Meesho's CEO: AI to Bridge Online–Offline Shopping Divide
Vidit Aatrey, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Meesho, expressed that artificial intelligence is poised to have a significant impact on India's digital commerce landscape by facilitating the convergence of online and offline shopping experiences.
Addressing the audience at the Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 event, Aatrey expressed enthusiasm for the potential of artificial intelligence, particularly in enhancing the accessibility of online commerce.
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He pointed out a distinct disparity between online and in-person shopping, emphasizing that Meesho has implemented a voice assistant feature enabling customers to engage in their preferred languages.
He stated that the divide observed ten years ago is gradually diminishing with advancements in AI technology enhancing user accessibility.
Aatrey expressed that artificial intelligence has the potential to greatly enhance the digital market in India by streamlining user engagements and minimizing obstacles for novice online consumers. He further noted that through automation and enhanced understanding of customer behaviors, there is a possibility to improve revenue generation and overall profitability in the long run.
He restated the overarching goal of the company by stating, "Our objective is to democratize online commerce for all individuals, both customers and businesses," emphasizing Meesho's dedication to inclusivity and expansion.
Meesho experienced a significant increase in losses in the third quarter of the financial year 2026 due to increased spending on advertising and acquiring new users to attract the upcoming wave of online shoppers.
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As per official filings, the company, which is backed by SoftBank, reported a net loss of Rs 490.7 crore in Q3 FY26, marking a substantial 1,224 percent rise from the loss of Rs 37.4 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Furthermore, the losses also saw an increase from Rs 411.4 crore in the quarter preceding the current one.
Meesho recently released its financial performance for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 following its listing on Indian stock exchanges in the preceding month. The company experienced a 31 percent growth in revenue in Q3, however, it also reported losses approaching the Rs 500 crore milestone during the same period.
According to the financial statement obtained from the NSE, the company's operational revenue rose from Rs 2,679 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year to Rs 3,517.5 crore in Q3 FY26. An additional Rs 78.5 crore in miscellaneous income bolstered the company's total revenue to Rs 3,596 crore for the quarter.
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Conversely, over the nine-month period up to December 2025, the company's revenue surged by 30 percent to Rs 9,095 crore from Rs 6,990 crore in the previous year. Meesho failed to provide a detailed breakdown of its expenses, although there was a 20 percent increase in employee benefit expenses, amounting to Rs 235 crore in Q3 FY26 compared to Rs 195 crore in Q3 FY25.
Depreciation expenses for the quarter totaled Rs 11 crore. In total, the company's expenses surged by 44 percent, reaching Rs 4,071 crore in Q3 FY26 from Rs 2,823 crore in Q3 FY25.