Vidit Aatrey’s journey began in the humble town of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, where he grew up in a lower-middle-class family. Despite these humble beginnings, Vidit achieved a major milestone by securing admission to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where he pursued electrical engineering. After completing his education, Vidit started his professional career at ITC, one of India’s leading conglomerates. However, his career took a new direction when he joined InMobi’s strategy team in 2015, where fate introduced him to the person who would change the course of his life: Sanjeev Barnwal.
Sanjeev Barnwal, a friend of Vidit, was looking for a job at InMobi when they reconnected. Instead of merely helping his friend find a position, Vidit proposed an alternative—why not start a business together? This suggestion sparked the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey. Vidit left his stable job, and together with Sanjeev, they set out to build a startup.
The Birth of FashNear
In 2015, Vidit and Sanjeev launched their first venture, FashNear, with the vision of helping small businesses sell products on social media platforms. They believed in empowering local shopkeepers and enabling them to reach a larger audience. To gain traction, the two co-founders took a hands-on approach—they stood in the streets with placards, encouraging people to buy fashion products from their app instead of local brick-and-mortar stores.
FashNear started by adopting a “try-and-buy” model. Each day, they targeted one local shop, picked up products, and delivered them to customers, allowing them to try the items before making a purchase. While the concept attracted some initial interest, it wasn’t long before they hit a roadblock.
The Shift to Meesho
After four months of running FashNear, Vidit and Sanjeev realized that their initial business model had a fundamental flaw. Customers were demanding a wider variety of products, and sourcing items only from local markets limited their ability to meet these expectations. Recognizing the need for change, they decided to pivot their business strategy. In 2016, FashNear was rebranded, and Meesho was born.
Meesho, short for “Meri Shop” (My Shop), was a game-changer. It provided a platform for sellers to list products and allowed resellers to purchase these products to sell to their own customers, primarily through social media platforms like WhatsApp. The resellers, many of whom were stay-at-home mothers, could start their own businesses without needing to invest in inventory upfront. In the first six months of its launch, Meesho onboarded 10,000 shops, and the platform quickly gained popularity.
Gaining Traction with Y Combinator and Early Funding
By July 2016, Meesho had already made waves in the startup ecosystem. It became one of the three Indian startups to be accepted into Y Combinator, a prestigious startup accelerator program based in the United States. Meesho’s platform was particularly attractive to stay-at-home moms, who made up more than 50% of its user base. These women found Meesho to be a perfect opportunity to earn income from home, and the platform gave them the tools to run successful businesses without the traditional barriers of capital and inventory.
The early success of Meesho attracted the attention of investors, and in October 2017, the company raised ₹19.4 crore (around $2.6 million) in a funding round led by SAIF Partners. What’s remarkable is that this growth was achieved with zero spending on marketing. By allowing homemakers to earn a 10%-20% commission on each sale, Meesho rapidly expanded its user base.
The Growth of Meesho
Meesho’s growth trajectory skyrocketed in 2018 when it reached 1 million sellers on the platform. This achievement led to another round of funding, during which the company raised ₹360 crore (approximately $50 million). With each milestone, Meesho’s influence and reach expanded, and the platform was processing over 1.2 million monthly orders.
In 2019, Meesho attracted investment from two major players—Facebook and Naspers. These global giants recognized the potential of the platform, which had grown to 209,000 monthly users. With additional funding of ₹893.8 crore (about $125 million), Meesho’s revenue skyrocketed. By March 2020, the company had touched ₹84 crore (around $11 million) in revenue, an 84-fold increase compared to the previous year.
Expanding to E-commerce
While Meesho initially focused on enabling resellers to sell products via WhatsApp, Vidit and Sanjeev soon realized the demand for unbranded products across various categories. This led them to shift toward a broader e-commerce model, expanding Meesho’s offerings to include fashion, lifestyle, beauty, personal care, and groceries. The platform’s transformation proved to be a huge success, as it began to cater to a much larger customer base.
By 2021, Meesho had scaled to 55.39 million users, processing 19.6 million monthly orders. This exponential growth caught the attention of SoftBank, one of the world’s largest venture capital firms. In a landmark funding round, Meesho raised ₹2220 crore (around $300 million), officially entering the coveted unicorn club, with a valuation exceeding $1 billion.
Meesho’s Current Success
Today, Meesho has firmly established itself as a leader in the Indian e-commerce space. In just the last six months, the company has generated revenue of ₹3500 crore (approximately $470 million). The platform boasts over 18 lakh (1.8 million) sellers and more than 150 million users, processing around 40 lakh (4 million) orders daily.
But beyond the impressive revenue figures, Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal have achieved something even more impactful—they have made a significant difference in the lives of thousands of small business owners. In 2023 alone, Meesho helped 130,000 sellers become lakhpatis, earning at least ₹1 lakh (around $1,350) through the platform. These sellers, many of whom started with minimal capital, have seen their businesses grow thanks to Meesho’s ecosystem.
The Vision Moving Forward
Vidit and Sanjeev’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, innovation, and a keen understanding of the market. From their humble beginnings with FashNear to creating a billion-dollar revenue company, the duo has transformed the way small businesses operate in India. Their journey highlights the importance of adapting to market demands, focusing on customer needs, and leveraging technology to bridge gaps in traditional industries.
As Meesho continues to grow, Vidit and Sanjeev’s mission remains clear: to empower small businesses and create more entrepreneurs across India. With a strong foundation and a growing user base, Meesho is poised to become an even bigger force in the global e-commerce landscape.
In conclusion, Meesho’s rise to success under the leadership of Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal is not just a story of financial success but also one of empowerment and impact. By giving millions of people the tools to build their own businesses, Meesho has become a platform that not only drives economic growth but also transforms lives across the country.