About: Ashish Hemrajani born on 1975 (age 43 years) is an Indian Entrepreneur and Founder of India’s No.1 online ticket booking platform BookMyShow.com for booking ticksets for movies, plays, concerts, sports games, and live events. Ashish started his professional journey after completing his MBA specializing in Marketing at Sydenham University in 1997. In 1999, he gave in to his passion for entrepreneurship and founded Bigtree Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Before founding his Company Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd, worked on a Pvt company J. Walter Thompson as client management. He is the reason we can book now reserved ticket from a mobile app without worrying or standing in a queue. At the age of 24, make his way to the theatres making a boost of the Indian film industry. Let us know his age, life journey, biography — company worth, etc.
Wiki/Biography:
The BookMyShow is a well established and trusted company name now. At the age of 43, Ashish Hemrajani is the survivor since he had founded his Company in 1999. He is the main reason behind who get away our long queue nightmare standing and enjoy movies in advance with ease. Below are some of information about his bio.
| Wiki /Bio | Details |
|---|---|
| Photo |  |
| Born/Date of Birth | 1975 |
| Age (As on 2019) | 43 Years |
| Hometown | Mumbai, India |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, Businessman |
| Years active | 1997-Present |
| Founder | BookMyShow.com |
| Current City | Juhu, Mumbai, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Height (Approx) | 1.8 m |
| Weight (Approx) | 70 Kg |
| Eye Color | Dark |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Marital Status | Married |
Education & Personal Life:
He lives in the house of Bombay in Juhu where he used to goto to the beach with family. He studied in the school name was Maneckji Cooper Education Trust. Ashish has completed his graduation from Mithibai College in Juhu. He has pursued his master(MBA) education in 1997 from the College of Commerce and Economics, Sydenham. The college was 30 KM far from his house. [1] Livemint
| Education | Details |
|---|---|
| Schooling | Maneckji Cooper Education Trust, Mumbai |
| Graduation | Mithibai College, Juhu |
| MBA | College of Commerce and Economics, Sydenham |
Ashish was born to a well-to-do family from Mumbai. From childhood, he was frank, discipline, and hardworking person. Because of this, his parents were always proud of him. Socially Ashish is an extrovert person, but he doesn’t like to share his personal life what he is doing all the time. He knows how to use time, and it’s value.
Career & Success Story of BookMyShow:
After completing Ahish’s MBA program, he started working with J.Walter Thompson company. He was account management and client management of that company. He then went to South Africa on vacation with his two friends and classmates Parikshit Dar and Rajesh Balpande. After his return, he was listening to a radio program about Rugby ticket promotion. An idea came into his mind, and at that time, he has decided to start up an online ticket booking services in India. He convinces his friends Rajesh Balpande and Parikshit Dar to join with him and quit the job to start their dream project to sell movie tickets in India.
He was just 24 years old then, and both the friends joined with him in his venture and was successful in doing so. In the year 1999, all three friends founded the company named “Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd.” The bedroom was the headquarters of the company. The company had faced many ups and downs in the middle of the time, but Ashish as CEO of the company never looked back through it. New Zealand based software company Multiplexes developed the first ticket selling software of BookMyShow. The Big Tree Pvt Limited started selling movie tickets through telephone and the Internet in 1999. [2] Wink24 News
A website was launched for the customers to book tickets for movies, events, and concernts. Since at that time there was no online payment system was not available, the tickets were delivered on nearby peoples.
Dotcom Burst, the comeback of Bigtree and Fundraising:
The Bad times of Big Tree Entertainment came in 2001. Ashish’s company was hit by the impact on website-based business globally. Because people had not used mobile and internet at that time too much. So, the number of employees was reduced to be safe from a severe financial crisis. The monetary compensation (or remuneration, personnel expenses, labor) cost also to be cut. Even in a tough time, the company is locked down, Ashish’s never changed his decision and continued his operations. He understood well that the power of the internet would come in a day and was confident that the world would take his idea.
Later, in 2007 February 21, BookMyShow.com was officially launched and expanded its operations quickly to sell tickets for movies, events, concerts, and sports were offered. Again, Ashish proved his sincere and patience through a tough time. BookMyShow also facilitated the feature to buy tickets to sports matches such as IPL, ISL, etc. Now the companies have expanded their offices into foreign countries. The BookMyShw project net worth is more than Rs.3000 crore today.
Fundraising:
The company got its first investment Rs.2.5 Crore in from J.P Morgan Chase which caused the company to grow. The company sold tickets for multiplex companies in India.
Ashish has managed to survive his company through dot-com burst in 2001 by selling the visa ticketing software and providing back-end-ticketing services to the theatres. Employees reduced from 150 to 6. He had shifted his offices and reassessed all the plans.
Finally, Good times came. The use of the debit card and credit penetration was increased, and simultaneously the growth in multiplexes flourished. Ashish and his co-mates launched BookMyShow and gave the brand a quick success taking the market by storm, by making available tickets like PVR, Cinepolis, and INOX in their portal.
Ashish foresaw the mobile consumers over computers in India hence, launched the BookMyShow mobile app. While his business was doing well, he brought on board investors like Network 18, SAIF Partners, Stripes Group, Accel Partners, etc. Currently, BookMyShow has expanded its operations to foreign countries like the United Arab Emirates(UAE), Indonesia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanks. [3] Crunchbase
In mid-July 2013, BookMyShow made a deal with PVR worth Rs.1000 crore to sell the unsold tickets online. The biggest gain from the deal was the end consumer told Ahish Hemrajani to Livemint. “All I own is your user experience. The user owns us. I am giving that extra experience in one place,” he says. The PVR added 89 cinemas in the BookMyShow platform including Cinemax India Limited (Cinemax was acquired by PVR in January 2013) with over 380 screens which already started its operation in 1500 screens. [4] Livemint
Net Worth
The company now employs over 400 people in offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai. In 2007 Network 18 Invested in the company with a certain sum. US venture capitalist Accel Partner invested $18 million in August 2012. The Company raised fund about $100 million through various investors.
The company’s net worth today is more than Rs.3000 crore.
Favorite Things/Facts:
How will he unwind?: Never miss a chance to go sailing.
Favorite song: Bob Dylan – Tambourine Man.
Social Life of Ashish Hemrajani
View Linkedin Profile: Username: ashishhemrajani
View Instagram Profile: Username: fafsters
View Twitter Profile: Username: fafsters
Ashish Hemrajani Doesn’t hold a facebook account. He had about 1500 friends on facebook. He deleted his facebook account saying that “I don’t find it necessary to tell people what I’m thinking at any point in time,” and “If you like me, don’t poke me. Don’t get on Facebook and give me a common message where I have to give you a thumbs up, “Hemrajani says. “If you don’t want to wish me on my birthday, it’s okay; no love lost. Or pick up the phone and reach out, old school. Or come to my house and have a drink with me.” [5] Economic Times
His Future Plans
Ashish Hemrajani has purchased “Green Ticket Company”. He is very confident with the company’s progress and wants to expand it. The company has issued no shares as of now. He is planning to go for an IPO soon.
References
| ↑1 | Livemint |
| ↑2 | Wink24 News |
| ↑3 | Crunchbase |
| ↑4 | Livemint |
| ↑5 | Economic Times |