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Tag: ShareChat

  • ShareChat ropes in Neha Markanda as chief business officer

    ShareChat ropes in Neha Markanda as chief business officer

    MUMBAI: Homegrown social media firm ShareChat (Mohalla Tech) has named Neha Markanda as its new chief business officer, handing her the mandate to scale revenues and deepen advertiser engagement across its flagship ShareChat app and short-video platform Moj.

    Markanda joins from Google, where she spent over three years as head of industry for e-commerce. She earlier led business marketing at Facebook India, and held senior roles at GSK Consumer Healthcare, where she steered brand strategy for Horlicks and family nutrition.

    Her two-decade career spans consumer goods and technology, including stints at HCL Technologies, PepsiCo—where she managed Tropicana, Pepsi Max and Gatorade—and ITC.

    At ShareChat, she will be tasked with sharpening revenue strategy, strengthening advertiser partnerships and pushing growth in a market where short-video and vernacular social platforms are battling for both user attention and ad dollars.

  • Ajit Varghese heads back to Madison as partner and CEO

    Ajit Varghese heads back to Madison as partner and CEO

    MUMBAI: Ajit Varghese is set to return to the world of advertising, taking the reins at Sam Balsara’s Madison as partner and chief executive officer. The move marks a homecoming for Varghese, who cut his teeth at the agency before a globe-spanning career across media and tech.

    Varghese had only recently been chief revenue officer at Jiostar, the Reliance–Disney joint venture, a role he held for seven months. Before that he led ad sales for the Walt Disney Company in India (2023–24) and served as chief commercial officer at ShareChat and Moj (2020–22), where he drove a 7x revenue surge and helped turbocharge growth in Bharat-focused social media and short video.

    His longest stint was at WPP, where he rose from managing director of Maxus South Asia to global president of Wavemaker, overseeing 3,000 staff across 50 markets. Along the way, he delivered double-digit bottom-line growth, launched new digital and data-driven practices, and notched a string of industry awards.

    Varghese began his career at Madison in 1999, climbing to chief operating officer before leaving in 2006. Back then, he helped Coca-Cola triple its media budget in India and added marquee clients such as McDonald’s, Asian Paints, and Axis Bank.

    His return signals Madison’s intent to sharpen its edge in a market that is once again in flux.

  • Roadies co-creator Rajiv Lakshman takes charge at Infinitum as IP chief

    Roadies co-creator Rajiv Lakshman takes charge at Infinitum as IP chief

    MUMBAI: Rajiv Lakshman, one of the masterminds behind iconic reality TV juggernauts MTV Roadies and Splitsvilla, has joined Infinitum Network as group head of intellectual properties, bringing his 25-year creative arsenal to the rapidly expanding multi-channel network.

    “I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined Infinitum Networks,” announced Lakshman on his social media. The content veteran, who has spent over two decades crafting genre-defining shows across adventure, romance, culinary and startup territories, is set to inject his creative firepower into one of India’s fastest-growing digital content stables.

    Already a heavyweight in the digital arena, Infinitum boasts a staggering global footprint that would make even tech giants blush:

    •    200+ influencers with a combined following of 24 million+

    •    400+ shows across 10+ platforms

    •    Content in 100+ languages reaching 160+ countries

    •    A whopping 4 billion+ followers across platforms

    •    60 million+ subscribers across 400+ YouTube channels

    The MCN has made content for platforms such as aha, Star, Disney Hotstar (JioHotstar), Zee5, Asian Cinemas, Moj, Geetha Arts, facebook, ShareChat and YouTube.

    The network’s talent pool reads like a who’s who of digital fame, featuring influencer powerhouses such as Srishti Shukla (6 million followers), Deepthi Sunaina (4.2 million), and Shanmukh Jaswanth (2.7 million). Its YouTube portfolio includes NBK Originals with a jaw-dropping 10 million subscribers.

    Looking beyond traditional MCN boundaries, Lakshman’s vision for Infinitum includes creating cross-platform franchises that can travel globally while nurturing emerging talent from tier two and tier 3 cities.

