Kavin Bharti Mittal Shuts Down Hike Messenger After 13 Years, Cites Gaming Ban and Regulatory Challenges
Kavin Bharti Mittal announces the closure of Hike Messenger after 13 years. He acknowledges the difficulties after the ban on real money gaming platforms.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) September 14: Kavin Bharti Mittal is a member of the Bharti Airtel group. He declares that the messaging service Hike will shut down after 13 years of operation in India. It is a rival app to WhatsApp.
Kavin's Social Media Announcement
Mittal reveals that the app is going down globally in a lengthy LinkedIn post. Mittal justifies the decision to changing business dynamics and regulatory obstacles. He titles the post as "Closing a Chapter, Opening a New One."
Kavin says, “After regrouping with our investors and the team, I’ve made the difficult decision to wind down Hike completely.
To everyone who has been part of this journey – our users, our team, our investors, and our community – thank you. As a CEO, you’re only as strong as your team, and I want to give a special shout-out to mine – an incredible group of people who gave this everything (Hike).
I’ve always thrived at building at the forefront of technology. Over the last decade, in the little time I had to explore outside of Hike, I kept returning to the same three frontiers. And now, they feel like the great canvases for decades to come” in a social media post.
Mittal adds that growing the messaging platform internationally after the India ban will require a thorough examination. He describes it as "not the best use of capital or time."
He adds, “For the first time in 13 years, my answer is no. Not for me, not for my team, and not for our investors."
Hike started in 2012 as India’s own WhatsApp
Kavin Bharti Mittal launched Hike in December 2012 as India's version of WhatsApp. He announced it with the goal of developing a domestic messaging app specifically for Indian people. It rapidly became popular among young people. The app surpassed 100 million downloads in a few years. It was with the support of Bharti Enterprises and early investors such as SoftBank.
India’s ban on real-money games led to Hike’s shutdown
The Indian government has banned online real-money gaming. In 2021, Hike changed its focus from communications to real-money gaming. Mittal admits that continuing to invest in the platform after the ban is imposed is not the best course of action.
According to Mittal, Hike Messenger peaked at 40 million MAUs. It was ranked as the 35th most popular consumer brand in India.
Turned to gaming with the Rush app
Afterwards, the business entered the real-money gaming market with Rush. It is a new platform that offers 14 mobile games with cash prizes. The site also includes Web3 features like play-to-earn mechanics including digital ownership.
Hike had about 100 workers who work throughout the US, Singapore, Dubai, India and other countries. According to Mittal, the organization is made up of "SWAT teams". They are compact and flexible groups. They work quickly to deal with complicated issues.
Rush gaming app gave out $480 million in yearly wins
During its four-year existence in India, Rush earned over $500 million in total income. It paid out about $480 million in wins every year. The site had over 10 million users. Nevertheless, India's regulatory uncertainties proved to be an obstacle in the business.
