You see, the number of billionaires in India is growing year after year, and it isn’t a speculation anymore that the evolution of tech has everything to do with it. In the last two decades or so, we have seen many people add their names to the Riches Of India list, and many of them are way too young, like even younger than 30 years old. In our opinion, it is always so intriguing and important to learn about the people who became millionaires or billionaires all by themselves. Because that’s how you get access to valuable life literacy which you can practically apply in your own life and see for yourself. And if that is something you find intriguing, then today’s post is all about you because here we will be taking a good look at the top 13 self-made billionaires in India for 2023. So yeah, let’s get to the intros of each of these billionaires right away, shall we?
List of Self Made Billionaires in India
1. Ritesh Agarwal
First, on the list, we have someone who once held the title of the youngest billionaire in the country, yeah, we are talking about none other than Ritesh Agarwal. He actually comes from a very small town in Odisha, and moved to Delhi in 2011 to, of course, chase his dreams. And as you may already know that his dream came true after he launched Oyo Rooms back in 2013. But it was actually in the year 2018 when Oyo became this $1 billion thing in the country, and then Ritesh took other bold moves, like buying $2 billion in Oyo shares in 2019. He’s even on Forbes’ list and Shark Tank India. Sure, there were some bumps along the way, but what a journey from Odisha to the global stage!
2. Sachin Bansal
Born in 1981 in Chandigarh, he’s the brain behind Flipkart. From a normal upbringing to a tech billionaire, Sachin’s story is all about aiming high. He’s an IIT Delhi alumni, started working atTechspan, and then at Amazon. But he quit to start Flipkart in 2007. Started from the bottom, now they’re here, Flipkart, beginning as an online bookstore with just about $5,600. Sachin was into everything, from coding to deliveries. And yeah, Flipkart skyrocketed, becoming India’s e-commerce king. Sachin was at the helm till 2018 when Walmart stepped in with a whopping $20.8 billion deal. Post-Flipkart, he’s not slowing down. He’s now investing in tech, like a big bet on Ola Cabs.
3. Binny Bansal
Binny Bansal, co-founder of Flipkart, has a story of his own. Born around the early 1980s in Chandigarh, he’s Sachin’s other half in the Flipkart saga. Education was big in his family, and after IIT Delhi, he worked at Amazon. But, he too had bigger plans. Flipkart was born in 2007, starting small but dreaming big. Binny, first the COO, then the CEO, and finally the Group CEO, was a key player until 2018. Despite some hiccups, his mark on Flipkart’s success is clear as day.
4. Vijay Shekhar Sharma
And then there’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm. Born in 1978 in Uttar Pradesh, his journey is about sheer determination. After college, he made his first million by selling indiasite.net. Then came One97 Communications, which led to Paytm in 2010. Starting as a recharge platform, Paytm grew into a digital giant. It played a huge role in India’s move to digital payments, especially post-2016. The climax? Paytm’s 2021 IPO, is one of India’s biggest. Vijay’s vision and hustle have put Paytm on the map, big time.
5. Nikhil Kamath
You see, Nikhil Kamath, born on September 5, 1986, in Bangalore, didn’t follow the typical path. He dropped out of school after 10th grade, and you might think that was way too early, but he really knew what he was up to. He turned his life around and co-founded Zerodha and True Beacon, becoming a billionaire! Starting with a call center job, he got into equity trading, laying the groundwork for his future success. In 2006, along with his brother Nithin, he started Kamath & Associates. But way back in 2010, they launched Zerodha. This venture shook up the traditional brokerage world with its discount model, making stock trading a lot more accessible.
6. Nithin Kamath
Now, Nithin Kamath, Nikhil’s elder brother, deserves a big shoutout too. He’s the brain behind Zerodha as its co-founder and CEO. Born in Shimoga, Karnataka, Nithin’s trading passion sparked during college. Despite mixed early experiences, he gained valuable market insights. Zerodha started in 2010 with Nikhil, revolutionizing trading with its user-friendly and cost-effective approach. Under his leadership, Zerodha’s not just grown, it’s soared, adding more investment options and winning accolades. Nithin’s not just a businessman though, he’s kinda like a financial literacy advocate.
