Meet man, who started company after sending drunk text to boss, not from IIT, IIM, his worth is Rs...

Written By Shivam Verma | Updated: Sep 28, 2024, 10:08 PM IST

Together with his friends, he set out to build this company into a giant it is today

Ashish Hemrajani is the CEO and co-founder of BookMyShow. He launched the popular online ticketing platform in 1999. Starting as an innovative idea, BookMyShow revolutionised the way Indians book tickets for movies, concerts, and events, making it one of the country’s leading platforms.

Hemrajani began his professional journey working at J. Walter Thompson, an American advertising agency, where he handled accounts and client management. However, the spark for entrepreneurship came in an unusual way. In 1999, after a night out, Ashish sent a drunk text to his boss, sharing his idea for BookMyShow. His boss’s supportive reply—“No problem. Go for it”—gave Ashish the confidence to pursue his dream.

Ashish completed his graduation from Mithibai College, Mumbai, and later earned an MBA from Sydenham College of Economics and Commerce, Maharashtra. Together with his friends, Parikshit Dar and Rajesh Balpande, he set out to build BookMyShow into the online ticketing giant it is today.

According to Karostarup, Ashish Hemrajani’s net worth currently stands at Rs 3000 crore. However, his journey hasn’t been without challenges.

Recently, Ashish was summoned by Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) regarding allegations of black market sales of Coldplay concert tickets. The controversy began after Mumbai-based lawyer Amit Vyas accused BookMyShow of facilitating the black marketing of tickets for Coldplay’s upcoming concert at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The tickets, which went live on September 22, were sold out within minutes, leaving many fans frustrated.