Why Did India's Once-Popular Messaging App Shut Down?

Hike was founded by Kavin Mittal, the son of Sunil Bharti Mittal, the founder and chairman of Bharti Airtel.

[{"selector":"#anim-6733aca8-6578-4a16-b12d-d8f1f7d3d04b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9cb368f7-3e61-47b5-afc2-1b966bfb5631","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Kavin Mittal ventured into multiple business endeavors abroad, but some of these faced setbacks.

Mittal identified the rapid expansion of internet and mobile-driven technology in India and across the globe.

In 2012, Mittal launched the Hike Messenger app, which quickly gained popularity and reached users in over 100 countries.

Hike had emerged as one of the most sought-after downloads on the Play Store, using the Sticker Chat App as its USP in the initial times.

In 2016, Hike achieved a remarkable milestone, amassing over 100 million users worldwide.

Hike shut down due to its inability to compete with messaging giants like Whatsapp and Telegram.

Hike attempted to cater to a wide audience, but constantly changing its approach and primarily focusing on urban youth.

In response, the company shifted its focus and transformed Hikeland into a virtual hangout zone, rebranding it as Vibe by Hike.