Ashish Hemrajani is the founder of BookMyShow, India’s largest online ticketing platform for movies, events, sports, and entertainment. His journey is one of courage, patience, and smart decision making. Unlike many overnight success stories, his success came from years of setbacks, learning, and rebuilding.
From facing early failures to identifying opportunities in a rapidly growing internet market, Ashish transformed a simple idea into a nationwide platform that changed how millions of people experience entertainment. This is the inspiring story of how one man’s vision reshaped the entertainment industry in India.
Early Life and the Beginning of a Big Idea
Ashish grew up in Mumbai and completed his MBA from Sydenham Institute of Management. After graduation, he worked at J. Walter Thompson, one of the biggest advertising agencies in India. Life was going smoothly, but he always felt that he wanted to create something of his own.
During a backpacking trip to South Africa in 1999, he saw how people could book concert and entertainment tickets online. This idea fascinated him. At a time when India had very few internet users, Ashish decided to take the risk and start an online ticketing service.
He returned home, quit his stable job, and launched Bigtree Entertainment, the parent company of BookMyShow. From the very beginning, Ashish focused on building a business that solved a real problem—people needed a convenient way to book tickets without standing in long queues.
The Struggle to Survive After the Dot Com Crash
When Ashish began his venture, the internet industry was just developing. But things changed quickly. Between 2000 and 2001, the dot com bubble burst, causing major losses across the world. Thousands of startups closed, and investors pulled out of tech companies.
Bigtree Entertainment was also hit badly. Funding stopped, business slowed down, and survival became the only focus. Ashish had to shut down many operations. From a team of 150 people, only 6 employees remained. They moved into a much smaller office and tried to stay afloat. Most founders would have quit. But Ashish stayed patient and kept working slowly with the limited resources he had.
During this period, he focused on learning key business lessons: understanding customer behavior, building strong partnerships, and creating efficient systems. These lessons laid the foundation for BookMyShow’s future success. Failure taught him resilience, strategic thinking, and the value of persistence, lessons that no MBA course could offer.
The Rebirth of BookMyShow
By 2006, the Indian internet market began improving. More people were using the internet, mobile phones were becoming popular, and online services were growing. Everything aligned perfectly for a successful comeback.
Ashish rebranded the company and launched BookMyShow, a platform designed to simplify movie ticket booking. He focused on creating a seamless, user-friendly experience, ensuring that customers could book tickets with just a few clicks.
Earlier, people had to stand in long queues at cinemas for tickets, and popular shows often sold out quickly. BookMyShow solved this problem by showing real-time seat availability and allowing instant booking. Ashish also introduced multiple payment options, secure transactions, and easy cancellations—features that were rare at the time but built trust among users.
Rapid Growth Across India
After 2010, BookMyShow grew rapidly. Cinema chains across India partnered with the platform, and its user base multiplied. But Ashish’s vision went beyond movies, he wanted BookMyShow to be the go-to platform for concerts, sports events, and live shows.
The company began managing ticketing for major events like:
- IPL cricket matches
- Sunburn music festival
- Comedy shows
- International concerts
- Theatre and cultural performances
Ashish also prioritized reaching tier 2 and tier 3 cities. He invested in mobile apps optimized for low-speed internet and simplified user interfaces. This strategy not only increased reach but also helped promote regional cinema and events, creating a more inclusive entertainment ecosystem.
Investments That Accelerated the Journey
BookMyShow attracted several investors as it grew. In 2014, SAIF Partners invested in the company, providing resources to scale. In 2018, TPG Growth made a major investment, enabling further expansion and innovation.
These funds were used to:
- Build robust technology infrastructure
- Expand into smaller cities and towns
- Enhance customer experience with AI-based recommendations
- Introduce new event categories like stand-up comedy and workshops
- Partner with global artists and event organizers
Ashish also implemented advanced data analytics to predict ticket demand, optimize event schedules, and personalize recommendations for users. This data-driven approach became a key differentiator, helping BookMyShow anticipate trends and outperform competitors.
Innovating Through Challenges: The Pandemic Era
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused a near-total halt to entertainment events. Cinemas closed, concerts were canceled, and the industry faced massive uncertainty. For BookMyShow, this was a critical moment.
Ashish adapted quickly. BookMyShow launched online events, allowing users to attend virtual workshops, music shows, fitness classes, and educational sessions. They also introduced BookMyShow Stream, where users could rent or buy movies digitally.
During this time, Ashish’s leadership stood out. He encouraged rapid experimentation, motivated his team to innovate, and maintained focus on long-term growth. This approach not only kept the company afloat but also strengthened its reputation as a resilient and adaptive brand.
BookMyShow Today: A Complete Entertainment Brand
BookMyShow is now present in hundreds of cities and offers millions of tickets every month. It is a complete entertainment ecosystem connecting users, event organizers, cinemas, and artists.
Key strengths include:
- Partnerships with over 5000 screens across India
- Events in multiple countries
- Advanced technology and a seamless user experience
- A strong, trusted brand built over two decades
- A growing user base in tier 2 and tier 3 cities
Ashish’s commitment to promoting regional content, independent films, theatre, and cultural events has also created a platform that celebrates India’s diversity in entertainment.
Leadership Principles That Shaped Success
Ashish Hemrajani’s leadership principles were crucial to BookMyShow’s success:
- Customer-first mindset: Every innovation focused on improving user experience.
- Resilience: He treated setbacks as learning opportunities.
- Data-driven decisions: Analytics helped optimize bookings and event planning.
- Team empowerment: Ashish built a culture where employees could innovate and take ownership.
- Long-term vision: Every decision aimed to build sustainable growth, not just short-term profits.
These principles ensured that BookMyShow grew steadily, maintained trust, and adapted to changing market trends.
Major Milestones in the BookMyShow Journey
| Sr.no | Year | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1999 | Bigtree Entertainment is founded |
| 2. | 2001 | Dot com crash forces the company to downsize |
| 3. | 2006 | BookMyShow platform is launched |
| 4. | 2010 | Becomes India’s largest movie ticketing platform |
| 5. | 2014 | Crosses 1000 cinema partnerships |
| 6. | 2018 | Receives investment from TPG Growth and expands further |
| 7. | 2020 | Launches online events during the pandemic |
| 8. | 2022 | Expands deeply into tier 2 and tier 3 cities |
FAQs – (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1. Who is Ashish Hemrajani?
Ashish Hemrajani is the founder and CEO of BookMyShow, India’s leading online ticketing platform.
Q2. How did Ashish get the idea for BookMyShow?
He got the idea during a trip to South Africa, where he saw how easy it was to book tickets online.
Q3. What challenges did he face?
The dot com crash nearly destroyed the company, and they had to downsize massively. But Ashish stayed determined and rebuilt the business.
Q4. What makes BookMyShow successful today?
Great technology, strong partnerships, simple booking experience, and the ability to adapt to changing markets.
Q5. How does Ashish’s leadership style contribute to success?
He focuses on data-driven decisions, encourages innovation, prioritizes customer trust, and builds strong teams that can adapt to change.
Q6. How did BookMyShow impact regional entertainment?
By expanding into smaller towns and promoting local cinema, theatre, and cultural events, BookMyShow helped diversify India’s entertainment industry.
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Conclusion:
Ashish Hemrajani story shows that success is not about having everything figured out from the start. It is about believing in your idea, learning from failures, and adapting to change. His journey proves that with patience and innovation, one simple idea can become a national movement.
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