When Shradha Sharma began her journey, she didn’t have a roadmap — just a strong belief that every story matters, and that behind every startup is a dream worth listening to. Today, she’s the founder and CEO of YourStory, India’s largest digital media platform for startups and entrepreneurs. But her success didn’t start with headlines. It started with heart.
A Small-Town Girl with a Big-Eyed Vision
Born in Patna, Bihar, Shradha grew up in a world where ambition often collided with limitations. But even then, she was a keen observer — fascinated by people, driven by stories, and always asking questions. After graduating from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and pursuing her post-graduation at MICA Ahmedabad, she began her professional career in journalism — first at The Times of India, and later, at CNBC TV18.
There, she saw the stories that didn’t make it to the screens — stories of small-town founders, women entrepreneurs, underdog visionaries. These were the voices she wanted the world to hear.
The Leap of Faith: Starting YourStory
In 2008, Shradha took a brave step. With no investors, no team, and just her laptop, she launched YourStory from her Bangalore apartment. At a time when the startup ecosystem in India was still young, she began writing stories — one founder at a time. She would personally call, meet, and sometimes travel across states just to capture the soul of someone’s entrepreneurial journey.
She wasn’t looking for clickbait. She was looking for truth, courage, and the fire of someone trying to change the world.
Today, YourStory has published over 150,000 stories, is available in over 15 Indian languages, and reaches more than 20 million readers every month. But for Shradha, success isn’t in the numbers — it’s in the lives those stories have touched.
A Voice That Built an Ecosystem
Shradha didn’t just build a media platform. She built a movement. She believed that by telling real, raw, and hopeful stories, she could create space for more innovation, more inclusion, and more India.
She’s also been a silent force behind the rise of brands like Zomato, Swiggy, Ola, and Byju’s, many of which were first featured on YourStory before they became unicorns.
What’s Next: Future Plans
Shradha is now expanding the horizon with powerful new projects:
- YourStory Global: A platform to spotlight startups across Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, building cross-border collaborations.
- HerStory 2.0: A full-scale initiative for women entrepreneurs, offering storytelling, mentorship, and capital connections.
- AI-Powered Language Localisation: YourStory is developing tools to tell stories in 30+ regional dialects, making startup wisdom accessible to even remote corners of India.
- YourStory Studio: A creative production hub where real startup stories will become films, documentaries, and audio series for OTT platforms.
She is also exploring an entrepreneurship ed-tech platform, which will help teach startup fundamentals to high school and college students across India.
The Soul of It All
What makes Shradha Sharma different isn’t just her achievements — it’s her intent. She’s stayed grounded, humble, and deeply curious.
In her own words:
“I started with one belief — that no one is too small to dream, and no story is too ordinary to matter.”
Shradha often talks about the emotional moments — crying with founders over failed ventures, celebrating their first customer, and seeing parents finally believe in their kids’ wild ideas.
Shradha Sharma is not just telling stories — she’s listening to them. Amplifying them. And in doing so, she’s helping build a more inclusive, connected, and inspired India.For every entrepreneur who’s ever doubted themselves, Shradha is the quiet voice that says: “Your story matters.”
