Snapdeal
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | E-commerce |
| Founded | February 4, 2010 |
| Founder | |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
Key people |
|
| Services | Online marketplace, logistics services |
| Revenue | ₹ 372 crore (FY23) |
Number of employees | 3,852 (2025) |
| Parent | AceVector Group |
| Website | www |
Snapdeal is an Indian e-commerce company headquartered in New Delhi, founded in 2010 by Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal. Initially launched as a daily deals platform, it transitioned into a marketplace model in 2011, connecting buyers with over 500,000 sellers offering products across 800+ categories, including fashion, electronics, and home goods. Snapdeal focuses on the value e-commerce segment, targeting budget-conscious consumers, particularly in non-metro regions, with 80% of its users from Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The platform serves over 100 million customers and operates under the AceVector Group. Despite facing challenges, including a failed merger with Flipkart in 2017, Snapdeal has achieved a turnaround through its "Snapdeal 2.0" strategy, reducing losses by 95% and growing revenue by 85% between 2017 and 2021.[1]
Founders & Leadership
- Kunal Bahl (CEO and Co-founder): Bahl holds a bachelor's degree from the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology at the University of Pennsylvania. Before founding Snapdeal, he worked at Microsoft and served as an Independent Director at Piramal Enterprises. He co-founded Titan Capital, a venture capital firm, in 2011 and AceVector Group in 2022. Bahl is a prominent entrepreneur, appearing as an investor on Shark Tank India Season 4 in 2025.[2]
- Rohit Bansal (COO and Co-founder): Bansal, a childhood friend of Bahl, graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. He co-founded Snapdeal and has been instrumental in its operational strategy. Bansal also co-founded Titan Capital and focuses on scaling the platform’s seller ecosystem.[3]
- Himanshu Chakrawarti (CEO, AceVector Group): Chakrawarti joined Snapdeal in 2021 and oversees the AceVector Group, including Snapdeal, Unicommerce, and Stellaro Brands. His leadership focuses on profitability and expanding the value commerce segment.[4]
Origin & Founding Story
Snapdeal was founded on 4 February 2010 by Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, childhood friends inspired by the success of Alibaba’s marketplace model in China. Initially launched as MoneySaver, an offline daily deals platform similar to Groupon, it sold 15,000 coupons in its first three months. Recognising the potential of India’s growing e-commerce sector, the founders pivoted to an online marketplace in 2011, competing with Flipkart and Amazon India. Snapdeal’s focus on value commerce, offering affordable products to budget-conscious consumers, set it apart. The company’s early success attracted investments from Nexus Venture Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners, enabling rapid expansion.[5]
Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Snapdeal founded as MoneySaver, a daily deals platform, by Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal.[5] |
| 2011 | Pivoted to an online marketplace model; received $12 million funding from Nexus Venture Partners.[6] |
| 2012 | Acquired eSportsBuy.com and launched Brand Stores for sellers.[7] |
| 2014 | Secured $647 million from SoftBank, becoming its largest shareholder.[1] |
| 2016 | Reached peak valuation of $6.5 billion; acquired 11 companies, including FreeCharge.[8] |
| 2017 | Failed merger with Flipkart; launched Snapdeal 2.0, focusing on value commerce.[9] |
| 2018 | Achieved cash-profit milestone; reduced losses by 96%.[8] |
| 2021 | Revenue grew by 74%; unique customers tripled to 27 million.[1] |
| 2022 | Formed AceVector Group; deferred $152 million IPO due to market conditions.[10] |
| 2024 | Unicommerce IPO became second most subscribed in India.[2] |
Funding
| Date | Round | Amount | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2011 | Seed | $12 million | Nexus Venture Partners, Indo-US Venture Partners[6] |
| July 2011 | Series A | $45 million | Bessemer Venture Partners, existing investors[6] |
| 2011 | Series B | $50 million | eBay, existing investors[6] |
| February 2014 | Series C | $133 million | eBay, Kalaari Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Intel Capital, Saama Capital[6] |
| March 2014 | Series D | $105 million | BlackRock, Temasek Holdings, PremjiInvest, others[6] |
| October 2014 | Series E | $647 million | SoftBank[6] |
| August 2015 | Series F | $500 million | Alibaba Group, Foxconn, SoftBank[6] |
| February 2016 | Series G | $200 million | Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Brother Fortune Apparel[6] |
| May 2017 | Series Unknown | ₹113 crore | Nexus Venture Partners[6] |
Business Model
Snapdeal operates a marketplace model, connecting over 500,000 sellers with buyers across India without holding inventory or owning warehouses. It facilitates transactions by managing payments and delivery processes. The platform targets value-conscious consumers, particularly in non-metro areas, offering affordable products in categories like fashion, electronics, and home goods. Revenue is generated through commission fees (varying by product category), listing fees, advertising fees for promoted products, and logistics services via its former arm, Vulcan Express. Snapdeal also earns from value-added services like packaging and customer support, as well as digital services such as online recharges and ticket bookings. Its focus on Tier-II and Tier-III cities, where 80% of its users reside, leverages regional language support and a user-friendly interface to drive engagement.[11]
