Fourteen years ago, fresh out of college, Varun Sheth faced a big question: how do you blend finance with real social impact? The answer came from a simple observation — crowdfunding was booming globally but hadn’t yet caught on in India.
Today, Ketto stands tall as one of India’s largest crowdfunding platforms, with 7.2 million contributors and over 300,000 fundraisers. This is a story about how a startup tapped into a social media surge, leveraged new payment tech, and built trust in a space where skepticism runs deep.
Catching the Social Media Wave at Just the Right Time
Back in 2012, social media was exploding in India. Facebook wasn’t just a place to share photos anymore — it had become a lifeline for people seeking help, from finding a liver donor to getting blood support. Varun Sheth and his co-founders saw a chance to take this grassroots trend and give it shape.
Their secret weapon? Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor, who came on board as co-founder. “In India, where trust is often in short supply, especially for something like crowdfunding, having a familiar face really made a difference,” Sheth says. Kapoor’s star power brought much-needed credibility, helping Ketto win early supporters, including other celebrities who spread the word on social media.
Those early days were tough. The team had to build the platform from scratch, test out different strategies, and figure out what actually worked — all while juggling daily challenges. It was the kind of trial-and-error grind that most startups know all too well.
How UPI Revolutionized Crowdfunding in India
One major turning point for Ketto was the arrival of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Before UPI, making online payments was a pain — failed transactions were common, and many people didn’t carry cards for instant donations. UPI flipped the script.
Suddenly, even donating as little as five rupees online was easy. “It changed everything,” Sheth notes. UPI also allowed recurring payments, meaning donors could sign up for monthly auto-debits — something rare back then, given that few had credit cards.
This breakthrough helped Ketto grow its donor base and scale faster. It’s like UPI gave crowdfunding wings, letting people chip in small amounts regularly without hassle.
Storytelling in Five Seconds: How Ketto Hooks Donors
In an attention economy where people scroll in seconds, Ketto learned to speak fast and straight to the heart. “You have five seconds to grab someone’s attention,” Sheth says. That’s why Ketto focuses almost entirely on user-generated content — real stories from real people — rather than polished ads or company narratives.
The platform acts more like a megaphone, amplifying voices instead of creating its own. This user-first approach builds authenticity and trust.
What’s more, Ketto encourages “over-sharing.” Instead of trimming campaigns down to bite-sized chunks, they ask fundraisers to share every detail they have, no matter how small or irrelevant it might seem. This transparency lets donors make their own judgments.
Sheth admits transparency isn’t black and white. “For a medical case, it’s simple — the treatment happened or it didn’t. But for causes like education, it’s much fuzzier.” Still, Ketto believes the trust built through openness takes years, maybe a decade, to fully mature.
Marketing Moves: From Social Media to WhatsApp
Ketto’s marketing has evolved with the digital landscape. It started with a broad multi-channel approach: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, email, SMS, and on-the-ground partnerships with hospitals and NGOs. But now? Algorithms are running the show.
“Big platforms know their users better than anyone,” Sheth points out. Instead of manual targeting, Ketto relies on automated ad optimization. This shift saves time and hones in on the right donors.
WhatsApp is a standout channel. It’s become a powerful business tool, and Ketto expects brands to soon operate entirely within WhatsApp, avoiding the need for separate apps. “People just don’t want to leave WhatsApp,” Sheth says.
Who’s Giving? The Geography and Demographics of Digital Philanthropy
Most of Ketto’s donations—about 80%—come from tier-one cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. This means smaller cities and towns represent a huge untapped market.
Here’s a quick snapshot of Ketto’s users:
| Metric | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Transactions from tier-1 cities | 80% |
| Male users | 60% |
| Female users | 40% |
| Users aged 18-27 | 50% |
| Users aged 27-37 | 30% |
| Users over 40 | Very low |
Interestingly, some users donate every day, rain or shine. “We have folks who wake up, donate 50 rupees, and move on with their day,” Sheth shares. This daily habit shows how giving has become part of some people’s routines.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
There’s worry about compassion fatigue — the idea that constant appeals might numb people’s generosity. But Sheth isn’t buying it. “Compassion never goes out of style. That’s what makes us human.”
Ketto offers different giving styles to keep donors engaged. Some prefer picking individual campaigns; others opt for monthly subscriptions to avoid decision fatigue but keep giving steady.
Looking forward, Sheth sees big growth potential in smaller cities. “In China, crowdfunding contributions come from over 250 cities — it’s not just big metros. India will get there too,” he says. The rise of subscription giving also points to a more predictable, sustained flow of donations.
