Hike Shuts Down After Real-Money Gaming Ban: Mittal Urges Entrepreneurs To Seek Clarity Early

Hike's CEO Kavin Bharti Mittal reflects on the company's 13-year journey, sharing valuable lessons about tech markets and regulatory risks.

Hike was launched in 2012 as a youth-focused messaging app, which rapidly grew to over 40 million users.

Source : Instagram

Hike, which was a well-known WhatsApp rival at first, later turned into a gaming platform, has now announced it will shut down operations following India’s new ban on real-money gaming (RMG). Founder Kavin Bharti Mittal, son of Airtel’s Sunil Bharti Mittal, has confirmed the closure through a September 13 blog post.  The decision comes after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which imposes a blanket ban on all real-money games in India.

Mittal said the company’s journey of 13 years has ended with hard but valuable lessons.

From Messaging Unicorn To Gaming Platform

Launched in 2012 as a youth-focused messaging app, Hike grew rapidly to over 40 million users and earned unicorn status in 2016 with backing from Tiger Global, SoftBank, and Tencent. However, it failed to overtake WhatsApp and shut down its messenger in 2021.

The company then pivoted to gaming, launching Rush in 2022, where users could play carrom, ludo, and other casual games for cash prizes. Rush gained over 10 million users and generated more than $500 million in revenue. 

Mittal admitted that RMG was never the final goat but was a way to test the market. The new Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act left no room for further growth in India.

Lessons And The Road Ahead

Mittal said Hike’s U.S. business was performing well, but in order to expand Hike globally would need too much capital and time. 

He urged future entrepreneurs to avoid winner-take-all markets, plan for new tech cycles, and seek regulatory clarity early.

“The world will eventually move toward a Nation-type model in gaming and Web3 – Company 2.0,” Mittal noted, adding that AI and energy breakthroughs could be the next big opportunities. 

Despite shutting down, he stressed that Hike’s 13-year journey leaves behind invaluable experience for the future.

Alongside Rush, the act has also forced leading RMG players like Dream11, Winzo, and Zupee to stop operations immediately.

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