Products / Services
- Online Marketplace: Offers over 35 million products across 800+ categories, including mobile phones, apparel, electronics, home appliances, and groceries, from over 125,000 regional and international brands.[11]
- Brand Stores: Dedicated pages for brands to customize product displays and promotions, launched in 2012.[7]
- Logistics Support: Provides delivery and logistical services to sellers, previously through Vulcan Express.[11]
- Digital Services: Includes online recharges, bill payments, and flight/bus ticket bookings.[11]
- Stellaro Brands: A subsidiary creating value-focused private labels for sale across platforms, targeting products under ₹1,000.[4]
Growth & Metrics
Snapdeal serves over 100 million customers, with 80% from non-metro areas, covering 97% of India’s pin codes.[3] Between 2017 and 2021, its revenue grew by 74%, peaking at ₹563 crore in FY22, while losses decreased by 95%.[1] In FY23, operating revenue dropped to ₹372 crore, with a net loss of ₹282 crore.[2] The platform has 27 million unique customers and 70 million monthly unique users as of 2019.[8] Snapdeal employs 3,852 people as of 2025.[12] Its focus on value commerce has driven partnerships with brands like Godrej and Himalaya.[4]
Legal Entity Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Legal Name | Jasper Infotech Private Limited |
| Foundation Date | 4 February 2010 |
| Registrar of Companies (ROC) | ROC Delhi |
| Corporate Identification Number (CIN) | U72200DL2010PTC198892 |
| Registered Address | 246, First Floor, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi, Delhi 110020, India |
| Email ID | info@snapdeal.com |
| Company Status | Active |
| Directors | Kunal Bahl, Rohit Bansal |
| Authorized Share Capital | ₹10 crore |
| Paid-up Capital | ₹5 crore |
Acquisitions and Investments
Snapdeal has made 15 acquisitions, including:
- Grabbon.com (June 2010): A Bengaluru-based group buying website.[6]
- eSportsBuy.com (April 2012): A Delhi-based online sports goods retailer.[6]
- Shopo.in (2013): A customer-to-customer e-commerce platform.[6]
- FreeCharge (2015): A digital payments platform, sold in 2017.[8]
- Unicommerce (2015): An e-commerce enablement SaaS platform, part of AceVector Group.[8]
Snapdeal has made six investments, including in Betafi (November 2022).[12]
Media & Public Recognition
- E-Commerce Legal Team of the Year (2019): Awarded by Legal Era at the Indian Legal Awards.[2]
- E-Best Employee Engagement (2019): Recognised at the Employee Engagement Leadership Awards for B2B/B2C sectors.[2]
- Golden Peacock Award for Innovative Product/Service (2015): Honoured for innovation.[2]
- International Service Excellence Award (2015): Awarded by CSIA.[2]
- Best Company to Work For in Retail (2015): Recognised by the Retailers Association of India.[2]
- Star Retailer Award (2014): For Retail Campaign of the Year.[2]
Snapdeal faced public controversies, including backlash over its association with Aamir Khan in 2015 and confusion with Snapchat in 2017.[5]
FAQs
- What is Snapdeal’s primary focus?
- Snapdeal focuses on value e-commerce, offering affordable products to budget-conscious consumers, primarily in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.[3]
- How does Snapdeal generate revenue?
- Snapdeal earns through commission fees, listing fees, advertising, logistics services, and digital services like recharges and ticket bookings.[11]
- Who are Snapdeal’s main competitors?
- Snapdeal competes with Flipkart, Amazon India, and Meesho in the Indian e-commerce market.[12]
- What is Snapdeal 2.0?
- Snapdeal 2.0, launched in 2017, focuses on a lean, asset-light marketplace model targeting value commerce and non-metro customers.[9]
External Links
Related Startups
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Sharma, Samarth (12 November 2020). "How Snapdeal Is Turning Around Its Fortune". Forbes India. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Snapdeal: Streamlining Ecommerce with Focus on Growth and Efficiency". StartupTalky. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "About Us: Snapdeal.com - India's Largest Online Marketplace". Snapdeal. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sharma, Anjali (31 January 2023). "How Snapdeal Is Creating Focused Brands to Capture Value E-commerce Segment". Business Standard. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Everything You Wanted to Know About India's Largest Online Marketplace – Snapdeal!". TechStory. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 "Snapdeal - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding". Crunchbase. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Snapdeal - Business Model Exemplar". Business Model Zoo. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 "Snapdeal India's Inside Story from Unicorn to Zero to Hero". ET Edge Insights. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Singh, Rajiv (22 December 2023). "Will Snapdeal, a Veteran of Multiple Pivots, Finally Get It Right by Focussing on Value Commerce?". Business Today. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Snapdeal Cancels $152 Million IPO Amid Tech Stock Rout". Reuters. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "What is Snapdeal's Business Model?". Vizologi. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Snapdeal 2025 Company Profile: Valuation, Funding & Investors". PitchBook. Retrieved 26 May 2025.