosus giving up their board seats, as per a recent report by Moneycontrol. Meesho has also merged its Delaware-based entity, Meesho Inc., with its Indian arm, and secured approval for this from the National Company Law Tribunal, a regulatory filing showed. The company's filing mentioned a transaction pertaining to Meesho Ltd as being related to a 'merger involving a foreign company'. As per a certificate of incorporation issued by India's ministry of corporate affairs on 13 May, Meesho has officially changed its original name, Fashnear Technologies Pvt. Ltd, to Meesho Pvt. Ltd. Founded in 2015 by Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, Meesho caters to online shoppers in tier-2, tier-3 cities and beyond. It has raised more than $1.3 billion in private funding and was last valued at nearly $4 billion. Meesho's revenue jumped 33% to ₹ 7,615 crore in 2023-24, while its loss narrowed to ₹ 53 crore, according to the company'sannual report. The e-commerce firm had posted a loss of ₹ 1,569 crore, excluding costs towards Esops, or employee stock ownership plans, in FY23.
Mint
03-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Meesho files confidential draft papers for ₹4,250 cr IPO
Bengaluru: E-commerce firm Meesho Pvt. Ltd has filed a confidential draft prospectus with the markets regulator for an initial public offering to raise as much as ₹ 4,250 crore in primary capital, according to a person in the know. The Bengaluru-based companyreceived shareholders' approval last week for its IPO and a change in the designation of Meesho co-founder and chief executive Vidit Aatrey as chairman and managing director. Meesho declined to comment on Mint's queries. The company, which has raised capital from Fidelity Investments, SoftBank Group, Prosus, and Peak XV Partners, joins a host of new-age firms opting for a public-market listing this year despite volatile market conditions. India's Nifty 50 dropped to a 12-month low of 21,743.65 points in March, but has since rebounded. On Thrusday afternoon, the benchmark index was nearly unchanged at 25,501.00 points. Last week, fintech companyPine Labs filed draft prospectus for an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Furniture makerWakefit and cloud kitchens playerCurefoods filed pre-IPO papers earlier this week. Confidential pre-IPO filings allow companies to keep sensitive information private for a longer duration and submit updated documents closer to the actual share Technologies,Steamhouse India,Groww, andPhysicsWallah, too, have opted for the confidential route for their IPO. Top secret: IPO-bound startups may opt for confidential filings to keep options open, sensitive information under wraps Meesho has reportedlyrejigged its board of directors ahead of its IPO, with representatives of SoftBank and Prosus giving up their board seats, as per a recent report by Moneycontrol. Meesho has also merged its Delaware-based entity, Meesho Inc., with its Indian arm, and secured approval for this from the National Company Law Tribunal, a regulatory filing showed. The company's filing mentioned a transaction pertaining to Meesho Ltd as being related to a 'merger involving a foreign company'. As per a certificate of incorporation issued by India's ministry of corporate affairs on 13 May, Meesho has officially changed its original name, Fashnear Technologies Pvt. Ltd, to Meesho Pvt. Ltd. Founded in 2015 by Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, Meesho caters to online shoppers in tier-2, tier-3 cities and beyond. It has raised more than $1.3 billion in private funding and was last valued at nearly $4 billion. Meesho's revenue jumped 33% to ₹ 7,615 crore in 2023-24, while its loss narrowed to ₹ 53 crore, according to the company'sannual report. The e-commerce firm had posted a loss of ₹ 1,569 crore, excluding costs towards Esops, or employee stock ownership plans, in FY23. Meesho has not yet filed its financials for FY25.
New Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Meesho founders reminisce humble beginnings as e-commerce firm marks 10th anniversary
BENGALURU: Ecommerce firm Meesho is celebrating its 10 anniversary and in a light-hearted and nostalgic conversation, both founders Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal in an interaction with its in-house voicebot reminicised thier modest start in a Bengaluru flat. Meesho recently received shareholders' approval to raise Rs 4,250 crore through IPO. Last month, it received the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approval to shift its headquarters to India from the US. Sanjeev Barnwal, founder and CTO, Meesho said, "It's surreal to think it all began in a tiny flat in Koramangala with the two of us, a dining table, and an idea we couldn't stop thinking about. Back then, I had just returned from Japan, where I was working on high end camera systems at Sony. The tech was world class. But one question kept gnawing at me: Who was I building this for? More often than not, the answer didn't include the people I grew up around, the ones who form the backbone of this country." "When Vidit Aatrey and I started Meesho, we weren't chasing a market. It was more personal. We felt something was missing something that needed to be built for the many, not just the few. So we hit the road. Spoke to small sellers. Listened more than we talked. And slowly, a new path started to emerge," he added. Aatrey said that they have come a long way. "From social selling to full-fledged e-commerce. From one seller to millions. From WhatsApp groups to AI-first platforms. But what hasn't changed is why we started: to democratize access. To opportunity. To markets. To trust," he said in a LinkedIn post.