    “What excites me most about Infinitum is their hybrid approach,” Lakshman explained, highlighting the network’s impressive track record of producing 275+ web series and educational content across multiple languages.

    His bullish strategy aims to establish Infinitum as the launchpad for creators transitioning from social to mainstream media while developing sustainable economic models that fairly reward talent – a refreshing approach in an industry often criticised for exploiting creative minds.

    As traditional media continues its digital metamorphosis, Lakshman’s move signals a seismic shift in how content powerhouses are positioning themselves in the creator economy’s gold rush.

  • ShareChat appoints Nitin Jain as CTO

    ShareChat appoints Nitin Jain as CTO

    MUMBAI: A leading social media platform ShareChat has appointed Nitin Jain as its new chief technology officer. In his role, Nitin will oversee technological development and innovation for both ShareChat and Moj platforms.

    Jain is a seasoned technology leader who has spearheaded transformative projects across advertising, e-commerce, fintech, and advanced data analytics, growing ideas from initial concepts into impactful platforms with global reach. He brings a wealth of leadership experience from renowned companies like Tokopedia, Gojek, and most recently, TikTok. Jain has built rapidly growing tech businesses from scratch by nurturing high-performing teams and strategically leveraging cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, blockchain, and modern DevOps practices.”

    ShareChat and Moj CEO & cofounder Ankush Sachdeva said, “Nitin is a global technology leader, with more than two decades of experience spanning multiple domains and geographies. As we embark on the next chapter of growth at ShareChat and Moj, Nitin’s proven track record in scaling technology-driven businesses, combined with his expertise in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence and big data, will be a game-changer for our platform. I am incredibly thrilled to have him as a part of the team and lead the tech org from the front at ShareChat.”

     “I am extremely passionate about building customer-focused products that bring real value through innovative yet practical applications of technology. What excites me most about being at ShareChat is the chance to work with, learn from such a talented team and use my experience to deliver a highly personalised social experience to our growing community of users and creators”, said Jain.

    Outside of work, Jain is interested in philosophy, modern physics, genetics, and a growing passion for scuba diving. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi. 

  • IGAP releases report on social media transparency and compliance

    IGAP releases report on social media transparency and compliance

    Mumbai – The Internet Governance and Policy Project (IGAP) has published its latest report, “Social Media Transparency Reporting: A Performance Review”, offering a detailed analysis of how Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs) are complying with India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The report assesses the performance of major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Snap, ShareChat, and Koo, focusing on their content moderation practices and grievance redressal mechanisms between June 2021 and December 2023.

    As concerns over harmful online content, including misinformation and hate speech, continue to grow, IGAP’s report highlights key gaps in transparency across these platforms and calls for enhanced accountability to Indian users. The study also provides a comparative analysis with international frameworks such as the European Union’s Digital Services Act and presents actionable recommendations for improving transparency and compliance practices.

    Key Findings:

    . Inconsistent reporting: While platforms like Facebook and YouTube offer relatively comprehensive reports, others such as Koo and LinkedIn provide limited data, making it difficult to evaluate their adherence to content moderation guidelines.

    . Lack of clarity on automated monitoring: Platforms like Snap and ShareChat offer minimal disclosure on content proactively removed using automated tools, raising questions about the effectiveness of their systems in addressing harmful content such as hate speech and child exploitation.

    . Complex grievance redressal mechanisms: Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X maintain both global and India-specific grievance systems, leading to confusion for users and inconsistencies in data reporting.

    . Need for more granular data: The report emphasizes the importance of providing more detailed disclosures, particularly on content moderation in regional Indian languages, law enforcement requests, and actions against repeat offenders.

    Recommendations: IGAP’s report outlines several key reforms to improve transparency and ensure better accountability:

    . More granular disclosures: Social media platforms should provide detailed data on user complaints, content removals, and the diversity of Indian languages to ensure fair and equitable moderation practices.

    . Standardized reporting formats: Platforms should adopt consistent and uniform reporting formats to improve accessibility and comparison of data across different platforms.

    .  Improved oversight of automated tools: The report calls for clearer reporting on the types of content flagged and removed by automated systems, with a focus on emerging concerns such as misinformation, deepfakes, and synthetic media.

