IIT grad Vidit Aatrey quits IAS dream, builds Meesho into Rs 30,000-cr empire
Vidit Aatrey, a dynamic IIT Delhi alumnus, founded Meesho after navigating through various corporate roles and facing setbacks from an earlier startup. Observing micro-entrepreneurs leveraging social media for sales, he crafted Meesho as a digital ally for these sellers. Over time, Meesho has blossomed into a prominent e-commerce player, showcasing Aatrey's knack for insight and innovation,…
Vidit Aatrey, an alumnus of IIT Delhi, had initially planned to pursue a career in the civil services. However, his path took a different turn as he co-founded Meesho, an e-commerce platform, with fellow IIT Delhi graduate Sanjeev Barnwal. The company grew from a social-commerce experiment into a listed e-commerce platform, generating a net merchandise value of nearly Rs 30,000 crore in FY25, with an operating revenue of ₹9,390 crore.
Aatrey's journey to entrepreneurship began after completing his BTech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Delhi in 2012. He worked with ITC and InMobi before deciding to build his own company. They first launched Fashnear, a hyperlocal fashion-delivery platform, but it failed to find product-market fit. Aatrey and Barnwal then gained insights by observing small businesses and sellers, realizing that women were using WhatsApp and social networks for sales.
This observation led to the creation of a managed marketplace that enabled ordinary individuals to operate digital shops without heavy investment in technology or inventory.
The founders' willingness to experiment and pivot resulted in a successful journey, leading to Meesho becoming one of India's prominent e-commerce companies after Y Combinator's support and selecting a different market segment to focus on.
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