Current Role | Founder & CEO, Paytm (One97 Communications Ltd.) |
Previous Position | Founder, Xs! Corporation (acquired) |
Key Recognition | TIME 100 | Forbes India Rich List | GQ India Entrepreneur of the Year |
Background and Early Foundations
Born in a small town in Uttar Pradesh, India, Vijay Shekhar Sharma grew up in a Hindi-medium school, struggled with English, and taught himself coding at internet cafés. At 19, he launched his first company, Xs! Corporation, which was later sold — giving him his first break as a digital entrepreneur.
In 2010, he founded Paytm (short for Pay Through Mobile), originally a prepaid mobile recharge service. Over the next decade, it grew into India’s most recognized fintech brand, offering mobile wallets, payments, loans, insurance, and stock trading — all from a single app.
Today, Vijay Sharma’s story is a defining tale of digital resilience, democratization, and building India’s super app against the odds.
Career Milestones and Impact
Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
2010 | Launched Paytm as a mobile recharge platform |
2014 | Pivoted into mobile wallets, riding India’s smartphone boom |
2016 | Gained massive scale during India’s demonetization, reaching 200M users |
2021 | Listed Paytm on NSE/BSE in one of India’s largest tech IPOs ($2.5B raised) |
2024 | Launched Paytm AI Cloud and Micro Credit Engine for rural MSMEs |
- Users (2025): Over 350 million
- Services Offered: Payments, insurance, mutual funds, ticketing, credit, POS terminals
- Market Cap: ~$6 billion (post-correction, Q1 2025)
- Subsidiaries: Paytm Money, Paytm Payments Bank, Paytm Mall
Leadership Style and Influence
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is known for his aggressive vision, emotional storytelling, and public transparency:
- Tells his story of overcoming language, funding gaps, and investor doubt
- Built a fintech platform for the next 500 million Indians, not just urban elites
- Continues to be the face of India’s digital Bharat movement
He often shares personal setbacks — including Paytm’s stock crash post-IPO — as teachable moments.
Legacy and Future Focus
Despite Paytm’s volatile market journey, Vijay’s impact is undeniable:
- Brought fintech to India’s kirana shops and chai stalls
- Introduced millions to digital identity and cashless ecosystems
- Inspired a generation of founders with no English, no Ivy League, and no safety net
Moving forward, he aims to:
- Scale Paytm AI Cloud for smarter fraud detection and credit scoring
- Deepen fintech penetration in rural India’s MSME sector
- Mentor and invest in Bharat-first tech founders
