Chingari, a platform that transitioned to a paid, private live streaming model in June 2023, experienced a significant 53% decrease in operating revenue in FY25. The company’s shift away from its initial short video-centric strategy led to a drop in revenue, but also a 62% reduction in losses to Rs 8.8 crore.
In the previous fiscal year, FY23, Chingari generated Rs 113 crore in revenue with a net loss of Rs 42 crore. However, the change in focus resulted in a notable decrease in operating revenue to Rs 44 crore in FY25 from Rs 92 crore in FY24.
Founded in 2018, Chingari originally operated as a TikTok-style platform before pivoting to a paid live streaming service. The platform now facilitates private one-on-one interactions between creators and users, where users can purchase virtual ‘diamonds’ for exclusive engagements. While guidelines prohibit explicit content, some observations have likened Chingari to a more limited version of OnlyFans.
Revenue analysis revealed that 28% of the total revenue, amounting to Rs 12.2 crore, came from domestic users, while the remaining 72% was derived from export revenue, totaling Rs 31.3 crore.
Despite the decline in revenue, cost management was evident as advertising and promotional expenses reduced by 46% to Rs 23.75 crore in FY25. Employee benefits expenses also decreased by 58% to Rs 13.4 crore. Information technology expenses, however, rose by 8.4% to Rs 9 crore.
Overall, the company’s expenditure dropped by 55% to Rs 52.4 crore in FY25 from Rs 116.3 crore in FY24, contributing to a narrowed loss of Rs 8.8 crore. Chingari’s evolving business model and financial performance highlight the challenges of transitioning from a free short-video platform to a paid live streaming service.
Source: Entrackr : Latest Posts