Conversational AI platform Gupshup has appointed Ravi Dugar as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) as the company gears up for its next stage of global expansion. Dugar brings nearly two decades of experience in financial leadership across high-growth companies and large global businesses.
Before joining Gupshup, he held senior finance roles at Bharti Airtel and Livguard Energy Technologies. Most recently, he served as CFO at Awfis, where he played a key role in managing the company’s finance operations and preparing it for its public market debut in 2024.
Role at Gupshup
In his new position, Ravi Dugar will oversee Gupshup’s financial strategy, including long-term financial planning, capital allocation, and investor relations. He will also collaborate with the leadership team on strategic initiatives such as partnerships, investments, and acquisitions, as the company continues to expand its conversational AI platform across global markets.
About Gupshup
Founded by Beerud Sheth, Gupshup offers conversational AI solutions for marketing, commerce, and customer support. The platform serves over 50,000 businesses across 130 countries and processes more than 120 billion messages every year across multiple channels, including WhatsApp, voice, web platforms, and mobile applications.
Funding and Growth
Over the years, Gupshup has attracted significant investor interest. In April 2021, the company became a unicorn after raising $100 million from Tiger Global. Later the same year, it secured an additional $240 million in funding and expanded its capabilities through acquisitions of companies such as Knowlarity, Active.Ai, and Onedirect.
Last year, Gupshup also raised $60 million in a mix of equity and debt funding from Globespan Capital Partners.
Financial Performance and Restructuring
In FY23, Gupshup reported revenue of Rs 1,619 crore and a profit of Rs 49 crore. While the company has not yet released its FY24 and FY25 financial results, it is estimated to have closed FY24 with revenue of around $300 million (approximately Rs 2,500 crore).
In 2024, the company undertook a restructuring exercise, laying off around 300 employees as part of its efforts to improve operational efficiency and focus on profitable growth after a phase of rapid expansion.
Competitive Landscape
In India’s conversational AI and CPaaS market, Gupshup competes with platforms such as Freshchat from Freshworks, WATI, and Zoho SalesIQ by Zoho.
With the appointment of Ravi Dugar as CFO, Gupshup aims to strengthen its financial leadership as it continues to scale its conversational AI platform globally.
-By Shivani Solanki
