The End of an Era: Hike completely shuts down after 13 years
Hike officially shuts down after 13 years as India's gaming ban devastates the former unicorn. Kavin Mittal announces complete closure citing regulatory challenges and funding runway reduction from 7 to 4 months
Vix Monitor 
After more than a decade of ambitious growth and strategic pivots, Hike has officially closed its doors. Founder and CEO Kavin Bharti Mittal announced the complete shutdown of the messaging-turned-gaming platform, marking the end of what was once considered India's answer to WhatsApp.
The closure stems directly from India's recent ban on real-money gaming under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025. This regulatory shift proved devastating for Hike, which had transformed from a messaging service into a gaming platform called Rush after shutting down its original messenger service in 2021.
The Journey and Its Challenges
Launched in 2012, Hike Messenger initially captured significant market attention, reaching 40 million monthly active users at its peak and earning recognition as one of India's most beloved consumer brands. The platform attempted to differentiate itself from global competitors through India-specific features and youth-focused functionality.
However, competing against WhatsApp's dominance proved insurmountable. This led to the company's strategic pivot toward gaming, where Rush generated over $500 million in gross revenue across four years and attracted 10 million users.
The gaming ban created an immediate crisis, reducing Hike's financial runway from seven months to just four. While the company had recently launched operations in the United States with early promising results, Mittal determined that scaling globally would require complete recapitalization—an investment he deemed unworthy given the regulatory uncertainty.
Industry Impact
Hike's closure represents broader challenges facing India's gaming ecosystem. The company had raised approximately $261 million from prestigious investors including Tiger Global, Tencent, SoftBank, and Bharti Enterprises, achieving unicorn status with a $1.4 billion valuation in 2016.
Mittal's decision reflects hard-learned lessons about market selection, regulatory clarity, and the risks of operating in winner-take-all markets. His post-shutdown reflection emphasized building for future technology cycles rather than current constraints, and the critical importance of regulatory predictability for sustainable business operations.
Looking forward, Mittal expressed intentions to focus on artificial intelligence, clean energy breakthroughs, and personal development—areas he believes represent the next frontier of technological innovation.
