Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an Indian technology entrepreneur and highly successful business magnate. He is renowned as the founder, chairman, and managing director of One97 Communications, which was established in 1997. He further expanded his entrepreneurial ventures by creating Paytm, a popular consumer brand, in 2010.
Recognizing Sharma's expertise and contributions, the Universal Acceptance Steering Group appointed him as the UA Ambassador in India in January 2022. As of September 2022, Forbes estimated his net worth to be approximately $1.1 billion, showcasing his remarkable financial success.
Born on July 15, 1978, in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, Sharma hails from a humble background. He grew up as the third of four children to Sulom Prakash, a school teacher, and Asha Sharma, a homemaker. Despite his modest beginnings, Sharma displayed exceptional intellect and became a college student at the age of 15. By the time he was 19, he had completed his studies at Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University), earning a B.Tech degree.
During his college years in 1997, Sharma initiated the website indiasite.net. Just two years later, he sold it for a substantial sum of $1 million. Building upon this early success, he founded One97 Communications in 2000. The company initially focused on mobile content offerings, such as news, cricket scores, ringtones, jokes, and exam results. One97 Communications later became the parent company of Paytm, which Sharma launched in 2010.
Paytm grew exponentially and became a leading digital payments and financial services company in India. In November 2021, the company achieved a significant milestone by going public, raising $2.5 billion with a valuation of $19 billion. This IPO marked India's largest initial public offering at the time.
Apart from his remarkable entrepreneurial achievements, Sharma is also actively involved as an angel investor, supporting various tech startups. Furthermore, he has been appointed as the UN Environment's 'Patron for Clean Air,' utilizing his influence to promote environmental action and awareness through the United Nations Environment's global Breathe Life campaign.
