In one of the biggest moments yet for an Indian founder on the global technology stage, CRED founder Kunal Shah is set to become the global head of WhatsApp, the world's most widely used messaging app.
The appointment was announced by Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg in a social media post, alongside news that Meta is investing about $900 million, roughly Rs 8,500 crore, in Shah's Bengaluru-based fintech startup CRED.
Shah will take over from Will Cathcart, who is stepping down after seven years leading the platform and moving into a new product role within Meta.
For India's startup ecosystem, the symbolism is hard to miss.
An entrepreneur who built his company at home, rather than climbing the ranks of a Silicon Valley giant, will now run an app used by more than three billion people, with India as its single largest market.
