Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an Indian technology entrepreneur and highly successful business magnate. He...More
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an Indian technology entrepreneur and highly successful business magnate. He is renowned as the founder, chairman, and managing director of One97 Communications, which was established in 1997. He further expanded his entrepreneurial ventures by creating Paytm, a popular consumer brand, in 2010.
Recognizing Sharma's expertise and contributions, the Universal Acceptance Steering Group appointed him as the UA Ambassador in India in January 2022. As of September 2022, Forbes estimated his net worth to be approximately $1.1 billion, showcasing his remarkable financial success.
Born on July 15, 1978, in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, Sharma hails from a humble background. He grew up as the third of four children to Sulom Prakash, a school teacher, and Asha Sharma, a homemaker. Despite his modest beginnings, Sharma displayed exceptional intellect and became a college student at the age of 15. By the time he was 19, he had completed his studies at Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University), earning a B.Tech degree.
During his college years in 1997, Sharma initiated the website indiasite.net. Just two years later, he sold it for a substantial sum of $1 million. Building upon this early success, he founded One97 Communications in 2000. The company initially focused on mobile content offerings, such as news, cricket scores, ringtones, jokes, and exam results. One97 Communications later became the parent company of Paytm, which Sharma launched in 2010.
Paytm grew exponentially and became a leading digital payments and financial services company in India. In November 2021, the company achieved a significant milestone by going public, raising $2.5 billion with a valuation of $19 billion. This IPO marked India's largest initial public offering at the time.
Apart from his remarkable entrepreneurial achievements, Sharma is also actively involved as an angel investor, supporting various tech startups. Furthermore, he has been appointed as the UN Environment's 'Patron for Clean Air,' utilizing his influence to promote environmental action and awareness through the United Nations Environment's global Breathe Life campaign.
Taranbir Singh, a visionary entrepreneur hailing from Punjab, brings a wealth of experience from the...More
Taranbir Singh, a visionary entrepreneur hailing from Punjab, brings a wealth of experience from the rural banking divisions of India's esteemed institutions, including HDFC and ING Vysya Bank. Amidst the challenges of the pandemic, he co-founded FAARMS, an innovative agricultural platform inspired by Amazon, tailored specifically for rural communities. This pioneering venture offers seamless access to a wide array of agricultural essentials such as seeds, agrochemicals, animal feed, and bio-fertilizers, while also bridging the gap between farmers and reputed brands, granting them direct access to the producers. Armed with a B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering from Punjab Agricultural University, Taranbir combines his passion for agriculture and technology to empower farmers and revolutionize the agricultural landscape in India, fostering sustainable growth and prosperity for rural communities.
Kishor Kumar Jha is a distinguished entrepreneur and agriculturist hailing from Madhubani district i...More
Kishor Kumar Jha is a distinguished entrepreneur and agriculturist hailing from Madhubani district in Bihar, India. With a decade-long experience in the agriculture sector, he is the Founder & CEO of ERGOS, a groundbreaking agricultural venture. Prior to establishing ERGOS in early 2012, Kishor excelled as a Premier Banking professional at Barclays and showcased his managerial expertise at ICICI Bank. He also contributed significantly to ACC Limited, where he spearheaded rural marketing initiatives from the Motihari (Bihar) base.
Deeply rooted in agriculture through generations, Kishor acquired invaluable knowledge and skills from his agriculturist family. He holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with specializations in Marketing and Foreign Trade from prestigious institutions like PUMBA and SIBM, alongside a Bachelor's degree in Physics from Magadh University.
Known for his extensive expertise in agri-financing, agri-procurement, commodity trading, and warehousing, Kishor has played an instrumental role in transforming the agricultural landscape. He has collaborated with Indian and global corporate entities, making remarkable contributions to the procurement, stocking, and warehousing of agri-commodities. Furthermore, he has been actively engaged with farmer communities in Bihar and Karnataka, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to the agricultural movement.
In recognition of his outstanding entrepreneurial accomplishments, Kishor Kumar Jha was honored with the esteemed "Master Entrepreneurs- CNBC-South Zone" award by CNBC in November 2014. As the visionary leader of ERGOS, he continues to steer the company towards transformative growth, cementing his status as an industry expert and catalyst for positive change in the agriculture sector.
A grassroots foundation, deeply focused on challenges faced by marginalized communities and in particular of women in the bottom 100,000 villages of India. We bring a deep knowledge and an inventory of working solutions for stranded India and mechanisms for scaling-up those solutions.