Kavin Bharti Mittal: The Visionary Entrepreneur Who Built India’s Unicorn Dreams

Kavin Bharti Mittal is a 37-year-old Indian internet entrepreneur who founded Hike Messenger – India’s homegrown messaging app that achieved unicorn status at a valuation of $1.4 billion. The son of billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal (Airtel founder), Kavin Bharti Mittal carved his own entrepreneurial path, raising $250+ million from global investors like SoftBank, Tencent, and Tiger Global.

Personal Information: The Man Behind the Innovation

Family & Personal Life

Kavin Bharti Mittal was born into one of India’s most influential business families. His family background shaped his entrepreneurial journey, though he chose to create his own legacy rather than simply inherit one.

Kavin Bharti Mittal maintains extreme privacy about his personal life, choosing to keep the spotlight on his professional achievements. His twin brother Shravin runs a successful venture capital firm in London, while his sister Eiesha is involved in lifestyle investments.

Educational Background: Building the Foundation

Kavin Bharti Mittal received world-class education that laid the foundation for his technological expertise and entrepreneurial vision.

Educational Journey Highlights:

During his time at Imperial College London, Kavin Bharti Mittal wasn’t just another student – he was already thinking like an entrepreneur. At McLaren Racing, he worked on embedding technology that displayed track flags on Formula 1 steering wheels – a hands-on experience that taught him how technology solves real-world problems.

His internship at Google in New York became a turning point. It was here that Kavin Bharti Mittal saw his first iPhone and recognized its potential to transform lives. This experience sparked his first venture, AppSpark, while still completing his master’s degree.

Physical Statistics

Entrepreneurial Career Timeline: A Journey of Innovation

Kavin Bharti Mittal didn’t wait for opportunities – he created them. Here’s his remarkable entrepreneurial journey:

Major Achievements & Recognition

Kavin Bharti Mittal achieved what most entrepreneurs only dream of – building a unicorn from scratch. Here are his landmark achievements:

Special Distinctions:

1. First Indian Messaging App to Achieve Unicorn Status
2. Youngest Indian to Build $1 Billion+ Company (at 28)
3. Raised $250+ Million from world’s top investors without family funding
4. 35th Most Loved Consumer Brand in India (at Hike’s peak)
5. Pioneered Stickers in Indian messaging apps before WhatsApp
6. India’s Answer to WhatsApp – homegrown alternative

Financial Information

Kavin Bharti Mittal Net Worth

Kavin Bharti Mittal net worth has been a subject of much speculation, especially given his family’s billionaire status and his own entrepreneurial success.

Financial Philosophy:

Despite being the son of a billionaire, Kavin Bharti Mittal built his ventures with external funding from global investors rather than family money. He raised capital from:

• SoftBank (Japan)
• Tencent (China)
• Tiger Global (USA)
• Foxconn (Taiwan)
• Bharti Enterprises (India)
• Jump Capital, Tribe Capital, Republic Crypto (Web3 investors)
• Polygon (Blockchain partner)

Kavin Bharti Mittal age may be just 37, but his financial acumen and ability to attract global investors placed him among India’s most respected young entrepreneurs.

Digital Presence & Contact

Note: Kavin Bharti Mittal maintains a relatively low-key social media presence compared to other tech founders, preferring meaningful long-form content over constant updates.

Detailed Biography: The Complete Story

Early Life: Born with a Silver Spoon, Chose the Hard Road

Kavin Bharti Mittal was born on August 30, 1987, in New Delhi, into one of India’s most powerful business families. His father, Sunil Bharti Mittal, was already building the Bharti empire that would later become India’s telecom giant Airtel.

Growing up as the son of a business tycoon came with privileges – world-class education, global exposure, and networking opportunities most entrepreneurs would kill for. But it also came with a challenge: How do you create your own identity when your father’s shadow is so large?

Kavin Bharti Mittal age was just a teenager when he witnessed his father’s relentless work ethic building Airtel. Business discussions over dinner, strategic thinking, risk-taking – these weren’t theories for young Kavin. They were his everyday reality.

But here’s what makes Kavin Bharti Mittal special: He didn’t want to simply inherit the empire. He wanted to build his own.

The Academic Foundation: More Than Just Degrees

At University of York, Kavin Bharti Mittal studied Electronics and Electrical Engineering – a choice that combined his fascination with technology and systematic thinking. But the real education happened during summer breaks.

His internship at McLaren Racing was transformative. Working on technology for Formula 1 cars – one of the world’s most demanding, high-speed environments – taught him three critical lessons:

1. Milliseconds matter – In F1, timing is everything. This influenced his product philosophy: user experience must be instant.
2. Innovation under pressure – Racing teams innovate constantly to stay competitive. Standing still means falling behind.
3. Technology serves humans – The best tech is invisible to users but makes their lives dramatically better.

At Google’s New York office, something even more significant happened. Kavin Bharti Mittal saw an iPhone for the first time. While others saw a cool gadget, he saw the future.

The App Store had just launched. The mobile revolution was beginning. And Kavin Bharti Mittal had a realization: “This little device will change everything about how humans connect, work, and live.”