    Lead Author, and former senior director and group coordinator (cyber laws and data governance division), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Rakesh Maheswari stated, “Social media platforms have a responsibility to create a transparent and accountable digital environment, especially given their influence on public discourse. This report underscores the need for uniform, more granular reporting in line with the intent of IT Rules, 2021 and aims to help bridge the gaps in content moderation practices across platforms operating in India.”

    The Report is accessible at: https://igap.in/social-media-transparency-reporting-a-performance-review/

  • Short videos drive over 47 per cent consumer choices: ShareChat & Moj Report

    Short videos drive over 47 per cent consumer choices: ShareChat & Moj Report

    Mumbai:  As the festive fervour sweeps across India, a notable shift in consumer behaviour is being observed with almost half of (47 per cent) of Indian consumers being influenced by short-form videos while making their purchases, cities “Short Form Big Impact: Festive Blueprint”, a report by social media platforms ShareChat & Moj.

    Short-form videos have become a staple in the daily lives of Indian consumers as 81 per cent consumers actively watch bite-sized form of content. Increasingly influential among consumers aged 25-44, almost 50 per cent of them base their purchase decisions on the content they consume on short video platforms.

    Key Highlights

    ●   Influence of Short videos: The more India watches short-form videos, the more its purchase decisions are influenced by them. 59% of those who watch more than 60 minutes make purchase decisions based on short-form videos.

    ●   Native language supremacy: 86% of India wants content in their regional language, with 84% finding content in their regional languages more relatable and trustworthy. 45% of India makes purchases based on videos from creators in their native language.

    ●   Rise of micro influencers: In Tier 3 cities, purchase decisions are most influenced by creator-led videos. 70 per cent of creators create more content around and during festivals, with 79 per cent of them garnering an increase in user engagement on creator-led content.

    ●   Festive must-haves: The top trending choices for consumers are clothing, home decor and gifts, followed by beauty, food and electronics.

    ●   Brand affinity: Around 34 per cent of shoppers are open to exploring new brands, making this a key moment for brands to shine. In the West, 39 per cent of Indians are ready to experiment with new brands, showing a strong sense of curiosity. On the other hand, the South showcases brand loyalty, with 68% preferring their trusted favourites.

    “We are living in a transformative era where short videos are driving purchase decisions for most of the Indians. As India gears up for the festive season, platforms like ShareChat and Moj offer brands a unique opportunity to engage with consumers in a meaningful way and drive authentic connections. By leveraging the power of short-form content, regional language preferences, and trusted creators, brands can optimise their impact and drive significant sales.”

    “In this new shopping landscape, that has shifted majorly from traditional means to the consumers’ fingertips, we are proud to be acting as a bridge between consumers and brands.  Brands have continued to receive returns through platforms such as ours, with a deep understanding of culture and language, fueled by creativity and strong strategic solutions adapting to evolving needs of today’s consumer.” said ShareChat and Moj chief business officer Gaurav Jain.

    Short videos have become a key factor in shaping consumer behavior in India, evolving from brief moments of scrolling to capturing a significant portion of India’s daily screen time. Nearly 50 per cent of Indians watch short-form videos for more than 30 minutes a day, with 29 per cent spending more than 60 minutes a day, with women for both.  The more time India spends on these videos, the more they shape decisions—showing the unexplored potential of short-form content. Short-form videos are not just a metro or Tier 1 phenomenon—they have a widespread influence across all regions. Moreover, purchase decisions in Tier 3 cities are more influenced by short-form videos, with 49% making decisions based on them, compared to an average of 45.7 per cent in other regions.

    The survey encompassed insights from 6,000 users and 100 creators on ShareChat and Moj platforms, aiming to comprehend their festive activities, language preferences, and relationships with regional creators It encompassed people from diverse backgrounds and  helped pinpoint a significant trend—the profoundness of short-form videos in swaying consumer behaviour. To access the full report, please visit https://ads.sharechat.com/research-and-insights/short-form-big-impact-festive-blueprint

  • ShareChat partners with JioCinema to showcase exclusive Olympic Games Paris 2024 content

    ShareChat partners with JioCinema to showcase exclusive Olympic Games Paris 2024 content

    Mumbai: Every four years the most iconic games take place at a global stage. This year the Olympic Games are to be held in Paris, France with over 200 countries competing against each other. As the Indian contingent gears up for Paris 2024, ShareChat, India’s homegrown social media company, and JioCinema, the official digital partner for the Olympic Games, have entered a partnership to showcase exclusive content for sports fans to be closer to the action from 26 July to 11 August 2024.

