The Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story is not the story of a person creating a business corporation. It's the story of hope, hardiness, and trusting in your own ambitions is enough to make your reality even when life takes plenty of problems your way.
Vijay was born in a small town of Uttar Pradesh, studied in a Hindi-medium school, and had lots of problems when he proceeded to study in an English-speaking college. But instead of losing out, he speeded up the process and transformed each of his weaknesses into strength.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is popular today as the Paytm founder, India's biggest online payment company. His company has made bill payments, recharging of mobile phones, ticket bookings, and e-commerce affordable and easy on the fingertips of Indians. He is the icon of youths whom young businessmen wish to emulate if they wish to become business owners today.
The Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story should be noted since it still teaches us that success is never about who you are born from, how much money you make, or even what language you speak. You only need your passion, your dream, and your determination to never disappoint anyone, even when the entire world will not believe in you.
Early Life of Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Vijay Shekhar Sharma was born in 1978 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. His family was quite poor. His father was a school teacher and his mother was a housewife. They didn't lead a very successful life where there was always enough money. But the only thing his parents ensured that he received was education. Money was never there in the house, but they still compelled him to study.
Right from childhood, Vijay was an excellent student. He was an apt scientist and mathematician, and his teachers were fond of him because of his curious mind and fast thinking. But since he was studying in a Hindi-medium school, he did not learn English. No one then realized how much of a problem it would be for him in his life later on.
When he traveled abroad to study further, in one night everything changed. All that he learned in college, lectures, textbooks, and class notes, was all in English. He would not be able to read them. His friends would be able to read the lectures so easily, but to him, it was a foreign language. He was held back, but he never gave up.
He decided to study English on his own by reading books, reading the newspaper, and even taping English songs so that he could memorize their lyrics. This segment of Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story is a lesson for us that bad luck can actually prepare us for more good in life.
College Life and Struggles
Vijay entered the Delhi College of Engineering (now called Delhi Technological University) at the tender age of 15. He was years younger than his peers and already at a disadvantage because of the language issue.
In the beginning, life was quite tough for him in Delhi. He had minimal money. He was residing in a small rented place and was eating very simple food. There were times when he was even surviving on ₹10 a day, and Sunday-like days he couldn't even get bus fare, so he used to walk miles. But despite all these adversities, never once did he lose hope of doing something big.
As he was not able to rely on the small financial support provided by his family, he began to take up odd jobs. He gave tuitions, wrote code for clients, and even took up part-time work to sustain himself. While collegians were clubbing inside college, Vijay was struggling to study and survive.
These experiences toughened him up. He learned to value money, time, and the ability to focus. This is Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story that shows how grittiness and sacrifices made in the lean times can become a good support for achievement.
Passion for Technology and Entrepreneurship
Even during his student days of hardships, Vijay was fascinated by technology. He spent hours in the computer lab, experimenting with coding, making mini-websites, and exploring the world wide web. He was bewildered by the possibilities of the internet to bring people together and change lives.
When his peers were dreaming of acquiring their fixed jobs, Vijay dreamed about becoming an entrepreneur. His idol figures were Silicon Valley entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Yahoo creators. He read their biography and wondered if they could succeed through technology in the United States, then he could succeed in India too.
He began a website called Indiasite.net in 1997 with internet services and information. This was when the internet was newly introduced in India. He subsequently sold the website for $1 million (about ₹70 lakh then). This was a big hit for a college student and made him realize that he was on the right path.
This initial business success was one of the early highlights of the Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story.
The Genesis of One97 and Paytm: Vijay Shekhar Sharma Success Story
Instead of going for a salaried job after his studies, Vijay took the decision of doing something he loved doing. In 2000, One97 Communications was started by him, the parent company of Paytm. One97 started by providing mobile content like ringtones, jokes, and news flashes to telcos.
But the ride was never easy. The firm was short of cash through and through. Vijay himself had to endure very tough times—most of the time, he could not even pay his employees and went as far as considering shutting down shop. But he never lost hope. He was sure that his firm one day would do something miraculous.
Vijay started Paytm (Pay Through Mobile) in 2010, a quick, simple service—mobile recharging. People could save money in their Paytm wallet and spend the money on recharging their mobiles.
Others did not believe that this would be possible initially. India was an economy based on cash and people were not yet prepared to make online payments. But Vijay believed that this is where the future is heading.
That modest beginning was the turning point in Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story
journey.
