Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Founder of the digital payments company Paytm
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- 48 yrs
- Birthday in 260 days
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Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an entrepreneur who founded Paytm, one of India’s best-known digital payments companies. A small-town engineer from Aligarh, he became a symbol of India’s start-up boom, especially after the 2016 demonetisation pushed millions towards mobile payments.
Biography
From Aligarh
Sharma grew up in Aligarh, the son of a schoolteacher, and studied in Hindi-medium schools. At the Delhi College of Engineering he struggled with English at first and taught himself by reading magazines and books side by side with dictionaries.
First ventures
He built a content-management business while still a student and in 2000 founded One97 Communications, which provided mobile content such as news, cricket scores and ringtones. The company barely survived the dot-com crash.
Paytm
In 2010 One97 launched Paytm as a mobile recharge site, adding a digital wallet in 2014. When the government withdrew high-value banknotes in November 2016, millions of people and shopkeepers turned to Paytm’s QR codes, and the company grew rapidly. In 2017 Forbes named Sharma India’s youngest billionaire.
Ups and downs
Paytm’s 2021 stock market listing was then India’s largest initial public offering, though its shares fell sharply afterwards. In 2024 the Reserve Bank of India restricted Paytm Payments Bank, and Sharma stepped down from its board as the company refocused its business.
Timeline
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1978
Born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
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2000
Founds One97 Communications
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2010
Launches Paytm
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2014
Paytm Wallet launched
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2016
Demonetisation boosts Paytm
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2017
India’s youngest billionaire (Forbes)
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2021
Paytm lists on the stock market
Did you know?
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1
He taught himself English with magazines and a dictionary.
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2
Paytm began as a mobile recharge website.
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3
Paytm’s 2021 IPO was India’s largest at the time.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Vijay Shekhar Sharma?
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an entrepreneur who founded Paytm, one of India’s best-known digital payments companies. A small-town engineer from Aligarh, he became a symbol of India’s start-up boom, especially after the 2016 demonetisation pushed millions towards mobile payments.
How old is Vijay Shekhar Sharma?
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is 48 years old, born on 15 July 1978 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
Where is Vijay Shekhar Sharma from?
Vijay Shekhar Sharma was born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
What is Vijay Shekhar Sharma known for?
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is best known for Founding Paytm; popularising mobile payments in India.
References
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Q23761601) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Vijay Shekhar Sharma”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
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About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Vijay Shekhar Sharma.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/vijay-shekhar-sharma
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