ShareChat bets on homegrown AI to drive revenue, not hype: CEO Ankush Sachdeva

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the discussion predominantly revolved around sovereign computing, advanced models, and enterprise usage. However, companies in the consumer internet space, like ShareChat, demonstrated how artificial intelligence is actively transforming digital experiences on a daily basis. In an exclusive interview, ShareChat's CEO Ankush Sachdeva emphasized that the platform's investments in recommendation systems have yielded significant engagement and revenue growth, long before the generative AI trend gained traction. "Our journey began in 2018 with recommendation systems, a specialized area within AI, similar to large language models," he explained. In a competitive arena dominated by major players like Meta, Pinterest, and YouTube, ShareChat differentiates itself by developing its AI solutions in-house, rather than depending on third-party models. Sachdeva pointed out, "While many platforms utilize API calls to external models, we train our own deep learning recommendation system tailored for the Indian market, achieving this at a considerably lower cost. This is the essence of effective AI integration within our organization." Each upgrade of ShareChat's models has resulted in tangible improvements. The introduction of their first deep-learning model in 2022 led to a 40% increase in user engagement, while AI-enhanced recommendations for short video series provided an additional 50% boost. "Every new model iteration translates to significant improvements in our business metrics, which ultimately enhances our average revenue per user and drives profitability," he noted. ShareChat's strategy is deeply rooted in addressing India’s diverse linguistic landscape, a demographic often overlooked by global entities. "We cater to 15 languages. For example, if someone is searching for a traditional Bhajan in Tamil, they are more likely to find it on ShareChat rather than on Facebook," Sachdeva remarked. Rather than directly competing with WhatsApp, ShareChat leverages it as a distribution channel. Users discover content on ShareChat, share it via WhatsApp, and this virality helps the platform grow further. Moreover, Sachdeva praised government initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission, which have facilitated the integration of startups and innovators into the AI landscape. Looking to the future, Sachdeva envisions that generative AI will drastically reduce the costs of producing high-quality content, leading to personalized storytelling at scale. "With the costs of micro-dramas decreasing, we will witness the emergence of engaging, high-quality narratives that are tailored to individual preferences and languages over the next five years." Despite widespread fears about AI displacing jobs, Sachdeva remains optimistic, stating that the introduction of ‘agentic AI’ has improved operational efficiency rather than replacing personnel. "It has enhanced our processes. We don't perceive AI as a threat to employment; rather, it empowers us to progress beyond current limitations," he affirmed. He also highlighted India’s young workforce and its enthusiasm for technological advancements as key factors that will favorably position the country in the evolving AI landscape.