Paytm Growth and Expansion: Vijay Shekhar Sharma Success Story
Right from day one, Paytm gradually expanded its operations. What initially was a simple recharge portal later on evolved into a full-fledged digital payment system. Paytm rolled out a variety of services over time:
- Electricity, gas, and water bill payments
- Train, bus, and movie tickets bookings
- Shopping portal via Paytm Mall
- Digital wallets for secure online payments
- Banking services in Paytm Payments Bank
- Stock, insurance, and financial services
The biggest triumph was achieved in the year 2016, when India demonetized its old ₹500 and ₹1000 denominations. When the government demonetized the old ₹500 and ₹1000 currency, the people had no choice but to adopt cashless payment. Paytm was ready, and in a single night, millions of Indians downloaded the app. Paytm emerged as the default choice to pay in India within weeks.
The firm currently boasts more than 300 million users, and it's an integral part of Indian life for millions of Indians. This stratospheric growth is perhaps the most compelling feature of Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story.
Failures and Challenges Along the Way in Vijay Shekhar Sharma Success Story
It was not a smooth ride, and Vijay Shekhar Sharma rags-to-riches story is also abounding in several failures and setbacks.
Investor rejection: Investors believed Paytm's idea would never take off. Indians would never embrace mobile wallets, they believed.
Financial struggle: Vijay had sometimes run short of money and even borrowed from friends.
Persuading customers: In a nation where cash was the king, it was a very uphill task to persuade people to go digital.
Tough competition: Later, larger players such as Google Pay, PhonePe, and Amazon Pay entered the race and provided tough competition to Paytm.
Despite that, Vijay's greatest strength was his never-give-up attitude. In each failure, he made use of his failure as a learning moment and came back stronger. This capacity to tackle adversities is quite likely the greatest reason why his story has attracted so many to it.
Recognition and Achievements
Due to his persistence, Vijay Shekhar Sharma has been awarded and recognized tens of times. Below are some of the greatest highlights:
- Featured in Forbes India Rich List as one of the top entrepreneurs
- Recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by AIMA (All India Management Association)
- Featured in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People
- Awarded for creating one of India's most dependable digital brands
These awards speak volumes about how much the world admires his contribution towards digital India.
Lessons to be learnt from Vijay Shekhar Sharma Success Story
There are several lessons to be learnt from the Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story:
No language barrier: Success doesn't occur on the basis of ideas and action, but on the basis of how well you speak English.
Small start, large ambitions: Whatever your first thought is, small or large, ultimately in the passage of time, it can transform the lives of millions.
Don't be afraid of failure: Every failure is a learning process.
Stubborn to amend: Technology continues changing so fast that you have to keep yourself updated to stay in the game.
Consistency: Even when things become difficult, sticking to your course and being consistent pays off.
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Vijay Shekhar Sharma Net Worth
As of 2025, Vijay Shekhar Sharma's net worth is billions of dollars and places him among the richest self-made individuals in India. His company Paytm is stepping into various new business areas such as insurance, trading of shares, and whole-scale digital banking.
His dream is to make India a cashless society and uncomplicated digital financial services available to all, beginning with the common people in villages and townlets. Technology has to be for the common man and not for the affluent, he believes.
Conclusion: Vijay Shekhar Sharma Success Story
Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story is that of determination, sheer willpower, and vision. From being a poor child who could barely even read English literature to becoming the owner of a billion-dollar company, he is the icon for millions.
He teaches us that it is not where you start but how much you believe in your dreams. If you want, if you will accept failure, and if you will never stop learning, you can do anything in life.
The next time you make a payment using Paytm, remember behind the success of such an app lies the story of an Aligarh boy who never lost hopes on his dream and kept believing in it. That is the mindset of the Vijay Shekhar Sharma success story. If you are an entrepreneur, creator or businessman looking to share your success story for free, kindly send us on True Real Story.
FAQs on Vijay Shekhar Sharma Success Story
What is the story of Paytm startup?
Paytm's entrepreneurial path began in the year 2010 when Vijay Shekhar Sharma initiated it as a mobile recharge service. Over time, it expanded to include bill payments, online payments, ticketing, and money services. The Indian demonetization of 2016 gave Paytm's expansion humongous size, and it expanded into one of India's mainstream digital payment systems.
Who is the inspiration of Vijay Shekhar Sharma?
Vijay Shekhar Sharma was greatly inspired by Silicon Valley businessmen like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and the founders of Yahoo. These businessmen's successes inspired him to aim for big dreams and believe that technology can change lives.
What is the qualification of Vijay Shekhar Sharma?
Vijay Shekhar Sharma completed B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University).
Which Indian startup was founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma?
One97 Communications was founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma in 2000 which later created Paytm, India's top payment and financial services firm.
Is Paytm company in loss?
Paytm has been making money losses in the last two years as it has been spending a lot on technology, advertising, and expansion. The company is, however, increasing its users and services with an eye on long-term profitability.
Is Paytm a Chinese company?
No, Paytm is an Indian startup by Vijay Shekhar Sharma.