Start-up's flights of fancy

In August 2016, just four years after he set up Hike, Kavin Bharti Mittal walked into the hallowed unicorn club after he raised $175 million at a valuation of $1.4 billion. The response from the world was predictable: Sunil Bharti Mittal’s son who struck out on his own at the age of 23, was showered with praise in the countless “inspirational” profiles in the media and became the poster boy of the start-up world. Here was the desi David who finally was able to take on the Goliath (WhatsApp).

Unfortunately, this fairy tale couldn’t have a happy ending. Hike shut

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