'We're just building the foundation in India'

Evan Spiegel, Co-founder & CEO of social media firm Snap, talks about advertising, profitability, and the India story

- Sourav Majumdar and Krishna Gopalan

In his white Celine shoes, Evan Spiegel looks every bit the successful young entrepreneur that he is. The 33-year-old Co-founder & CEO of the $4.6-billion Snap Inc. doesn’t pull any punches. Having made a name with the multimedia messaging app, his firm is now focussing on India. On a recent visit to India, Spiegel took time out to speak to Business Today's Sourav Majumdar and Krishna Gopalan on Al, privacy, AR vs VR, and the road ahead. Edited excerpts:

Q: You are in India at a time when there is a lot of activity. Do you like what you see?

A: The Snapchat community is growing and we have over 200 million users in India. I understand that’s still a small number. So, I am excited about the opportunity and just seeing the way young people are expressing themselves through augmented reality (AR) experiences. We have connected with developers who are making so many new AR experiences. And of course, there are folks who are creating videos, sharing them with their friends, expressing themselves and communicating with Snapchat. I like the way our product is resonating here in India. It is a great honour to be here and to connect with our community.

Q: Snapchat has managed to make a mark in India. What led to its growth here?

A: We have seen Snapchat grow historically around the world. It’s always been about friends and family connecting. We know that a picture’s worth a thousand words. That means you can share what you’re doing and who you’re with visually, through Snapchat with photos and videos. That, with all the AR lenses, is really what brings people together and helps our service grow.