    The collaboration aims to provide an unparalleled experience for users on ShareChat and Moj platforms. With a plethora of engaging content, including interviews, footage-based clips, studio content, and build-up videos, catering to a diverse and multi-lingual audience, ensuring the users stay updated with the riveting action.

    Moj a homegrown short video platform, revolutionizing short-form video for tier two audiences by bringing authentic regional content, the latest technology including Dolby Vision, and offering innovative monetizing avenues like virtual gifting for its creator community. This strategic utilization of short-form content aims to celebrate the Olympic spirit amongst millions of fans, delivering the best moments of the games in various regional languages and enhancing the viewing experience. Fans will also have access to insightful analysis from sports legends and commentators through studio clips available on both platforms.

    Announcing the partnership, ShareChat & Moj chief business officer Gaurav Jain said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Jio Cinema to bring official Olympics content to our vast user base, celebrate the spirit of the games, and cheer for the Indian contingent. By offering content in multiple regional languages, ShareChat and Moj have become the go-to destination for sports content and fandom allowing Indians to engage with Team India’s journey like never before.

    The widespread consumption of short videos has revolutionized the way we engage with content, and ShareChat is proud to offer a platform that caters to this demand. Blending content, culture and community ShareChat and Moj are slowly pivoting how marketers can use their creative imagination to build meaningful connections with their audiences.”

    “The partnership with ShareChat and Moj is a significant milestone in our journey to make digital content accessible to every Indian, driving a new kind of lean-in engagement,” said a Viacom18 spokesperson. “Innovation has been at the helm of our Paris 2024 presentation, be it through language offerings, curated feeds, or former Olympians who will join us as studio experts.  This partnership takes it a step further in that direction through its unique content offerings that will excite fans and draw them into celebrating the Olympic movement.”

    As the blue riband event inches closer, ShareChat and JioCinema aim to redefine the way fans engage with Olympic content, creating a truly enriching experience and setting a new benchmark for sports content consumption in India.

  • ShareChat appoints Kartik Patiar as the new national head of Online, Media & Entertainment Vertical

    ShareChat appoints Kartik Patiar as the new national head of Online, Media & Entertainment Vertical

    Mumbai: ShareChat (Mohalla Tech Pvt. Ltd.), India’s largest homegrown social media company announced the appointment of Kartik Patiar as the senior director leading the Online and Media & Entertainment verticals nationally for ShareChat and Moj. In his new role, Kartik will be a part of ShareChat’s business team.

    With a diverse experience of over 16 years across multiple sectors and industries, Kartik was previously responsible for driving the Revenue Charter at Disney+ Hotstar, as Director for LCS Sales. He has been associated with e-commerce, e-classified and food-tech industry with likes of Flipkart, OLX and Swiggy respectively, where he straddled between Business, Growth and Marketing roles. Additionally, his previous stints also include – Lenovo, Asia Pacific where he led Marketing strategy for the Asia Pacific region and has also worked with the FMCG major Mondelez in the early part of his career. He is very passionate about the Consumer Tech and Internet commerce ecosystem in India.

    Commenting on Kartik’s appointment, ShareChat and Moj, chief business officer Gaurav Jain said, “Kartik has spent over a decade working in sales and marketing. His strong understanding of the industry dynamics and customer sentiment will be an invaluable experience for us at ShareChat. His incredible insights will help us further empower the Business team at India’ largest homegrown social media company and we look forward to together crafting an outstanding social experience for all our partners.”

    Talking about his new role at ShareChat, Patiar said, “I am very excited to embark on this new journey with ShareChat and it is indeed a privilege to be working with some of the most talented and incredible individuals and teams. I am looking forward to contributing to the company’s strong foundations and maximizing our business efforts. I aim to positively impact our sales efforts, client relationships and new growth opportunities for the business.” 

