Founder of Paytm
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the founder and CEO of Paytm, a leading fintech company based in Noida, India. He is married to Mridula Parashar, and together they have a son named Vivaan Sharma.
Early Life and Education
Vijay Shekhar Sharma was born on June 7, 1978, in Aligarh, India, to Sulom Prakash and Asha Sharma. He graduated with a B.Tech. degree from Delhi College of Engineering, now known as Delhi Technological University.
Career Journey
In 1997, Sharma began his entrepreneurial career by launching indiasite.net, which he sold two years later for $1 million. In 2000, he founded One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm. By June 2021, One97 Communications had become one of India’s most valuable unicorns. Sharma founded Paytm in 2010, and in 2018, the company attracted a $300 million investment from Warren Buffett.
Awards and Recognitions
Youngest Billionaire in India (2017): Vijay Shekhar Sharma became India’s youngest billionaire in 2017, with a net worth of $1.3 billion. He was ranked 1567 on Forbes’ Billionaires list and featured among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people that same year.
Major Awards (2016): Sharma received several prestigious awards in 2016, including the ET Entrepreneur of the Year, an honorary doctorate from Amity University, Gurgaon, the Yash Bharti Award (the highest civilian award from the Government of Uttar Pradesh), Businessman of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards, NDTV Indian of the Year, and the Impact Person of the Year Award.
Top Business Leader (2015): In 2015, he was named India’s Hottest Business Leader under 40 by The Economic Times and CEO of the Year by the SABRE Awards.
Personal Life and Inspirations
Vijay Shekhar Sharma values his family deeply, a reflection of his upbringing as the son of a school teacher. He is married to Mridula Parashar Sharma, and they have a son, Vivaan Sharma. Sharma draws inspiration from prominent business figures like Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, and Masayoshi Son of Softbank, admiring their entrepreneurial success and lasting impact.
In summary, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s journey from a young entrepreneur to the founder of a major fintech company exemplifies innovation, resilience, and leadership in the business world.
