Gaurav Jain, the Chief Business Officer (CBO) of homegrown social media platform ShareChat and its short-video app Moj, has announced his decision to step down from his role. The news, initially shared internally by ShareChat CEO Ankush Sachdeva, was subsequently confirmed by Jain in a LinkedIn post, bringing an end to a significant tenure focused on spearheading monetization strategies for the “Bharat” audience.
Jain, who joined ShareChat in October 2022 as Head of Emerging Business and was elevated to CBO in November 2023, played a pivotal role in shaping the business and revenue models for both platforms. His responsibilities included driving ad sales, fostering creator partnerships, and managing virtual gifting, all with a strong emphasis on engaging users from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities through vernacular content. Under his leadership, Moj and ShareChat have been actively working towards achieving profitability, leveraging influencer marketing and micro-transactions as key revenue drivers.
In his reflective LinkedIn post, Jain described his three years at ShareChat as “some of the most professionally rewarding and demanding of my career.” He expressed gratitude to his team, partners, and CEO Sachdeva, stating, “Working with someone so sharp yet grounded will always remain one of the highlights of my time here.”
While Jain did not disclose his next destination, he hinted at a broader regional opportunity, stating, “As for what’s next— I’m going from Bharat to Pan-Asian. More on that soon.” This suggests a move to a leadership role with a wider geographical scope across Asia, leveraging his extensive experience in monetizing digital platforms across India and the APAC region.
Before his stint at ShareChat, Jain held significant leadership positions at global tech giants. He served as Head of APAC Business Expansion at Snap Inc., where he was responsible for Snapchat’s monetization in India and emerging APAC markets. His career also includes impactful roles at Meta India (leading its Mid-Market Business) and Google APAC (Regional Agency Lead).
ShareChat CEO Ankush Sachdeva acknowledged Jain’s contributions, stating internally that “Gaurav has played a pivotal role in shaping our Ad Sales and B2B Marketing teams. His steady leadership and thoughtful approach has helped us navigate some tough periods and drive progress.”
According to sources, Jain will remain with the company for a few more weeks to ensure a smooth transition. ShareChat is reportedly actively searching for his successor. This departure follows other high-profile exits at Mohalla Tech (ShareChat’s parent company), including co-founders Bhanu Pratap Singh and Farid Ahsan in 2023, who continue to serve on the board. In the interim, ShareChat’s Chief Financial Officer and recently elevated Co-founder, Manohar Charan, is reportedly stepping in to oversee business operations during the transition period.
Key Highlights:
- Gaurav Jain has stepped down as Chief Business Officer of ShareChat and Moj after a three-year tenure, having joined in October 2022 and promoted to CBO in November 2023.
- He was instrumental in shaping monetization strategies, ad sales, creator partnerships, and virtual gifting, focusing on the “Bharat” audience and driving the platforms towards profitability.
- Jain hinted at his next move being a “Pan-Asian” role, leveraging his prior experience at Snap, Meta, and Google in the APAC region.
- ShareChat is actively searching for his successor, with CFO Manohar Charan reportedly overseeing business operations during the transition.