At Goldman Sachs, he learned the business side – how capital flows, how deals get structured, how investors think. This combination of technical skills, product thinking, and financial acumen became his secret weapon.

AppSpark: The First Leap

In 2009, fresh out of Imperial College London with a master’s degree, most graduates were sending resumes. Kavin Bharti Mittal age was just 21, and he was starting a company.

AppSpark was his experimental lab. The vision was ambitious: create one app every month for eight months. The reality was harder. Building apps is one thing; getting users is another.

His first real success was ‘Movies Now’ – an iPhone app for booking movie tickets in partnership with movietickets.com. Apple recognized it as a top 10 essential app for moviegoers.

But Kavin Bharti Mittal learned something crucial through AppSpark: Creating apps is easy. Creating apps people love is hard.

The Hike Revolution: India’s WhatsApp Moment

By 2012, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger were gaining traction globally. But Kavin Bharti Mittal saw an opportunity everyone else missed.

The Gap: Global messaging apps weren’t built for India. They didn’t understand:

• India’s multilingual diversity
• The importance of privacy in conservative families
• Limited data plans forcing users to be selective about app data usage
• Young Indians’ craving for creative expression (stickers, themes, personalization)
• The cultural context of festivals, regional celebrations, local humor

The Vision: Build India’s own messaging platform that understood Indian users better than any global app could.

On December 11, 2012, Hike Messenger launched.

Kavin Bharti Mittal was on top of the world. Media called him “the next big thing in Indian tech.” Investors compared him to Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel.

But dark clouds were forming.

The Reality Check: When Giants Fight Back

Here’s the brutal truth about tech: Winner takes all.

WhatsApp, backed by Facebook’s billions, started becoming aggressive in India:

• Made the app completely free (removed subscription fee)
• Improved features based on Indian feedback
• Increased infrastructure for faster messaging
• Leveraged Facebook’s marketing muscle

Simultaneously:

• Data prices dropped dramatically (thanks partly to Jio)
• Smartphone prices crashed
• Users no longer needed multiple apps – the phone itself became the “super app”

By 2019, Hike’s growth plateaued. User engagement declined. The market dynamics had fundamentally shifted.

The Brave Decision: Shutting Down at the Peak

Most founders would have ridden the decline slowly, hoping for a turnaround. Kavin Bharti Mittal made a different choice.

In January 2021, with Hike still having 40 million active users, he announced: “We’re shutting down Hike Messenger.”

Why? Because he saw the truth: The messaging war was over. WhatsApp had won globally. Telegram had captured the privacy-conscious. The market didn’t need another messaging app.

The Pivot: Instead of slowly declining, Kavin Bharti Mittal pivoted to two new products:

1. Vibe (formerly HikeLand) – A Web3 virtual social platform
2. Rush Gaming Universe – Real-money casual gaming platform

Conclusion

Kavin Bharti Mittal is living proof that entrepreneurship isn’t about flawless success — it’s about relentless innovation, learning from setbacks, and having the courage to restart. At the age of 37, with an estimated net worth of $150–200 million, he has already lived several entrepreneurial lives. From building India’s fastest unicorn to venturing into Web3 gaming, his journey reflects vision, execution, and resilience. Yes, Hike shut down. Yes, Rush faced regulatory bans. But his impact goes far beyond these outcomes. He inspired millions of young Indians to think bigger, build fearlessly, and understand that failure is simply another step toward success.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Kavin Bharti Mittal’s current position?

As of February 2026, Kavin Bharti Mittal is not running any active company. He shut down Hike and Rush Gaming Universe in September 2025 following India’s real-money gaming ban. He is currently taking time to evaluate future opportunities and has hinted at working on something new, though specifics haven’t been announced.

2. How old is Kavin Bharti Mittal?

Kavin Bharti Mittal age is 37 years as of 2026. He was born on August 30, 1987, in New Delhi, India. Despite his young age, he has already founded multiple companies, achieved unicorn status, and raised over $250 million from global investors.

3. What is Kavin Bharti Mittal’s net worth?

Kavin Bharti Mittal net worth is estimated at $150-200 million (approximately ₹1,250-1,650 crores) as of 2026. This wealth comes from his stake in Hike (which achieved $1.4 billion valuation), Rush Gaming Universe revenues, and other investments. His father, Sunil Bharti Mittal, has a net worth of $34 billion, making Kavin financially independent from family wealth.

4. Is Kavin Bharti Mittal married?

Kavin Bharti Mittal keeps his personal life extremely private. There is no confirmed public information about his marital status, relationships, or whether he has children. He prefers to keep media focus on his professional achievements rather than personal matters.

5. Why did Hike Messenger shut down?

Kavin Bharti Mittal shut down Hike Messenger in January 2021 due to changing market dynamics. WhatsApp had dominated the messaging space globally, data prices had dropped dramatically, and smartphones themselves had become “super apps.” Rather than slowly declining, Kavin made the strategic decision to pivot to Rush Gaming Universe, focusing on gaming and Web3.