MUMBAI, INDIA // Ashish Hemrajani is the Founder & CEO of Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited, which operates BookMyShow, India’s leading online entertainment platform, offering tickets and end-to-end management for live events and movies as also sports, games, musicals, etc. It is the one stop shop for all out-of-home entertainment offerings in India. Ashish started his professional journey after completing his MBA specialising in Marketing in 1997. In 1999, he gave in to his passion for entrepreneurship and founded Big Tree Entertainment. In 2007, seeing the growth in multiplexes and the increased credit and debit card penetration in the country, Ashish and his team launched BookMyShow as we know it today. While passionately driving his model for BookMyShow, he brought on board believing investors like TPG Growth, Stripes Group, SAIF Partners, Accel and Network 18 (Reliance). BookMyShow has also ventured into international territories and has expanded its operations to Dubai, Indonesia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
In 2017, Ashish expanded BookMyShow’s vision with the launch of BookMyShow Live, the company’s live entertainment experiential division, marking a defining shift in India’s cultural landscape. Under his leadership, BookMyShow Live has grown into one of the country’s leading promoters and producers, curating large-scale experiences that span music, theatre, comedy, sports, lifestyle and family entertainment. From introducing global IPs like Cirque du Soleil, Disney’s Aladdin to producing India’s biggest music spectacles including Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour, Ed Sheeran: +−=÷× Tour, U2’s Joshua Tree Tour to artists like Guns N’ Roses, Backstreet Boys, Maroon5 and upcoming shows with Travis Scott, Post Malone and many more with the multi-genre festival Lollapalooza India including Greed Day, Imagine Dragons, Shawn Mendes, BookMyShow Live has not only set international benchmarks but also created original homegrown IPs such as Bandland and Nykaaland. With a strong emphasis on innovation, inclusivity and consumer-first experiences, Ashish has firmly placed India on the global touring map, shaping the future of live entertainment in the country while unlocking its vast potential as both a cultural and economic force. He continues to shape the future of entertainment by bridging technology, creativity, and culture at scale. Recently, he was featured on Billboard’s Global Power Players List 2025, a first for a live entertainment promoter from India.
While BookMyShow embodies the true spirit of entrepreneurship and is a classic example of how a simple idea can go a long way in resolving a pertinent problem, Ashish also continues to invest his energies in creating and nurturing the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs, both within the organisation and outside of it. BookMyShow is also committed to society at large, by way of BookAChange, by BookMyShow Foundation, dedicated to enriching lives through the transformative power of music and the performing arts. Since its inception as BookASmile, it has positively impacted millions of lives across the country and continues to generate smiles within the lesser fortunate sections of the society.
Ashish believes in balance and indulges in a couple of leisure activities that help him stay focussed, including sailing. The BookMyShow captain cool considers the sea as a great leveller. He sails every week and participates in sailing competitions regularly along with his crew. Apart from being out at sea, Ashish is also drawn to the philosophy of Vedanta.