Faisal Farooqui

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Faisal Farooqui
Born1976 or 1977
Mumbai, Maharashtra
EducationBachelor of Science
Alma materState University of New York at Binghamton
OccupationBusinessman
Investor
Founder & CEO of Mouthshut.com
AwardsYoung Leaders by British High Commission

Faisal Farooqui is an Indian technology entrepreneur, investor, and digital rights activist. He is the founder and CEO of MouthShut.com, a consumer review and ratings platform established in 2000.[1][2] Known for building early large-scale systems for user-generated content in India, his work emphasizes data privacy, encryption, and scalable infrastructure. He co-founded Zarca Interactive, the parent company of Sogolytics and K12Insight[3] and was an early investor in the agritech platform DeHaat.[4]

Farooqui was a lead petitioner in the 2015 Supreme Court of India case that resulted in the striking down of Section 66A of the Information Technology Act.[5][3] In 2022, he authored In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar, a memoir detailing his decades-long relationship with the actor.[6]

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Faisal Farooqui was born in Mumbai, India, as the youngest of ten children to Idris Farooqui and Tahera Farooqui.[7] His father, originally a farmer, came from a land-owning family whose ancestors had rebelled against British colonial rule in 1857. He later established bakeries in Mumbai, expanding the traditional joint family business.[8][9] Farooqui attended St. Stanislaus High School in Bandra and completed his higher secondary education at Jai Hind College, Mumbai.[10] He later moved to the United States, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Information Systems and Finance from the State University of New York at Binghamton.[8][7]

During his time at university, he was elected to the Faculty Senate Committee and student government, and served as technology editor of the campus newspaper, Pipe Dream.[7] Farooqui developed an interest in computing during his school years. In 1988, he encountered a computerized railway reservation system at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, which encouraged him to explore programming. He began experimenting with BASIC on a Casio SF-3500 digital diary, later gained access to an IBM-compatible PC at school, and worked with database tools such as dBASE IV while developing a system to manage surgical records for a family member. He worked on MS-DOS and Unix environments and learned COBOL and other early programming languages.[7][8][11]

Career[edit | edit source]

Farooqui began his career as a telecommunications consultant at American Management Systems in the U.S.[10] In 2000, he returned to India to found MouthShut.com with approximately ₹1.2 million in seed capital.[1] To manage costs during the dot-com downturn, the company avoided venture capital and used non-traditional marketing, such as advertising on auto-rickshaws. In 2001, he introduced the Dial-the-CEO feature on the platform that allowed users to connect directly with the company CEO. Similar consumer-engagement models were later adopted by other businesses.[12]

In 2007, Farooqui launched Dekhona.com, a localized video platform. The standalone service was later discontinued due to operational costs, and its underlying technology was integrated into MouthShut to support video-based reviews. In 2011, he beta-launched Dealface.com, an SMS-based coupon service for local businesses,[13] which was subsequently merged into MouthShut.[14]

Auto rickshaw advertising[edit | edit source]

Farooqui is often credited with pioneering of auto-rickshaw advertising in India.[15][16] Starting in 2001, he negotiated directly with drivers to paint the MouthShut.com URL on vehicle hoods as a low-cost alternative to traditional media.[17][18] The campaign expanded from Mumbai to Bangalore and Delhi in 2006.[19] According to the Hindustan Times, the visibility of these ads contributed to the wider adoption of transit media by larger Indian corporations by 2007.[18]

Other ventures[edit | edit source]

In 2003, Farooqui co-founded Zarca Interactive with his brothers, Suhail and Hamid. The company provided enterprise feedback and customer-experience solutions. Its products and operations later expanded through subsidieries Sogolytics and K12Insight, where Farooqui serves as a board member.[3]

Legal activism and public policy[edit | edit source]

Farooqui has been active in public policy discussions regarding digital rights and intermediary liability in India.

Section 66A and IT Rules[edit | edit source]

In 2013, Farooqui and MouthShut.com filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India challenging provisions of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2011.[20] The petition argued that the rules required intermediaries to assess the legality of user-generated content without judicial oversight, which, according to the petitioners, led to excessive content removal.[21] The filing cited multiple takedown requests and legal notices received by the platform, including claims from private entities seeking the removal of negative reviews.[22]

The petition was heard alongside other challenges to Section 66A of the Information Technology Act.[23] In March 2015, the Supreme Court of India struck down Section 66A as unconstitutional, holding that it violated the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a).[24] The court also clarified the conditions under which intermediaries are required to remove online content, limiting such obligations to cases involving court orders or government notifications.[1]

