The Untold Story of Vikas Goyal – Building KukuFM from Scratch
When you think of Indian startups making waves, names like Zerodha or CRED come to mind. But quietly and powerfully, Vikas Goyal has been reshaping how India consumes content — one voice at a time.
KukuFM, his brainchild, started with a simple mission: make knowledge and storytelling accessible to everyone, especially in Indian languages. Today, it’s valued at over ₹500 crore and serves millions of users monthly.
Let’s dive into the inspiring journey of a founder who didn’t chase noise — he created audio value instead.
Who Is Vikas Goyal?
Born and raised away from the usual startup hotspots, Vikas Goyal isn’t your typical founder with a flashy LinkedIn profile. He believes in focus over fame. A graduate with a solid tech and product background, Vikas saw a gap: while India has 22 official languages, most digital content is in English.
That insight sparked the beginning of KukuFM in 2018 — an audio streaming platform offering audiobooks, self-help series, career tips, and entertainment in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, and more.
“We didn’t want to be another Netflix for India. We wanted to be the audio knowledge partner for Bharat,” he once said in an interview.
What Makes KukuFM So Special?
KukuFM isn’t just another audio app. It speaks the language of aspirational India.
1. Local Language = National Impact
From UPSC tips in Hindi to bedtime stories in Marathi, KukuFM speaks to the heart of India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 audiences.
2. Paid Subscriptions That Actually Work
While most Indian startups struggle to monetize content, KukuFM cracked it with affordable plans starting at ₹99/month. Over 2 million users have paid for content — a dream number in a freemium world.
3. Creator Economy at Scale
Thousands of creators now use KukuFM to earn from audio content. This is real micro-entrepreneurship powered by voice.
Funding or Bootstrapped?
KukuFM started lean. For the first year, it grew without any major VC hype. Later, it raised funds from investors like Vertex Ventures and India Quotient, but always kept its core vision intact.
In a market chasing video, Vikas bet on voice — and won big.
What’s Next for KukuFM?
With India’s digital audio market set to cross ₹8,000 crore by 2026, KukuFM is perfectly positioned. It’s already experimenting with AI-powered content generation, regional podcast expansion, and partnerships with edtechs.
The team wants to be in every Indian’s pocket — not as an app, but as a voice they trust.
Why Founders Should Learn from Vikas Goyal
Most founders chase funding, but Vikas chased product-market fit. He:
- Solved a real pain point for a massive audience.
- Built habit-forming content through emotion and storytelling.
- Scaled with simplicity and smart pricing.
And guess what? He didn’t need Bollywood endorsements. Just clarity, consistency, and content.
Audio is the New Gold
If you’re building something in India right now, don’t ignore the vernacular internet revolution. KukuFM proves there’s gold where others haven’t looked.
At VentureLinkUp.com, we celebrate these quiet warriors — the Vikas Goyals of the world — who build ₹500+ Cr empires with nothing but an idea and sheer determination.
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