From Recharging Phones to Rupees: How Vijay Shekhar Sharma Built Paytm.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s journey from a small-town dreamer to one of India’s most influential entrepreneurs is nothing short of remarkable. Born in Aligarh, he studied engineering at Delhi College of Engineering, where his love for coding and problem solving started early. At a time when the internet was just starting to grow in India, he was already building websites and experimenting with digital services. What began as a basic idea to simplify mobile recharges eventually changed the way millions of Indians use money.

Paytm, founded in 2010 under One97 Communications, started as a prepaid mobile recharge platform. The idea came from Vijay’s belief that digital payments could make life easier for ordinary people. With limited funds, he pushed through years of hard work, often facing challenges with investors and technology. His big moment came after 2016 when India’s demonetization drive turned Paytm into a daily necessity. Suddenly, people from all corners of the country were scanning QR codes, paying vendors, and managing money online.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s story is about courage and belief in India’s startup potential. Paytm’s growth inspired a whole generation of youth to think about fintech as a space for real change. The company now offers digital wallets, banking, insurance, stock trading, and more. Despite competition from PhonePe and Google Pay, Paytm holds a strong brand identity built on trust and accessibility. It showed that the biggest businesses can come from simple problems if solved with clarity and passion.