Chingari: India's Fast-Growing Social Video Platform Empowering Content Creators

Company Highlights: Chingari

• Established: 2018
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, India
• Sector: Social Media, Digital Content, Blockchain Integration
• Core Features: Chingari is a leading Indian platform for short video content, allowing users to upload, discover, and share videos. The platform stands out by enabling creators to earn GARI tokens based on the engagement their videos receive, offering a direct path to monetization​
• User Base: The app has accumulated over 50 million users, with a rapidly expanding footprint in India and plans for global expansion​.
• Innovations: Chingari's integration of blockchain technology allows it to offer rewards through its native token, GARI, which users can redeem or trade.

About Us: Chingari

Launched in 2018, Chingari was created with the goal of providing a platform for creative expression, enabling users to share short-form videos while also rewarding them for their content. Unlike traditional platforms, Chingari uses blockchain technology to reward creators with GARI tokens, which can be exchanged for monetary rewards. This unique feature empowers content creators by offering them an innovative way to monetize their work.

Chingari's vision is to lead the digital content revolution, focusing on local content that resonates with Indian users while supporting diverse regional languages. The app is part of the broader wave of decentralized digital platforms that use blockchain to offer users more control over their content and earnings.

Industry: Social Media & Blockchain-Enabled Content

Chingari operates within the highly competitive social media landscape, positioning itself as a notable competitor to global giants such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. With the increasing popularity of short-form video content, driven by the rise of mobile internet and evolving consumer preferences, platforms like Chingari are gaining significant traction.

In addition, Chingari is part of the emerging trend of blockchain-based social media platforms, where creators benefit from new monetization methods through tokens like GARI. This shift towards blockchain allows for a more transparent, decentralized platform where content creators can directly profit from their work, marking a significant innovation in the social media and digital content industries.

Founders and Team: Chingari

Chingari was founded by Sandeep Singh and Sumit Ghosh in 2018. Both founders were previously part of successful startups and brought their technical expertise to build a platform that could rival global giants in the social media space. Sandeep Singh, with his background in technology, and Sumit Ghosh, who brought his expertise in business and marketing, have played pivotal roles in making Chingari a leading platform for short-form videos in India.

The company's growth has been driven by a passionate team that is focused on building an ecosystem for content creators, allowing them to monetize their work in innovative ways through GARI tokens.

Startup Story

Chingari was created as a response to the growing demand for a homegrown Indian alternative to global short-video platforms like TikTok. The idea came from the founders’ desire to provide a platform that gave Indian creators a voice and the opportunity to earn revenue from their content. Their goal was to combine the excitement of short videos with a reward system that leveraged blockchain technology to give users a way to earn from their creativity.

After TikTok was banned in India in 2020, Chingari quickly became a go-to app for video sharing. It filled the void left by TikTok’s absence and gained millions of users. The platform’s success was further amplified when it integrated blockchain technology and introduced the GARI token, which allowed content creators to monetize their videos directly. Chingari also made waves by being recognized as one of India's most popular social media platforms, further cementing its position in the competitive landscape of digital content.

Mission, Vision, and Goals: Chingari

Mission:
Chingari's mission is to provide a creative, user-centric platform that empowers content creators by offering an alternative to global social media networks. The company aims to revolutionize how short video content is created, shared, and monetized, using blockchain technology to offer creators more control over their earnings and content. Chingari strives to promote diverse regional content, catering to the varied cultural landscape of India and beyond.

Vision:
Chingari envisions becoming a leading platform for short video content worldwide, especially focusing on emerging markets like India. The platform's vision includes creating an ecosystem where creators, influencers, and users can freely engage, create, and grow their influence, with the added benefit of earning rewards through innovative blockchain integration. Chingari seeks to become a major player in the decentralized social media space by combining entertainment, creativity, and technology​.

Vision:
Chingari envisions becoming a leading platform for short video content worldwide, especially focusing on emerging markets like India. The platform's vision includes creating an ecosystem where creators, influencers, and users can freely engage, create, and grow their influence, with the added benefit of earning rewards through innovative blockchain integration. Chingari seeks to become a major player in the decentralized social media space by combining entertainment, creativity, and technology​

Goals:

1. Empower Creators: Chingari’s primary goal is to empower creators by offering them new ways to monetize their content through GARI tokens. The platform aims to create a sustainable ecosystem where creators earn based on content engagement and views​.
2. User Growth: Chingari aims to continuously expand its user base both domestically and internationally. With a focus on localized content and multiple regional languages, the company is targeting an even broader audience​
3. Blockchain Integration: A key goal is to drive the adoption of blockchain in social media, allowing users and creators to benefit from decentralized technology. By integrating GARI tokens, the platform plans to make content creation more financially rewarding​
4. Compete Globally: Chingari seeks to compete with and eventually surpass global players like TikTok and Instagram in the short video segment, solidifying its place in the global social media ecosystem.