7. Divyank Turakhia
Then there’s Divyank Turakhia. Born on January 29, 1982, this tech wizard started coding at eight! Can you even believe that? But that’s a 100% true. Educated in Mumbai, he, along with his brother Bhavin, founded Media.net. Then came the year 2016, when the people in charge of this company made it from scratch, to sell it for around $1 billion, or $900 million to be exact, which became one of the biggest ad-tech deals ever. Divyank’s been making waves ever since, topping rich lists and even earning the title ‘thrillionaire’ from Forbes for his love of aerobatic flying.
8. Deepinder Goyal
And how can we even forget to add Deepinder Goyal, the mastermind behind Zomato, to this list? He started in 2008 with what was then FoodieBay. This venture wasn’t just about listing restaurants though, it was about redefining dining and food delivery. Expanding rapidly, both in India and globally, Zomato’s made a mark with acquisitions and diversifications, like launching a food delivery service. It was actually in 2021 when Zomato company first launched its IPO, and from the get-go, it was a hit that jumped the company’s valuation up to $8 billion.
9. Sanjeev Bikhchandani
Next, we have Sanjeev Bikhchandani, ever heard of him? He’s the big brain behind Info Edge and Naukri.com too. He has gone from doing just a day job to billionaire status. He’s got degrees from St. Stephen’s College and IIMA. Started in marketing, but in 1990, he thought, ‘Let’s do this entrepreneurship thing.’ He founded a couple of companies, and then boom! Info Edge happened in 1995, and Naukri.com followed. Now, Info Edge is more than just job listings. It’s into real estate, matrimony, education, you name it. Sanjeev also has a knack for smart investments. As of now, Forbes says he’s worth $2.1 Billion.
10. Byju Raveendran
Byju Raveendran, the guy behind BYJU’S, started from a small village in Kerala. He’s now a big name in global ed-tech. His parents were teachers, but he wasn’t your typical student. Still aced it, though. He got a tech degree and worked as a service engineer, but then switched gears. In 2003, he started teaching CAT aspirants and nailed the exam himself. Fast forward to 2007, Byju’s Classes began. Then came BYJU’S in 2011, and their app in 2015 changed the game in learning. It went global in 2018, with millions of downloads.
11. Radha Vembu
Radha Vembu, part of the Zoho Corporation story, is not your everyday businesswoman. Nah, she’s got a degree from IIT Madras and co-founded Zoho with her brother in 1996. But what exactly is Zoho? A huge software player with loads of online tools and apps. Radha’s into product management and runs a foundation too. She keeps things low-key, living in Chennai with her family. Her journey has always been all about mixing tech smarts with business strategy.
12. Amod Malviya, Sujeet Kumar, and Vaibhav Gupta
Here are the Udaan guys, Amod Malviya, Sujeet Kumar, and Vaibhav Gupta. Together, they’re worth a whopping Rs 13,000 crore ($1.71 billion). Udaan started in 2016, is all about connecting Indian businesses. It’s a big deal for small and medium companies. These guys saw a gap in the market and went for it. Before Udaan, they were all at Flipkart, learning the ropes. Now, Udaan’s growing fast, raising millions and showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
13. Bhavish Aggarwal
Lastly, let’s talk about Bhavish Aggarwal, the face of Ola Cabs and Ola Electric, and he has a story of inspiration. An IIT Bombay grad, he started at Microsoft, got patents, and published papers. But the real game-changer probably was starting Ola Cabs in 2011 after a bad taxi ride. Ola’s now huge in India. COVID-19 hit them hard, but Bhavish sees a future in electric vehicles. He’s focusing on new ventures, stepping back from Ola’s daily operations to dream bigger.
Conclusion
There you have it. There are certainly many other self-made billionaires and millionaires in the country, but these are the top ones we all can relate to. You see, before these people became billionaires, they were living a normal life like you and me, but something changed, or maybe it was a light bulb moment, which we all have at some point in our lives. But you see, it is all about who can identify that very moment and grab the opportunity with both hands.
Anantha Nageswaran is the chief editor and writer at TheBusinessBlaze.com. He specialises in business, finance, insurance, loan investment topics. With a strong background in business-finance and a passion for demystifying complex concepts, Anantha brings a unique perspective to his writing.
