Vijay Shekhar Sharma, born on June 7, 1978, is an Indian tech entrepreneur and successful business tycoon with a net worth of $1.1 billion. He is the founder, chairman, and managing director of One97 Communications, established in 1997, and the creator of Paytm, its consumer brand launched in 2010. Additionally, he was designated as the UA Ambassador in India by the ICANN-supported Universal Acceptance Steering Group.
Paytm Vijay Shekhar Sharma Biography
Vijay Shekhar Sharma was born on June 7, 1978, in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. He was the third child out of four born to Sulom Prakash and Asha Sharma. Showing an early interest in technology, Sharma did well academically and completed his B.Tech degree from Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University) at the impressive age of 19.
Paytm Vijay Shekhar Sharma Details
|
NAME |
VIJAY SHEKHAR SHARMA |
|
Born |
8 July 1978 Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India |
|
Citizenship |
Indian |
|
Education |
B.Tech from Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University) |
| Source Of Wealth |
Financial Technology |
|
Net worth |
$1.2 Billion (2022) |
|
Wife |
Mridula Sharma |
| Age | 46 years |
| Children | 1 |
| Industries | Service |
| Spouse | Mridula Parashar (Married: 2005) |
Early life and education
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, born on 7 June 1978 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, is the third child of Sulom Prakash Sharma, a school teacher, and Asha Sharma, a homemaker. He completed his schooling in Harduaganj, a small town close to Aligarh, and commenced college studies at the age of 15. At 19 years old, he obtained a B.Tech degree from the Delhi College of Engineering (currently known as Delhi Technological University).
Career
In 1997, while attending college, he founded the website indiasite.net and later sold it for $1 million. Two years later, in 2000, he established One97 Communications, a company that provided mobile content such as news, cricket scores, ringtones, jokes, and exam results. One97 Communications Limited is the parent company of Paytm, a digital payments and financial services company founded by Sharma in 2010. Paytm went public in November 2021, raising $2.5 billion at a valuation of $19 billion, marking India’s largest initial public offering at the time. Additionally, Sharma is an angel investor who has backed various tech startups. He served on the board of management at Netaji Subhas University of Technology in Delhi for three years. In 2025, Sharma resigned from his positions as part-time non-executive chairman and board member of Paytm Payments Bank due to regulatory issues faced by the bank with the Reserve Bank of India.
Paytm Vijay Shekhar Sharma Family
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is wedded to Mridula Parashar Sharma, with whom he shares a child. His father, Sulom Prakash, worked as a school teacher, and his mother, Asha Sharma, was a homemaker. Sharma has always relied on and been motivated by his family.
READ ALSO
Paytm Vijay Shekhar Sharma Career Highlights
Sharma embarked on his entrepreneurial path in 1997 by creating indiasite.net during his college days. Just two years later, he sold the website for US$1 million. In 2000, he founded One97 Communications, a company specializing in mobile content like news, cricket scores, ringtones, jokes, and exam results. In 2010, Sharma introduced Paytm, a digital payments and financial services firm operating under One97 Communications. The triumph of Paytm elevated Sharma’s status in the fintech sector.
Paytm Vijay Shekhar Sharma Companies
Vijay Shekhar Sharma serves as the founder, chairman, and managing director of One97 Communications, the umbrella organization of Paytm, a prominent digital payments and financial services company in India that provides various services including mobile payments, e-commerce, banking, and wealth management.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma: Major Achievements
Sharma has accomplished notable feats like founding and growing Paytm, which became India’s top digital payments firm. He steered Paytm through its IPO in November 2021, raising $2.5 billion at a $19 billion valuation, making it the largest IPO in India at the time. Furthermore, Sharma participates as an angel investor, supporting tech startups and contributing to the progress of the Indian startup ecosystem.
Paytm Vijay Shekhar Sharma Achievements
Sharma has been honored with multiple awards and recognitions for his achievements in the technology and business fields. Some of his notable accolades include winning the Best Serial Entrepreneur Award at the Rural and Urban Development Summit and Awards 2022, being named Entrepreneur of the Year by AIMA in 2018, and being listed as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2017. His accomplishments have also been acknowledged by The Economic Times, GQ, and Dataquest.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma: Personal Life & Legacy
Sharma is recognized for his enthusiasm for technology and his dedication to fostering beneficial changes in society. He draws inspiration from Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, and Masayoshi Son from Softbank. Despite achieving success, Sharma stays humble and upholds a deep bond with his family and core beliefs. He engages in charitable endeavors and has played a substantial role in supporting diverse social issues.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma – Awards and Recognitions
Vijay Shekhar Sharma has received numerous awards and recognitions during his career, some of which are:
- Received Best Serial Entrepreneur Award at Rural and Urban Development Summit 2022 from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt. of India.
- Forbes magazine has ranked me as the youngest Indian billionaire.
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma was felicitated with the Yash Bharati Award, the highest civilian award from the Uttar Pradesh government.
- He was ranked in the 62nd position in the Forbes list of the richest person in India in 2020.
- He was listed as the youngest billionaire in India in 2017, with a net worth of $1.3 billion.
- Time Magazine listed Sharma among the 100 most influential people in 2017.
- Sharma was recognized by The Economic Times as the ET Entrepreneur of the Year for 2016.
- He was also named the Dataquest IT Man of the Year in 2017.
- Sharma was felicitated with an Honorary Doctorate from Amity University, Gurgaon, in 2016.
- He received the title Businessman of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2016.
- He also became the NDTV Indian of the Year in 2016.
- Sharma also emerged as India’s Hottest Business Leader under 40, as recognized by The Economic Times in 2015.
Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma talks about Paytm issues, expectations from union budget 2025
According to Paytm founder and MD Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the company is comparable to a daughter who has been in an accident and is currently in the ICU. Sharma expressed that Paytm was progressing well towards profitability before the crisis occurred.
Sharma admitted that the company could have performed better and acknowledged the lessons learned at the JIIF Foundation Day event in Delhi. He emphasized the need for improvement at a professional level, expressing regret for not meeting responsibilities more effectively. One 97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, experienced a decrease in revenue from ₹2,465 crore to ₹2,399 crore in Q4 FY23 compared to the previous year. The company’s losses increased from ₹168 crore to ₹551 crore in the same quarter, primarily due to a write-off of ₹227 crore related to its investment in Paytm Payments Bank Ltd, where it holds a 49% stake.
Earlier this year, the Reserve Bank of India told Paytm Bank to limit operations after February 29, 2025. This was because Paytm didn’t follow KYC rules and had money laundering worries. The RBI stopped services like deposits, credits, prepaid top-ups, UPI transactions, and more at Paytm Bank. In 2018, the RBI first watched Paytm Bank due to license breaches and not following KYC rules. In 2021, the bank got fined ₹1 crore for false money laundering data. By 2022, Paytm couldn’t sign up new customers anymore. Paytm Bank is part of One97 Communications since 2017 by Vijay Shekhar Sharma with around 30 crore users.
Who is Paytm Vijay Shekhar Sharma?
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an Indian technology entrepreneur and multimillionaire business magnate. He is the founder chairman, and managing director of One97 Communications founded in 1997 and its consumer brand Paytm which he started in 2010.
Born: 7 June 1978 (age 46 years), Aligarh
Organizations founded: Paytm, Paytm Payments Bank, One97 Communications
Spouse: Mridula Sharma (m. 2005)
Education: Delhi Technological University (1994–1998)
Children: Vivaan Sharma
Award: Yash Bharati
Parents: Sulom Prakash Sharma, Asha Sharma