Business and Revenue Model: Chingari

Chingari primarily operates as a short video-sharing platform that competes with global platforms like TikTok. The app's business model is centered around creator monetization, allowing users to earn money based on their content’s engagement through a unique reward system.

Monetization Features:

• GARI Tokens: Chingari introduced its native cryptocurrency, the GARI token, as part of its blockchain integration. Content creators earn GARI tokens based on the number of views and interactions their videos generate. These tokens can be exchanged for real money, creating a direct and decentralized way for creators to monetize their content​
• Advertisements: Similar to other social media platforms, Chingari also generates revenue through advertisements placed within videos and on the platform itself. Brands can target users based on their engagement, and Chingari shares a portion of the advertising revenue with content creators​
• Premium Features: The platform could eventually explore additional premium features, such as subscription-based access for exclusive content or in-app purchases to enhance user experience or video features​

Fundings and Investors

Chingari has attracted significant attention from investors, which has helped fuel its rapid growth. The platform raised funds through various rounds, with notable backing from both Indian and international investors.

• Seed Funding: Chingari initially raised capital from angel investors and a few private equity firms. It garnered attention for its unique business model combining social media with blockchain​
• Series A Funding: In 2021, Chingari raised $13 million in Series A funding, which was led by major investors including Aartta Capital, Kae Capital, and Shaan Puri, a well-known tech investor. This round also saw participation from other prominent backers in the tech and blockchain sectors​
• Further Expansion Plans: With its growth trajectory and plans to scale, Chingari has continued to attract more capital. The platform has further plans to integrate deeper blockchain technology and expand its user base, especially internationally.

Shareholding & Growth and Revenue: Chingari

Chingari has experienced significant growth, especially after TikTok’s ban in India in 2020, positioning itself as a strong competitor in the Indian short-video space. The company has leveraged its innovative business model of creator monetization through blockchain technology and GARI tokens to build a loyal user base.

Shareholding:
Chingari has raised significant funds from various investors through multiple funding rounds, though specific shareholding details are not publicly disclosed. The founders, Sandeep Singh and Sumit Ghosh, hold a controlling stake in the company, with other stakeholders including venture capital firms, angel investors, and tech entrepreneurs.

Growth:
Chingari has seen tremendous growth since its launch in 2018. With more than 50 million active users and expanding internationally, the app continues to enhance its user engagement strategies. By integrating blockchain and offering creators the opportunity to earn rewards via GARI tokens, Chingari has carved a niche in a competitive market. The app has also reached over 1.3 crore downloads on the Google Play Store

Revenue:
The revenue model is primarily based on:

1. Creator Monetization: Through GARI tokens, creators can earn money based on engagement metrics.
2. Advertisement Revenue: Chingari monetizes through in-app ads, with brands targeting its growing user base.
3. Premium Features: Potential future revenue from in-app purchases or exclusive content features is being explored​

Competitors:

Chingari faces stiff competition in the Indian and global short-video platform market. Major competitors include:

1. Instagram Reels: A part of Instagram, Reels has become one of the dominant platforms for short-form video content, supported by Facebook’s massive user base and advanced algorithms.
2. Moj: Owned by ShareChat, Moj quickly gained traction after the TikTok ban in India, offering similar features with a focus on regional content.
3. Josh: Another Indian platform launched by VerSe Innovation, Josh has built a user base by offering a localized experience, much like Chingari, and is backed by significant funding.
4. YouTube Shorts: A global competitor that allows users to create and share videos up to 60 seconds long, YouTube Shorts benefits from YouTube's existing infrastructure and massive global reach.

Latest New

Chingari has been making headlines with its impressive growth and shifting strategies. In FY23, it achieved significant milestones, with a 2.3x increase in its revenue, reaching Rs 113 crore. The company’s loss also decreased by 70% during this period​Entrackr

 Additionally, Chingari has successfully raised funds for its crypto initiatives, including the launch of its $GARI token, which has been listed on multiple global exchanges​mint

The company has been strategically moving towards a paid, private live-streaming platform, adding more layers to its business model​Entrackr

The platform has over 130 million users in India and has become an active player in Web3 and crypto with its integration of $GARI tokens for content creators​ mint

However, Chingari’s future growth and performance will depend on its pivot towards crypto and live streaming, especially in a challenging market environment. The company has also taken steps to cut down on costs, including a reduction in its advertising expenses​ Entrackr