India’s diverse linguistic and cultural landscape has become a favorite theme among entrepreneurs in the regional language internet ecosystem. Despite higher internet penetration in small-town India, habits change slowly, making it a unique proposition for startups like Bengaluru-based Lokal to disrupt traditional regional language mainstream media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lokal takes a hyperlocal approach, targeting users rooted to their locations. According to Pasha, Lokal’s co-founder, more than 80% of its users don’t travel to other parts of the state or adjacent districts, and over 90% of their consumption occurs locally. Founded in 2018 by Jani Pasha and Vipul Chaudhary, Lokal aggregates district-level hyperlocal information, user-generated content, and SMB ads, offering district-level news, jobs, classifieds, matrimonial ads, weather updates, and contact information of local authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lokal’s success is evident with over 40 million downloads, even without an iOS app. To reach over 150 million users within two years, Lokal secured INR 120 Crore ($15 million) in Series B funding from investors like Global Brain and Sony Innovation Fund, along with existing investors like India Quotient. The total funding raised now amounts to INR 225 Crore (~$27 million). The focus is on expanding the user base in existing districts and launching new categories and product capabilities, including AI-powered moderation and personalized content recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n