Inshorts

High-Level Overview

Inshorts is a Noida-based technology company that builds mobile apps delivering news and hyperlocal updates in concise, 60-word formats or short videos, targeting busy users seeking quick, unbiased information.[1][2][3] Its core products include the flagship Inshorts app, which uses AI and human curation for personalized news feeds across categories like national, political, world, business, and sports, and the Public app, launched in 2019, which provides hyperlocal video content from over 660 districts in India to more than 100 million registered users.[2][4] Inshorts solves the problem of information overload in traditional media by distilling essentials without opinions or fluff, serving urban millennials and first-time internet users in tier 2/3 cities and rural areas, with strong growth evidenced by 10 million+ downloads, rapid user surges during the pandemic, and expansions into multiple Indian languages.[3][4]

Origin Story

Founded in 2013 by IIT Delhi alumni Azhar Iqubal, Deepit Purkayastha, and Anunay Pandey, Inshorts started as a Facebook page summarizing news articles to address the founders' frustration with lengthy, opinionated media.[2][3] The idea emerged from their own need for fact-only news amid busy lives, leading to the app's launch in April 2014, which hit 10k users within weeks.[2] Early traction came via seed funding in June 2014 from Times Internet, TBO.com, and Flipkart founders, followed by Series A in February 2015 from Tiger Global, Rebright Partners, and Flipkart founders; pivotal moments include the 2019 Public app launch, which topped Play Store's News category and scaled to 1 million+ monthly video updates from creators.[2][4]

Core Differentiators

• Bite-sized, unbiased format: Delivers news in under 60 words or short videos, focusing solely on essential facts via human curation and AI/ML for personalization, outperforming traditional aggregators.[1][3]
• Personalization and tech stack: AI engine learns user preferences for tailored feeds; innovations in ad formats, data analytics, content tagging, and cloud optimization (e.g., Google Cloud for 10% latency improvement, 15% DevOps cost reduction).[2][4]
• Hyperlocal reach: Public app covers 660+ districts with user-generated videos in local languages, serving underserved tier 2/3 and rural users with 100M+ registrations.[2][4]
• Multi-platform expansion: From English news aggregator to multilingual news and hyperlocal content, blending mobile-first UX with scalable infrastructure for global potential.[2][3]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Inshorts rides the wave of short-form content consumption and India's mobile-first digital boom, where users favor quick videos and snippets amid rising smartphone penetration in tier 2/3/rural areas.[2][4] Timing aligns with pandemic-driven demand for hyperlocal info, boosting Public 10-fold, and AI advancements enabling precise targeting in a fragmented media market.[4] Favorable forces include India's 660M+ internet users preferring vernacular content, ad revenue from innovative formats, and cloud scalability for low-latency delivery; it influences the ecosystem by empowering creators, reducing news access barriers, and pioneering AI-curated, unbiased journalism in emerging markets.[1][2][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Inshorts is poised for global expansion leveraging its Google Cloud infrastructure and AI prowess, potentially scaling hyperlocal models beyond India while deepening video and multilingual offerings.[2][4] Trends like AI-driven personalization, short-video dominance (e.g., akin to TikTok/Reels), and rising creator economies will propel growth, with ad tech and data analytics unlocking monetization. Its influence may evolve from India-centric aggregator to a global short-form info leader, sustaining momentum through unbiased, accessible content that started as a simple FB page.