It’s been 10 years since hashtags were first introduced to the world! Although the symbol ‘#’ has been around since maybe the invention of the keyboard itself, the use of the character to join a conversation on social media is now 10 years old.
Born only a decade ago, an average of 125 million hashtags are now shared on Twitter every single day. First invented by Chris Messina, a Google engineer at the time, hashtags were meant to be the pointy prefix to a word at the end of a message. The idea was to use hashtags as a handy way of separating messages into easily searchable terms for groups, themes or topics. While a similar concept existed in chatrooms, he was the first one to consider using the character on the powerful and scalable social media platforms. He brought a group together using the hashtag #barcamp.
how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?
The most used hashtag in 2007 was used around 9000 times whereas the most used hashtag in 2017 so far has been used over 300 million times. Ever since its humble start on Twitter, it has also been ever present on Facebook and its absence would make Instagram all but unusable.
The term hashtag was coined by blogger Stowe Boyd, three days after Messina’s message, who found it a perfect distillation of his own idea of “groupings” or “ad hoc assemblages of people sharing a common interest implied by a tag.” Interestingly, the hashtag was not ‘invented’ for Twitter but for the Internet in general. Slowly, the world caught on to the idea of grouping and the first big hashtag campaign was started in October that year. Following a fire that had broken out in California, Nate Ridder tried to collect reports regarding the fire using the hashtag #sandiegofire which allowed many people to understand the utility of the slanted grid.
To celebrate 10 glorious years of hashtag’s uniting people all over the world, let’s take a look at what are some of the most used hashtags.
The most tweeted television show of all times is not Game of Thrones but #TheWalkingDead, while the most tweeted about the movie is #StarWars.
The first international movement mobilized on Twitter to bring people together to work towards creating a fairer society for black people was the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
The color of a dress was turned into a huge scientific experiment about how humans see color. The color of #TheDress still is a huge debate. It all started with a photo of a dress and whether it was black and blue or white and gold.
A United Nations Women’s Campaign for gender equality was started in 2014 with the aim to inspire men to understand and end inequalities experienced by women. #HeForShe turned into a platform for people to express their own battles with gender inequality in everyday life and campaign for change.
In 2017, one of the most popular hashtags was started by Carter Wilkerson in an attempt to get free chicken nuggets from Wendys. #nuggsforcarter beat Ellen Degeneres’ Oscar selfie with 3.42 million retweets!
PhonePe’s PINCODE app has launched a 24×7 online medicine delivery service in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Pune, promising delivery of both prescription and over-the-counter medicines within 10 minutes from nearby local medical shops. Unlike conventional e-pharmacies that use dark stores, PINCODE partners exclusively with neighborhood pharmacies, enabling faster deliveries and supporting local businesses in the digital economy.
Customers without prescriptions can select a “no prescription” option when ordering; a qualified doctor then provides a free teleconsultation and issues a digital prescription compliant with telemedicine guidelines, ensuring seamless access to medicines. The app offers competitive pricing by passing discounts from local pharmacies directly to customers and charges no delivery fees.
PINCODE’s hyperlocal model enhances healthcare accessibility and convenience while empowering local pharmacies, helping them remain integral to their communities and stimulating local economic growth. Launched in 2023, the app focuses on quick commerce with an emphasis on speed, reliability, and supporting local sellers.
In summary, PhonePe’s PINCODE app is transforming medicine delivery in major Indian cities by combining ultra-fast 10-minute delivery, free doctor consultations, and a hyperlocal sourcing model that benefits both consumers and neighborhood pharmacies.
Cashfree Payments has appointed Piyush Anchliya as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective April 15, 2025. Anchliya brings over 15 years of experience in investment banking, corporate finance, strategy, and mergers and acquisitions, with senior roles at Barclays, Bandhan Group, and most recently as CFO of Bandhan AMC. He holds an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and a B.Tech. from IIT Kharagpur.
In his new role, Anchliya will lead Cashfree’s financial strategy, optimize operations, and support the company’s next growth phase. He will report to CEO and Co-founder Akash Sinha, who highlighted Anchliya’s expertise as vital for sustainable scaling and strengthening the company’s financial foundation. Anchliya succeeds outgoing CFO Vikas Guru, who will assist during the transition.
Founded in 2015, Cashfree Payments processes over $80 billion annually for more than 800,000 businesses. The company recently raised $53 million in funding led by KRAFTON and Apis Growth Fund II and secured key RBI licenses, positioning it for accelerated growth in India’s fintech sector. Anchliya’s appointment comes at a pivotal time as Cashfree aims to expand its leadership in digital payments.
Jeyandran Venugopal, the outgoing Chief Product and Technology Officer of Flipkart, is set to become the CEO of Reliance Retail Ventures (RRV), the retail arm of Reliance Industries. His appointment, expected to be finalized in May after his exit from Flipkart, signals Reliance’s push to strengthen its retail business with a technology-first approach.
Venugopal brings extensive experience from leading roles at Flipkart, Myntra, Yahoo, Snapdeal, and Amazon, where he focused on scaling technology platforms and driving innovation. At Flipkart, he managed product, engineering, data science, and more, helping build robust systems and improve user experience.
His move comes as Reliance Retail undergoes transformation, including cost-cutting and a renewed focus on digital growth. Venugopal’s leadership is expected to accelerate Reliance’s ambitions in omnichannel and tech-driven retail, positioning the company for continued dominance in India’s evolving market.