When you get courage to question things, you find answers no one else has: Azhar Iqubal

Azhar Iqubal, Co-founder and Chairman of Inshorts was felicitated as the Influencer of the Year 2023 on Wednesday in Gurugram. On earning the recognition, he said, “I believe everyone’s feelings are similar when it comes to winning an award. Broadly, it feels as amazing as ever.”

The trio from Inshorts – Azhar Iqubal, Deepit Purkayastha, and Anunay Pandey have been awarded the e4m Influencer of the Year 2023 title. This prestigious honour celebrates visionaries who have transformed the industry and inspired the next level of growth through the progressive use of innovative technology.

When it comes to dealing with failures and challenges, Iqubal shared that it's an everyday routine for an entrepreneur to feel like the ship is sinking. When one does a business, it may feel like you own the world in the morning and feel like it's the end of the world by the time the sun sets.  

“A classic example would be to refer to the rollercoaster when it comes to a startup journey, some may enjoy the thrill of it and some may get scared of it. Personally, I enjoy it a lot and my confidence is anyway a little on the higher side which makes me want to try and experiment something often without being scared of the outcome,” he added.

Talking about one thing he could tell his younger self, Iqubal said, "Every individual knows their life’s context the best and they should follow their own path." There’s no harm in listening to the advice and suggestions given by others, but at the end of the day, it is best to do what one deems fit. 

It is important to filter the weightage you give to others' opinions of your own life path because they may have lived their life in a different way than yours. 

To all the budding entrepreneurs, Iqubal preached that every entrepreneur should have a very strong characteristic of curiosity. “This is not just related to business but when you hold the courage to question things in life, you find answers no one else has.” 

Post Shark Tank, Iqubal grinned and said that people have started recognising him and asking for selfies which doesn’t happen with every other businessman; moreover, the fame aspect has also positively impacted Inshorts. 

When it comes to entertainment, Iqubal enjoys love stories and still considers Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge as the best romantic film. Beyond this, he also loves 3 Idiots because it reminds him of his journey starting out as an engineer.

Iqubal is a prominent entrepreneur and co-founder of Inshorts, a popular news aggregation app that delivers news in a concise 60-word format. He began his entrepreneurial journey during his time at IIT Delhi, where he eventually dropped out to focus on his venture. In 2013, Azhar, along with his co-founders Deepit Purkayastha and Anunay Pandey, launched News in Shorts, which later became Inshorts. The platform gained significant traction for its innovative approach to news delivery, earning over 12 million active users for Inshorts and securing funding from major investors.

In addition to Inshorts, Azhar co-founded Public, a location-based social networking app aimed at connecting local communities. Public has also been highly successful, amassing over 70 million active users. Both ventures have collectively revolutionized digital content consumption in India.

Azhar’s contributions have earned him accolades such as the Forbes India 30 Under 30 and Entrepreneur of the Year (Media) by Entrepreneur India Magazine. In 2023, he joined the panel of judges on Shark Tank India to support budding startups with investments and mentorship, reflecting his commitment to fostering innovation in the Indian startup ecosystem.