Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, worth Rs 12000 crore, reveals how he went from school topper to ‘backbencher’ in college

The latest episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show on Netflix welcomed some of India’s most influential entrepreneurs—Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma, BOAT co-founder Aman Gupta, MamaEarth’s Ghazal Alagh, and OYO’s Ritesh Agarwal. Among them, Vijay stood out as he opened up about his journey, which was filled with achievements as well as personal challenges. Known for revolutionizing the digital payments landscape in India, he transformed Paytm into a household name. Yet, his success story also carried moments of struggle, especially from his student life.

Struggles with Language in College

Vijay revealed that while he had always been an academic topper during school, college brought with it some of the most difficult phases of his life. Coming from a small village in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, he was not fluent in English and found himself feeling isolated in classrooms where the medium of instruction was English. Despite sitting in the front rows as a bright student, his inability to respond to questions in English left him embarrassed. He compared this experience to scenes from the film Taare Zameen Par, where a child feels completely lost.

Falling Behind and Academic Setbacks

The humiliation gradually affected his confidence. From being a front-bencher, he slipped to the back of the class, and soon his grades suffered as well. Vijay admitted that his poor marks even forced him to reappear for supplementary exams. During that period, he recalled praying earnestly to clear the papers because he did not want to return to the same engineering college. For him, this struggle highlighted a deeper issue in India—the overdependence on English as a language of success. He emphasized that people should pursue their goals in the language they are comfortable with, rather than feeling compelled to adapt to a foreign medium.

Building Paytm and National Impact

Despite the hardships, Vijay rose above these challenges. He went on to build Paytm, investing nearly ₹40,000 crores in India to ensure that citizens could understand and adopt digital payments with ease. Today, his contribution has reshaped the way Indians transact.

Net Worth and Recognition

According to Forbes, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s personal fortune is valued at around $1.4 billion (Rs 12000 crore) making him one of the most influential figures in India’s startup ecosystem.