The Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) has already commenced, and fans are relishing watching their preferred players on the field. Some enthusiasts also indulge in virtual play with their beloved teams or players via a renowned fantasy sports application named Dream11. Have you ever wondered who initiated and owns this application? This article will shed light on Harsh Jain, the co-founder, and CEO of Dream11. He is one of the wealthiest young billionaires in India.
Harsh Jain is an Indian entrepreneur who, along with his friend Bhavit Sheth, co-founded Dream11 in 2008. His app has made huge profits due to the success of the IPL and other cricket tournaments. Currently, Dream11 is valued at $8 billion (approx. Rs 65,000 crore) and has approximately 150 million active users on the platform.
Currently, Jain is serving as the CEO (Culture Enforcement Officer) of Dream11. He is the son of business magnate Anand Jain, who is well-known to Mukesh Ambani and is often regarded as the third son of Dhirubhai Ambani in India.
Harsh Jain, born in Mumbai, is a passionate follower of sports, technology, and gaming. He is a devoted supporter of Manchester United, Mumbai Indians, and the Indian Cricket Team. In 2008, when the IPL made its debut, he and his college buddy Bhavit came up with the idea to create Dream11. They struggled in the early days of the company but eventually achieved great success.
In a podcast last year, Harsh Jain stated that after 2012, he and his founding team approached nearly 150 venture capitalists for funding over two years, but they were turned down by all of them. “But each one taught us something about our business, from gross margins to lifetime value and CAC,” Harsh said. Harsh is responsible for overseeing the product, design, technology, and marketing aspects of the company, while Bhavit manages the operations.
In 2013, Harsh Jain tied the knot with Rachana Shah, a dentist. The couple was blessed with a son named Krish. As per reports, the couple purchased a luxurious duplex apartment located at Peddar Road in South Mumbai in 2021, which is estimated to be worth Rs 72 crore.
Harsh completed his schooling at Sevenoaks High School in England from 2001 to 2003. He pursued a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania (2003-2007). During this time, he joined Microsoft as a summer intern for three months. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Columbia Business School, Columbia University.
In July 2010, Harsh Jain co-founded Red Digital, a social media agency based in Mumbai. However, the company was acquired by Gozoop, a marketing agency in Mumbai, in 2013. Harsh became the President of the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports in 2017.