Net Neutrality and IST Reform[edit | edit source]

During the 2015 national debate on net neutrality, Farooqui publicly supported the principle of non-discriminatory data access. He has also been associated with Project MoreSunlight,[25] which advocates advancing Indian Standard Time by 30 minutes to GMT +06:00 to improve energy efficiency.[26][27]

Community initiatives[edit | edit source]

In 2017, Farooqui co-founded the Save Joggers Park campaign, which opposed the redevelopment of a public green space in Bandra, Mumbai. He has also served as visiting faculty at institutions including the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Jamia Millia Islamia.[28]

Association with Dilip Kumar[edit | edit source]

Farooqui maintained a long-standing friendship with the actor Dilip Kumar, originating from decades-long association between their families.[29] He managed the actor's official social-media presence, including his Twitter handle launched in 2011, and has served as a spokesperson for the family. Farooqui has described Kumar as a mentor and father figure.[30][29][31][32] In 2022, he published a memoir about the actor titled In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar, which focuses on the actor's private life and personal principles.[33]

Controversies[edit | edit source]

Pune-based Kumar builders sent a legal notice to Faisal and MouthShut.com and demanded Rs.2000 crore damages for fake reviews appearing on MouthShut.com about them.[34][1]

Institute of Management and Technical Studies sent a legal notice to Faisal for fake review post on his website MouthShut about the institute.[35] It alleged that the reviews were intended to bring the institute's reliability down.[36]

IT Act/Section 66A[edit | edit source]

Faisal was among the lead petitioners who challenged the sections of IT Act section 66 A through a petition in the Supreme Court of India in 2013.[23] In 2015, the court struck down 66A, holding it unconstitutional and diluting many other sections.[22][24][21]

Faisal's firm MouthShut has received 790 takedown notices, 240 legal notices, and 11 court cases against it.[37][38] Hence, Farooqui and Mouthshut.com decided to challenge these notices by petitioning the Supreme Court of India to read down the Intermediary Guidelines Rules 2011.[39][40][41]

In 2014, Beam Fiber, an ISP in Hyderabad and Bangalore blocked access to Mouthshut.com.[42] Farooqui challenged this illegal block and Beam Fiber later unblocked its access with an apology.[43]

Board membership[edit | edit source]

Philanthropy[edit | edit source]

Farooqui is a founding trustee of the Tahera & Idris Farooqui Foundation, a family-run charitable organization. The foundation's initiatives focus on education, healthcare, and rural development. During the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the foundation distributed medical supplies and essential goods to underserved communities.[28]

