The success story of Azhar Iqubal has become one of the most inspiring startup journeys in India. He is the cofounder of Inshorts, the popular news app that delivers important updates in just 60 words. He later built Public App, a hyperlocal social platform that keeps millions of people informed about what is happening in their own city, town, or neighborhood.

Azhar’s journey shows what happens when you combine a simple idea, user focused thinking, and fearless execution. His rise from a student in IIT Delhi to the founder of two powerful digital platforms proves that entrepreneurship is not limited by age, background, or traditional expectations.

This in depth article explores his early life, the birth of his ideas, challenges faced, the growth of his companies, and the lessons entrepreneurs can learn from his story.

Early Life and Education

Azhar Iqubal was born and raised in Bihar in a family that valued discipline and education. He grew up with a strong interest in technology and problem solving. Like many ambitious Indian students, he aimed to get into the Indian Institutes of Technology. After years of preparation and effort, he secured admission into IIT Delhi, one of the top engineering colleges in the country.

IIT Delhi played an important role in shaping his entrepreneurial thinking. The campus environment exposed him to new technologies, startup culture, student discussions, and a wide range of ideas. Instead of simply following a regular academic routine, Azhar often found himself thinking about real world problems and how technology could solve them.

During his time in college, he built a strong network of friends, some of whom later became his cofounders. Little did he know that a simple observation during his college life would soon lead to a major innovation in digital news consumption.

How the Idea Was Born

While studying at IIT Delhi, Azhar noticed a common problem among students. Many of his friends wanted to stay updated with news but did not have time to read long articles. Busy schedules, assignments, and internships made it difficult for students to follow newspapers or full length news reports.

At the same time, smartphone usage was increasing and people were developing the habit of consuming information in short formats. Social media had already changed attention spans. This gap between long news articles and short attention spans sparked an idea.

Azhar discussed this problem with his college friends Deepit Purkayastha and Anunay Pandey. Together, they decided to experiment with a new format. They created a Facebook page called News In Shorts, where they posted summaries of important news stories in exactly 60 words. The idea was simple and easy for users to consume.

The response was instant. The page grew rapidly as students shared the short updates with their friends. The trio realized they were solving a real problem. Within a few months, they had thousands of followers and a growing readership.

This simple Facebook page became the foundation for one of India’s most successful news apps.

The Life Changing Decision: Dropping Out of IIT

As the Facebook page continued to grow, the founders faced a turning point. Managing the page along with academic responsibilities became difficult. There was also pressure from college, family, and society to focus on studies.

However, Azhar believed the idea had genuine potential. After a lot of thinking, he decided to drop out of IIT Delhi to focus fully on building the platform. It was a bold and risky move. Most people dream of getting into IIT, but Azhar chose to walk a different path.

His decision turned out to be one of the most impactful choices of his life. With full focus on the product, Azhar and his team were able to improve the idea and work towards building a complete mobile app.

Launching the Inshorts App

In 2015, they launched the Inshorts mobile app. The app provided a smooth, clean, and distraction free experience. Instead of long articles, each news update was explained in a short summary. Users could swipe up to explore more stories. The interface was fast, modern, and designed for mobile first readers.

Why people loved Inshorts

It saved time
It avoided unnecessary details
It provided verified and curated news
It used a simple interface
It matched the reading habits of young India

Inshorts quickly gained popularity among students, professionals, and daily commuters. It introduced a whole new format of news consumption that connected deeply with the new generation.

Funding and Scaling the Business

With millions of users joining the platform, Inshorts attracted the attention of major investors. The company raised funding from:

Tiger Global
Times Internet
Snapdeal founders
Other well known investors

This funding helped the team grow their editorial operations, improve technology, hire developers, expand categories, and build a strong backend system.

Inshorts also experimented with different revenue models. Eventually, it focused on advertisements, brand partnerships, and native promotions. The team took care to keep ads relevant and non intrusive, maintaining the smooth reading experience that users loved.

Over the years, Inshorts grew into a major digital media company. It became trusted for quick news updates and accurate summaries. Many people replaced their long morning news routine with a few minutes of scrolling through Inshorts.

Creating Public App: A New Vision

After establishing Inshorts, Azhar wanted to solve another large scale problem. While national and global news was easily available, people lacked a platform that could give them fast and verified information about their local area.

This led to the creation of Public App in 2019. It was designed as a location based social platform where people could share local news, issues, events, and alerts. Users could see what was happening around them in real time.

Public App became a hit because it offered something unique:

Real time videos from local areas
Alerts on accidents, traffic, weather, and community issues
Local political updates
City level news shared by real people

Within a short time, Public App became one of India’s fastest growing social media platforms. It was used by local authorities, politicians, journalists, influencers, and general users. The platform gave a voice to small towns and rural areas where digital communication was limited.

Major Challenges Faced

Azhar’s journey was not easy. He faced several challenges, including:

1. Competition from large media companies

Big news platforms were already established, so standing out required smart strategy and consistent quality.

2. Building user trust

Summaries needed to be accurate, balanced, and neutral. This required a strong editorial system.

3. Revenue generation

Finding the right advertising balance took time. They had to ensure ads did not disturb the user experience.

4. Technology challenges

Scaling an app that serves millions of users requires continuous improvements, bug fixes, and server upgrades.

5. Expanding content operations

Hiring and training editorial teams for fast news summaries was a major responsibility.

Despite these challenges, Azhar and his team continued to improve the product, listen to user feedback, and innovate with new features.

Leadership Style

Azhar is known for his calm personality and practical decision making. He believes in keeping products simple and focusing on user needs. His leadership style includes:

Giving young talent opportunities
Encouraging fast execution
Focusing on data and user behavior
Staying humble and grounded
Taking long term decisions instead of quick wins

He continues to inspire thousands of students and young entrepreneurs who dream of building something impactful.

Achievements and Recognitions

Azhar’s work has been recognized widely. He has received:

Forbes India 30 Under 30
Fortune India 40 Under 40
Business World Young Entrepreneur Award
Multiple startup and innovation awards

These awards reflect the huge impact he has made on India’s digital ecosystem.

Table: Quick Overview of Azhar Iqubal’s Journey

Stage	Key Highlights
Early Life	Grew up in Bihar with strong interest in academics
Education	Joined IIT Delhi
Idea Stage	Created News In Shorts Facebook page
Turning Point	Dropped out to build the startup
App Launch	Launched Inshorts app in 2015
Growth	Gained millions of users and attracted investors
New Venture	Launched Public App
Recognition	Received multiple national awards

FAQ’s – (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1. Who is Azhar Iqubal?
He is an Indian entrepreneur best known as the cofounder of Inshorts and the founder of Public App.

Q2. How did Inshorts start?
It started as a Facebook page where news was summarized into short 60 word updates.

Q3. Did Azhar drop out of IIT?
Yes, he dropped out of IIT Delhi to focus on building Inshorts.

Q4. What is Public App?
It is a hyperlocal social platform where people share news and updates from their local area.

Q5. What awards has he won?
He has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, Fortune 40 Under 40, and other major lists.

Q6. What is his estimated net worth?
His net worth is in the multimillion range based on startup valuations and investments.

Q7. Why is his story inspiring?
Because he proved that simple ideas, when executed well, can become powerful digital platforms.

Conclusion:

The success story of Azhar Iqubal reminds us that innovation does not always require complicated technology or large resources. Sometimes, it begins with a simple idea that solves a daily problem. From a small Facebook page to creating two of India’s most influential digital platforms, his journey shows the power of vision, timing, and determination.

His story continues to inspire young entrepreneurs who want to build something meaningful and create a real impact in the digital world.