YU Televentures had everything going for it in 2014: a co-founder from Micromax, a partnership with Cyanogen that had Apple’s and Google’s attention, and a price-to-spec ratio that made enthusiasts lose their minds. I remember the buzz around the YU Yureka. Then Cyanogen imploded, Micromax pulled back, and YU quietly disappeared. But who actually owned it? Let me break it down.
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founded By | Rahul Sharma (Micromax co-founder) |
| Parent | Micromax Informatics |
| Key Product | YU Yureka (Cyanogen OS), YU Yuphoria, YU Yunique |
| Cyanogen Partnership | 2014–2016 (exclusive India deal) |
| Status | Discontinued (~2018) |
Who Owns YU Televentures?
YU Televentures was founded in 2014 as a subsidiary of Micromax Informatics, India’s then-largest domestic smartphone brand. It was established by Rahul Sharma, one of Micromax’s four co-founders, who led the YU venture personally. The brand’s defining feature was its exclusive India partnership with Cyanogen Inc. — the company that commercialized the popular CyanogenMod Android ROM. This gave YU phones a clean, customizable Android experience that stock Android devices couldn’t match at the price point. The YU Yureka, launched in January 2015 at ₹8,999, was a massive hit and sold out repeatedly on Amazon India. When Cyanogen Inc. shut down in December 2016, YU switched to AOSP (stock Android) but lost its differentiation. Micromax itself was under pressure from Xiaomi and others, and YU quietly wound down by 2018. For Micromax’s ownership story, see who owns Micromax. Another discontinued Indian brand story: who owns Xolo. For more details, you can visit the official Micromax site.
| Entity | Role | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Micromax Informatics | Parent company | 100% owner of YU brand |
| Rahul Sharma | Founder & operational head | Micromax co-founder |
| Cyanogen Inc. | OS partner (2014–2016) | No equity stake |
Key Milestones
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| November 2014 | YU Televentures announced; exclusive Cyanogen deal signed for India |
| January 2015 | YU Yureka launched at ₹8,999 on Amazon India; sells out in seconds |
| May 2015 | YU Yuphoria launched at ₹6,999 — Snapdragon 410, sub-₹7k 4G phone |
| August 2015 | YU Yunique — India’s first sub-₹5,000 4G LTE smartphone |
| December 2016 | Cyanogen Inc. shuts down; YU switches to AOSP Android |
| 2017 | New YU launches without Cyanogen differentiation; sales decline sharply |
| 2018 | YU brand operations effectively cease; Micromax reabsorbs team |
Leadership
Rahul Sharma led YU Televentures from its founding until the brand wound down. Sharma is one of Micromax’s four original co-founders alongside Vikas Jain, Sumeet Kumar Arora, and Rajesh Agarwal. After YU’s discontinuation, he remained part of Micromax’s broader leadership structure.
My Take on YU Televentures
YU’s story is one of my favourites to tell because it shows how much product-market fit can hinge on a single partnership. Cyanogen OS was genuinely special — it was faster, more customizable, and more private than stock Android on budget hardware. At ₹8,999, the Yureka was untouchable. But Cyanogen Inc. was a company with a great product and terrible business execution. When they shut down, they didn’t just leave their own users stranded — they took YU down with them. The lesson? If your entire competitive moat depends on one external partner’s survival, you’re one board meeting away from disaster. Rahul Sharma built something real. It just didn’t have the foundation to outlast a single partnership collapse.
As of May 2026, YU Televentures remains a dormant brand. Micromax has not revived the YU sub-brand, and there are no signs of a relaunch despite Micromax’s own renewed push into the Indian smartphone market through its “Made in India” positioning. The yuplaygod.com domain is no longer maintained, and customer support for legacy YU devices ended years ago. For most practical purposes, YU is a closed chapter in Indian smartphone history.
