When it comes to India’s global success stories in tech, few names stand as tall as Naveen Tewari. As the founder and CEO of InMobi, Tewari’s pioneering work has redefined mobile advertising and helped put India on the global map for ad-tech innovation. From a modest beginning as a mobile search startup to becoming India’s first unicorn, InMobi’s ascent mirrors Tewari’s relentless drive to challenge global incumbents and build category-defining ventures.

IIT to InMobi: An Entrepreneur is Born

Tewari’s journey began in Kanpur, where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. His academic brilliance took him to Harvard Business School, where he secured a scholarship and refined his entrepreneurial mindset. Stints at McKinsey & Company and venture capital firm Charles River Ventures gave him early exposure to strategy, business scaling, and the global startup playbook.

But in 2007, armed with ambition and insight into the rising mobile economy, Tewari returned to India and co-founded mKhoj, a mobile search and discovery platform. A timely pivot to mobile advertising marked the beginning of what the world would come to know as InMobi.

Building InMobi: India’s First Unicorn

The rebranded InMobi focused on mobile advertising at a time when smartphones were just entering the mainstream in emerging markets. Tewari and his co-founders saw an opportunity to build a homegrown alternative to tech giants like Google and Facebook. Their strategy: deliver data-driven, localized ad experiences tailored to users across geographies.

In 2011, InMobi made history by becoming India’s first unicorn, following a $200 million investment from SoftBank. With a presence in over 60 countries, the company established itself as a leading mobile ad platform and advertising technology powerhouse. Under Tewari’s leadership, InMobi pioneered programmatic ad solutions, on-device monetization, and contextual ad targeting well ahead of industry norms.

Diversification: Glance, TruFactor and the Vision Beyond Ads

Never one to rest on laurels, Tewari expanded InMobi’s horizons beyond advertising. He co-founded Glance, a content discovery platform that surfaces AI-curated content directly on users’ smartphone lock screens. With backing from Google and Jio Platforms, Glance is now one of Asia’s most downloaded consumer platforms, used by millions daily.

Tewari also launched TruFactor, an AI-driven data intelligence platform designed to help businesses make ethical, privacy-safe decisions based on real-world data. By branching into content and data, Tewari has shown how Indian entrepreneurs can create holistic tech ecosystems, not just single-product companies.

Challenges, Competition and Entrepreneurial Grit

The journey, however, hasn’t been without friction. Tewari has faced fierce competition from global tech giants with significantly deeper pockets. Adapting to changing regulations on data privacy, ad tracking, and app store policies has required nimble strategy and product innovation.

Despite challenges, InMobi has remained resilient through multiple economic cycles. It has transitioned from an ad network to a full-stack AI-driven monetization and engagement platform—thanks in large part to Tewari’s foresight and his ability to lead teams through ambiguity and scale.

A Mentor to India’s Next-Gen Entrepreneurs

Beyond building companies, Tewari has committed himself to mentorship and investing in India’s startup ecosystem. He actively supports early-stage founders and has invested in several startups spanning AI, health tech, mobility, and SaaS.

His broader goal? To help India create not just tech-enabled startups, but truly global tech brands that are born in India and built for the world.

Recognition and Impact

Tewari’s impact has been widely recognized:

• Fortune 40 Under 40
• Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum
• Named among the most influential figures in Indian technology and mobile marketing

He has also spoken at international forums including the Mobile World Congress, Global Entrepreneurship Summit, and TEDx.

What’s Next: InMobi in the AI Era

As AI reshapes digital interaction, Tewari is leading InMobi’s evolution into an AI-first technology platform. The focus is on real-time personalization, predictive analytics, and generative content—all while championing user privacy and ethical AI practices.

With upcoming plans to expand Glance into the U.S. and Latin America and broaden InMobi’s enterprise partnerships, the next chapter in Tewari’s playbook is already underway.

Conclusion

Naveen Tewari’s story is more than a tale of startup success. It’s a blueprint for bold innovation from emerging markets, a case study in resilience, and a shining example of how Indian founders can shape the global tech narrative.

With InMobi, Glance, and TruFactor, Tewari is not just disrupting industries—he’s building platforms that define the future of mobile, data, and digital interaction.