Kunal Shah, founder of CRED, is set to become the new global head of WhatsApp, marking one of the most prominent leadership appointments involving an Indian entrepreneur in the technology sector. Meta announced that Shah will succeed Will Cathcart, who has been leading WhatsApp since 2019. The appointment comes at a time when WhatsApp has evolved far beyond a messaging platform, with more than three billion users worldwide and expanding operations in payments, business communication, and AI-driven services. Meta believes Shah’s background as an entrepreneur and product creator makes him well suited to guide the platform through its next stage of growth.
According to Meta, Shah possesses a deep understanding of how people use WhatsApp in their everyday lives and brings an external perspective that can help shape its future. India, which is WhatsApp’s largest market, has become increasingly important for business messaging and digital payments, two areas expected to drive future expansion. Announcing the appointment, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg praised Shah’s entrepreneurial achievements, stating that he had built CRED into one of India’s most significant technology companies and possessed the builder mindset and global outlook needed to lead the world’s largest messaging service.
Meta’s Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, also welcomed Shah’s appointment, highlighting his strong product instincts and long-standing views on making technology more valuable in people’s lives. Cox described Shah as one of India’s most respected entrepreneurs and said he was excited to see him lead WhatsApp into its next phase.
Shah’s transition to Meta comes after nearly a decade of building CRED into one of India’s most recognized fintech firms. Reflecting on the company’s journey, he noted that he launched CRED in 2018 with an initial investment of $1 million of his own money. The company was founded on the idea of rewarding users for paying their credit card bills on time and eventually expanded into payments, lending, insurance, commerce, wealth management, and credit cards, serving more than 17 million members.
He said CRED recently achieved its first profitable quarter and grew from having no revenue to generating around $325 million, or roughly ₹3,200 crore, in annual revenue. The company also secured over $900 million in funding from investors, including Meta, and completed several employee stock buyback programmes.
As part of the leadership transition, Shah will step away from his operational responsibilities at CRED. Miten, who has been overseeing strategy and finance, will serve as interim CEO, while Shah will continue as a shareholder. Addressing concerns regarding user information, Shah emphasized that Meta’s investment in CRED would remain a minority stake and would not provide access to member data.
Shah stated that while WhatsApp has already achieved significant success, there remains enormous untapped potential. He expressed enthusiasm about working with Zuckerberg, Cox, and the wider Meta leadership team to guide the platform’s next chapter. He also thanked outgoing WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart for ensuring a smooth transition. During Cathcart’s tenure, WhatsApp expanded encrypted messaging to more than three billion users, introduced features such as Communities and Channels, launched new AI-powered privacy tools, and reinforced its commitment to user privacy around the world.
