Samay Raina is an Indian stand-up comedian, YouTuber and chess streamer who went from open mics in Pune to co-winning Comicstaan 2, building one of India’s biggest creator-led shows with India’s Got Latent, and returning from a major 2025 controversy with a sold-out comeback tour. Born in Jammu on 26 October 1997, he turns 29 on 26 October 2026 — the same day India’s Got Latent season 2 is back in the news, with its eighth episode sparking a viral exchange involving a Narendra Modi impersonator and comedian Kunal Kamra.
Quick facts
- Full name: Samay Raina
- Born: 26 October 1997, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
- Nationality: Indian
- Occupation: Stand-up comedian, YouTuber, chess streamer, show host
- Known for: Comicstaan 2 (co-winner, 2019), chess streams, India’s Got Latent
- Education: Print engineering, PVG’s College of Engineering and Technology, Pune
- Years active: 2017–present
- YouTube: More than 11 million subscribers as of September 2026
Early life and education
Raina was born in Jammu into a conservative Kashmiri Pandit family with roots in the Salia area of Seer Hamdan, Anantnag, and grew up in Hyderabad, where he completed his schooling. He enrolled in a print engineering course at Vidhyarthi Griha’s College of Engineering and Technology (PVG’s COET) in Pune — a course he has himself described as a waste of time — and instead threw himself into the local comedy scene. Sources: Wikipedia — Samay Raina, Times Now — Samay Raina profile.
His first open mic came on 27 August 2017 in Pune. Over the next two years he became a regular on the Pune circuit, opening for established comedians including Anirban Dasgupta and Abhishek Upmanyu, before moving to Mumbai to pursue stand-up full time. Sources: Wikipedia — Samay Raina, Star.bio — Samay Raina.
Comicstaan 2: the national breakthrough
Raina’s breakthrough came in 2019, when fellow comedian Aakash Gupta suggested he audition for the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s stand-up competition Comicstaan. He reached the finale and finished as joint winner alongside Gupta — the result that put him on the national comedy map for the first time. Sources: Wikipedia — Samay Raina, Times Now — Samay Raina profile.
The chess-streaming pivot
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut live venues in 2020, Raina — on fellow comedian Tanmay Bhat’s suggestion — began streaming chess on YouTube. The format worked: his commentary on his own blunders, live games with comedians and grandmasters, and tournaments such as Comedians on Board drew huge live audiences and introduced chess to viewers who had never followed the game. Guests included YouTube chess creator Antonio Radić (Agadmator) and Indian grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi. Sources: Wikipedia — Samay Raina, Spotify Creators — Samay Raina profile.
In May 2021 he won the $10,000 Botez Bullet Invitational, and in December 2025 he won Chess.com’s SuperPogChamps tournament, donating the prize money to charity in both cases as reported. His channel passed 11 million subscribers, with over 1.1 billion views, by September 2026. Sources: Star.bio — Samay Raina, Wikipedia — Samay Raina.
India’s Got Latent
In June 2024 Raina launched India’s Got Latent on YouTube, a talent show in which contestants predict their own score before a panel of comedians judges them. The unfiltered, roast-heavy format became one of the most talked-about shows on Indian YouTube, with episodes routinely running into millions of views. Sources: Wikipedia — Samay Raina, Spotify Creators — Samay Raina profile.
In February 2025 the show became the centre of a national controversy after a guest, Ranveer Allahbadia, made an explicit remark about a contestant’s parents on an episode. Multiple police complaints (FIRs) were filed, episodes were removed from the platform, and Raina apologised and stepped back from public posting for a period. This article does not repeat the remark itself. Sources: Spotify Creators — Samay Raina profile, Times Now — Samay Raina profile.
The comeback: Still Alive and season 2
Raina returned to the stage with the nationwide “Still Alive and Unfiltered” tour, which ran from Bengaluru on 15 August 2025 to Delhi on 5 October 2025, and in 2026 he performed at Madison Square Garden in New York, closing the global leg of the tour. In 2026 he released his debut full-length stand-up special, Still Alive, free on his YouTube channel, where it became one of the most-watched Indian comedy specials on the platform. Sources: Wikipedia — Samay Raina, Star.bio — Samay Raina.
In June 2026 he announced two collaborations with Netflix India: a second season of India’s Got Latent, streaming on Netflix as well as YouTube, and a new stand-up special. Season 2 returned in June 2026, and on 26 October 2026 its eighth episode was trending after a clip featuring a contestant impersonating Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a video-call exchange with Kunal Kamra about the falling rupee, and an appearance by rapper MC Stan. Sources: Wikipedia — Samay Raina, ABP Live — India’s Got Latent 2 episode 8 (26 October 2026).
Personal life
Raina keeps his private life largely out of public view. He is based in Mumbai, performs mostly in Hindi, and his YouTube channel is @SamayRainaOfficial. Rumours about his relationships circulate online; none is stated here as fact, as no reliable public confirmation exists.
Net worth snapshot
Samay Raina’s net worth is reported anywhere from about ₹20 crore to about ₹195 crore (roughly $2.4 million to $23 million) as of 2026, depending on the source — a spread so wide that no single figure should be treated as reliable, and no Forbes or Bloomberg estimate exists. Read the full breakdown in Samay Raina’s net worth.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Samay Raina?
Samay Raina is an Indian stand-up comedian, YouTuber and chess streamer, best known as the co-winner of Comicstaan 2 in 2019 and the host of India’s Got Latent. He was born on 26 October 1997 in Jammu and grew up in Hyderabad before moving to Pune and then Mumbai for comedy.
How did Samay Raina become famous?
He became famous in two waves: first by co-winning Comicstaan 2 in 2019, then during the 2020 lockdown by streaming chess on YouTube with comedians and grandmasters. India’s Got Latent, launched in June 2024, made him one of India’s most talked-about creators.
What happened with India’s Got Latent in 2025?
In February 2025, a guest’s explicit remark on an episode triggered police complaints, the removal of episodes from the platform and a public apology from Raina. He stepped back for a period before returning with the Still Alive and Unfiltered tour later in 2025.
How old is Samay Raina?
Samay Raina was born on 26 October 1997, so he turns 29 on 26 October 2026.
What is Samay Raina’s net worth?
Published estimates for 2026 range from about ₹20 crore to about ₹195 crore (roughly $2.4 million to $23 million), with no Forbes or Bloomberg figure available. The wide spread reflects unverified aggregator estimates, not any disclosed or audited wealth.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Samay Raina
- Times Now — Samay Raina profile
- ABP Live — India’s Got Latent 2 episode 8 (26 October 2026)
- Spotify Creators — Samay Raina profile
- Star.bio — Samay Raina
Related on Peoplespedia: Diljit Dosanjh’s biography — another Indian performer who built a global live audience.