  • JioCinema joins forces with ShareChat & Moj

    JioCinema joins forces with ShareChat & Moj

    Mumbai: JioCinema has announced its partnership with India’s leading multilingual social media platform, ShareChat and India’s No.1 short-form video app Moj, offering consumers brand-new avenues for a wide collection of sports content including the TATA WPL, the TATA IPL, Indian Super League, and the 2024 Olympics. This partnership aims to help JioCinema engage more deeply with consumers of regional content by being present on their preferred social platforms and blending with their digital consumption habits.

    ShareChat and Moj’s extensive user base of over 325 million users will have access to an array of snackable content of their favourite sport in the language of their choice through JioCinema’s handle on both platforms. They will also get a peek into unheard tales, anecdotes, and conversations from dressing rooms, narrated by JioCinema’s iconic experts who until recently rubbed shoulders with current players across different teams.

    JioCinema has democratized the way sports content is consumed in India by offering multi-lingual commentary, multi-cam viewing, 4K feed, making the viewing experience more immersive and dynamic. Moj is today India’s largest homegrown pure short video platform, revolutionizing SFV for tier 2 audiences bringing authentic regional content, the latest technology including Dolby vision and offering innovative monetizing avenues like virtual gifting for its creator community.

    “As we continue our endeavour to make digital omnipresent for sports content consumption through JioCinema, this partnership will take our efforts far and wide across the breadth of the country,” said Viacom18 Sports Head of Strategy, Acquisitions & Partnerships Hursh Shrivastava. “ShareChat and Moj will not only bring a newer audience but also scale to our regional presentation across multiple languages.”

    “We’re thrilled to partner with JioCinema to bring the excitement of premium sports from around the world, including the TATA WPL, TATA IPL, Olympics, and Indian Super League to ShareChat & Moj. Short-form video has come a long way in India and this collaboration marks a significant milestone in our journey to offer diverse and engaging content to our 325 million+ users,” said ShareChat & Moj chief business officer Gaurav Jain.

  • ShareChat presents #AyodhyaKiTicket: A virtual celebration of Ram Mandir consecration

    ShareChat presents #AyodhyaKiTicket: A virtual celebration of Ram Mandir consecration

    Mumbai:  Can’t be in Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir consecration? ShareChat will bring the festivities to you! ShareChat, a multilingual social media
    platform, announced the launch of #AyodhyaKiTicket, a comprehensive in-app campaign to bring the historic consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya to
    every user, right at their fingertips. ShareChat, the destination for all trending content launches this week-long campaign, starting from January 15 to 22 January inviting users to experience the vibrancy of Ayodhya through a range of in-app activities designed to engage and connect its community nationwide.

    Through #AyodhyaKiTicket, ShareChat will take the user experience beyond simple viewing, transforming the platform into a virtual portal to Ayodhya’s grand celebrations where users can witness the consecration of Ram Mandir live and light up Sri Ram Jyoti from home using an interactive web card. In addition, the app will also have trending tags, featuring informative content pieces throwing light on topics such as history, Ramayan, Sanatana Dharma, and preparation around the temple consecration. Furthermore, to cater to diverse interests and enrich the user experience, special tags will be curated to keep the users updated on the latest happenings around Ram Mandir’s consecration, featuring content on guidelines, administrative updates, celebrities visiting

    Ayodhya, and more. Users can also tune into exclusive Live Chat Rooms to listen to Ramayan Path and take part in daily quizzes.

    Talking about the campaign, ShareChat & Moj senior director, content strategy and operations Shashank Shekhar said, ‘ShareChat & Moj said
    “ShareChat celebrates the cultural richness of our nation and with this campaign we aim to bring the essence of Ayodhya closer to every user, fostering a sense of togetherness during this historic moment. No matter where you are, ShareChat will be your #AyodhyaKiTicket. Join millions of users as they experience this momentous occasion through interactive features, insightful content, and a shared sense of community.”

    Join in this unique and immersive experience, to honor the legacy of Lord Ram, on ShareChat with #AyodhyaKiTicket.