Awards and honors[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Agarwal, Surabhi (26 March 2015). "Newsmaker: Faisal Farooqui". Business Standard. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Reddy, Sujata (1 March 2017). "Food above all! Not just meetings, Mouthshut's Faisal Farooqui pitches in at the office canteen too". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Minimising Legal Risks of Online Intermediaries while Protecting User Rights — The Centre for Internet and Society". Centre for Internet and Society (India). Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "Omnivore, AgFunder invest in agri-tech startup DeHaat". VCCircle. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  5. ↑ Das, Soma. "Section 66A of IT Act: We took up battle, big guys didn't, says MouthShut founder Faisal Farooqui". The Economic Times. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "Faisal Farooqui on his new Dilip Kumar memoir: I wanted people to know the man behind the legend - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Alumnus credits Binghamton for inspiring his award-winning review website". Alumni Connect- Binghamton University. September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "'Work for the sake of passion, not a paycheck'". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Brun pav to berry pulao: Iran's mark on Mumbai's foodscape". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Naik, Sushma (3 October 2009). "Swades, the dotcom way". Express Computer. Archived from the original on 29 October 2005. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "How early exposure to computing influenced an Indian Internet entrepreneur". The Financial Express. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  12. ↑ Krishnakumar, Aparna (20 April 2005). "Ice people: Faisal Farooqui". Business Standard India. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Mouthshut.com launches Dealface.com". Moneylife. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Shanbaug, Amit (19 December 2011). "Mouthshut.com: Building funds via feedback". The Economic Times. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  15. ↑ Vahanvaty, Insiyah. "'Work for the sake of passion, not a paycheck'". Rediff. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  16. ↑ "Chunnu, Munnu left out as autos load dotcom ads". The Economic Times. 23 March 2007. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  17. ↑ Mitra, Moinak. "Chunnu, Munnu left out as autos load dotcom ads". The Economic Times. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Your ad is on auto-pilot". Hindustan Times. 15 December 2006. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  19. ↑ Seetha. "Dotcoms discover a new marketing vehicle". DNA India. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  20. ↑ "We believe that a consumer's review is sacrosanct: MouthShut.com". Business Today. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Sriram, Jayant (24 March 2015). "SC strikes down 'draconian' Section 66A". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Das, Soma (25 March 2015). "Section 66A of IT Act: We took up battle, big guys didn't, says MouthShut founder Faisal Farooqui". The Economic Times. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Tiwary, Avinash (25 March 2015). "Section 66A of IT Act: Entire digital ecosystem will take off from here, says MouthShut founder Faisal Farooqui". The Financial Express. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Balaji, Indira (5 August 2021). "Section 66A of the IT Act is dead; punish the police who still use it". The Federal. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  25. ↑ www.ETTelecom.com. "Net neutrality: Wary of the DoT matrix - Tele-Talk by Faisal Farooqui | ET Telecom". ETTelecom.com. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  26. ↑ "Internet users represent new India with aspirations – and they want net neutrality: Faisal I Farooqui". Times of India Blog. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  27. ↑ "Nine Indian startup CEOs write to TRAI against zero-rating platforms". The Indian Express. 30 December 2015.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Attri, M. (6 December 2025). "How a Foundation Helped 1,000 Mumbai Families in 2020 — And Why It Still Matters". ABP Live. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Saira Banu was under stress after Dilip Kumar's death, spokesperson Faisal Farooqui says". The Indian Express. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  30. ↑ "Dilip Kumar admitted to hospital". The Times of India. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  31. ↑ "Dilip Kumar Death: Who is Faisal Farooqui who used to give information related to Dilip Kumar's health every moment, know what is the relationship with the actor". News NCR. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  32. ↑ "Dilip Kumar Social Media : कौन हैं फैसल फारूकी जो हर पल देते थे दिलीप कुमार की हेल्थ से जुड़ी जानकारी, जानिए क्या है एक्टर से रिश्ता". TV9 Bharatvarsh (in हिन्दी). 7 July 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  33. ↑ "'Yusuf sahab would often tell me about his fear of Dilip Kumar'". The Indian Express. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  34. ↑ Kelkar, Suhit (13 June 2013). "The Irony of a Name". Open The Magazine. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  35. ↑ Rakshit, Angshumitra C. (5 March 2014). "Louder please". Fortune India. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  36. ↑ "IMTS Institute send a Legal notice MouthShut.com for Fake Review". imtsinstitute. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  37. ↑ Datta, Saurav (18 September 2014). "This Supreme Court petition could be a big step in the fight for Internet democracy in India". Scroll.in. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  38. ↑ Agarwal, Surabhi (26 March 2015). "Newsmaker: Faisal Farooqui". Business Standard. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  39. ↑ Sen, Shreeja (30 August 2014). "SC seeks govt reply on PIL challenging powers of IT Act". mint. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  40. ↑ Pahwa, Nikhil (29 April 2013). "MouthShut Challenges IT Rules In The Supreme Court Of India". MediaNama. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  41. ↑ Tiwary, Avinash (25 March 2015). "Section 66A of IT Act: Entire digital ecosystem will take off from here, says MouthShut founder Faisal Farooqui". The Financial Express. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  42. ↑ Balanarayan, N. T. (4 February 2014). "Update: Mouthshut Blocked By Beam Fibre; Issue Escalated To TRAI And DoT". MediaNama. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  43. ↑ "Mouthshut finally unblocked, will consider legal action against ISP - Exchange4media". exchange4media. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  44. ↑ "Indian civil society to WhatsApp, Facebook: Ask users before they are added to group chats". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  45. ↑ "Governing Body | SFLC.in". sflc.in. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  46. ↑ Kanti, Anurit. "Shifting India's Time-Zone By 30 Minutes Will Have Economic, Social, Health And Environmental Benefits: Faisal Farooqui". BW Businessworld. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  47. ↑ Saraswathy, M. (11 November 2013). "Former IIT Bombay team members start angel network". Business Standard India. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  48. ↑ "TEDxSIUHinjewadi | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  49. ↑ "The First Class of the Indian Startups: The Unsung Heroes". www.startupguru.co. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  50. ↑ "Kalam Ko Salam: BJP Minority Front launches 'Dr Kalam Startup Award' to honour former President's legacy". Rising Kashmir. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  51. ↑ "Manthan Awards announced in 14 categories". afaqs!. Retrieved 24 September 2021.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

  • Farooqui, Faisal (2022). Dilip Kumar : In the Shadow of a Legend (A Biography). India: Om Books International. ISBN 978-9392834660.
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