One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, has authorised an internal reorganisation plan to directly own a number of its technological and financial businesses. The business stated in a filing with the exchanges that the action is a component of its endeavours to enhance operational efficiency, fortify governance, and streamline its group structure.
According to the plan, Paytm will pay up to INR 50 lakhs to founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma and his company VSS Investco Pvt Ltd for around 51.22% of the equity shares of Paytm Financial Services Ltd (PFSL). Following the purchase, One 97 Communications will acquire full ownership of PFSL.
Later Paytm Plans to Move all these Entities Under One97 Communications
After this, Paytm will directly or indirectly own Admirable Software, Mobiquest Mobile Technologies, Urja Money, and Fincollect Services, the companies in which PFSL has interests. The fintech major stated that it intends to use intra-group transfers in the future to transfer these holdings directly under One 97 Communications. Of them, Admirable Software, which offers IT services, reported INR 44 lakhs in FY25 revenue.
Urja Money made INR 18.59 Cr, while Mobiquest, which provides tech and loyalty solutions, recorded a top line of INR 33.43 Cr. In the same year, Fincollect, a company that provides collection services, reported revenue of INR 220.47 Cr. For a maximum of INR 3.52 Cr, Paytm will also buy the remaining shares in Sharma and his owned companies’ Paytm Emerging Tech Ltd (previously Paytm General Insurance), Paytm Insuretech, and Paytm Life Insurance, converting each into a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Additionally, Paytm intends to convert debentures and inter-corporate deposits valued at around INR 15 Cr at face value in order to enhance its ownership of Little Internet Pvt Ltd, an e-commerce company, from 62.53% to roughly 78%.
Why Paytm Opted for this Shift?
The reorganisation follows a year of portfolio changes by the fintech juggernaut with the goal of streamlining ownership among group companies and refocusing on its core business. The board of Paytm approved investments of INR 455 Cr across its subsidiaries in August 2025. These investments included INR 155 Cr in Paytm Services Pvt Ltd (PSPL), which offers manpower and related services, and INR 300 Cr in Paytm Money, the company’s wealth and investment arm.
Paytm Money, which provides mutual fund distribution and stockbroking, reported a 10% decline in turnover from INR 194.1 Cr to INR 172.9 Cr in FY25. Paytm is still optimistic about the vertical’s long-term prospects, though. During the company’s Q1 earnings call, CFO Madhur Deora stated that Paytm is still doing well in the share broking space.
Paytm Money’s licence as a research analyst was issued by SEBI earlier this year, potentially creating a new source of income in the wealth management industry.
Quick
Shots
•Paytm initiates major restructuring
to bring key business units under direct ownership of parent company One97
Communications.
•Move aims to boost operational
efficiency, strengthen governance, and simplify group structure.
•Paytm to buy 51.22% stake in Paytm
Financial Services Ltd (PFSL) from founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma and VSS
Investco Pvt Ltd for up to INR 50 lakh.
•Post-acquisition, One97
Communications will fully own PFSL.
One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, has been ordered by the Office of Collector of Stamps in New Delhi to pay a penalty of INR 47.12 lakh for failing to pay stamp duty on the allotment of equity shares in recent years.
As stated in a filing with the exchange, the penalty is a consequence of the company’s failure to pay stamp duty in the amount of INR 1,43,16,535 as a result of the allocation of 10,26,386 equity shares, each of which is worth INR 10.
Despite the fact that there were delays of a few days in the submission of some applications, the company submitted applications for the payment of stamp duty at the appropriate time with the Office of Collector of Stamps in New Delhi. In the order that they were submitted, the applications in question have been processed by the Office of the Collector of Stamps.
According to the filing, the company stated, “Firm has taken all of the necessary steps to be more diligent in doing our best to avoid similar instances in the future.”
What Is Stamp Duty?
The government levies a charge known as stamp duty on legal papers, particularly those that pertain to the transfer of property, the issue of shares, and other types of financial transactions.
It is necessary for the legal validity and enforcement of these documents, which are payable when particular transactions take place, such as the transfer of property ownership or the formation of legal agreements.
Paytm Sailing through Troubled Waters
The Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) levied a penalty of INR 5.49 crore against Paytm Payments Bank Ltd. for violating the Prevention of Money Laundering Act earlier in the month of March.
The bank was allegedly involved in supporting illicit activities, such as online gambling, through its accounts, which led to the imposition of the penalty. According to the findings of the Financial Intelligence Unit of India (FIU-IND), the bank has violated the rules regarding anti-money laundering, combatting financing of terrorism, and KYC (Know Your Client).
In its response, Paytm Payments Bank stated that the problems were related to a business sector that had been discontinued and that it has also enhanced its monitoring and reporting mechanisms since previous statements.
This is a warning lesson for all businesses, as Paytm went from being a pioneering firm to having to face regulatory roadblocks. Because of this, the complex equilibrium that exists between rapid growth and tight compliance is brought to light. All companies would be well to take note of Paytm’s experiences and reevaluate their compliance practices in light of these difficulties.
Innovation is the engine that drives expansion, but compliance with laws and regulations is what assures long-term viability. By ensuring that their pursuit of innovation does not eclipse the need for compliance, businesses have a responsibility to work towards striking a balance between these factors.
The Indian startup circuit has witnessed many astounding stories. The growth of many multinational companies has added to its worth and value as an ecosystem where everyone gets an opportunity to shine and rise. With the new era approaching, it is time to have a sneak peek into one of the most successful entrepreneurs, Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Well, if you are residing in India or if you have kept in touch with the Indian startup ecosystem, then you might have heard about Paytm. It is one of the first e-wallets and is still considered the representative of the Indian startup system in the e-wallet circuit.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is a billionaire with a $1.2 billion net worth. Once, Sharma used to earn around Rs 10,000 a month when he was 27 years old and based in Aligarh. From the small town of Aligarh to being the head of one of the largest fintech companies focused on digital payments and wallet-based payments, the journey of Vijay Shekhar Sharma is as unique and interesting as it is inspiring.
So, let’s take a walk along the journey of Vijay Shekhar Sharma and get a glance at the key highlights of Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s Story, Education, net worth, obstacles & more.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma- Biography
Name
Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Born
8 July 1978 Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
Citizenship
Indian
Education
B.Tech from Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University)
Vijay’s story can be compared with that of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Both of them came from small towns but were full of sheer determination and passion, and eventually brought about a big change in the system. In real life, Vijay is self-effacing and has no pretensions. He speaks from the heart. His colleagues love him because he is a genuine person who is kind to all. Talking about the Indian startup circuit, everyone loves him because he epitomizes startup resilience.
Vijay is further known for his love of rock music and rock concerts. The Paytm founder is also famous for his heartfelt speeches. Furthermore, he is a really cheerful person as a CEO and often takes the stage to deliver motivational speeches that are roaringly applauded both by the employees of Paytm and other audiences.
Whenever Vijay shared his life story, one would get the idea that he truly understands what it takes to succeed in the ever-changing and challenging world of entrepreneurship. He has been on the receiving side of the harsh times when one would have to toil hard with no guarantee of success. However, Vijay has a wonderful ability, which is to make others laugh because he admires his roots and failures.
The above-mentioned characteristics of Vijay make him one of the most charming CEOs in the country today. However, one must be aware of the fact that his self-effacing humour doesn’t take away Vijay’s staunch belief in inspiring change.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma- Overcoming The Tough Circumstances
Vijay was the third of four children born to school teacher Sulom Prakash and Asha Sharma, a homemaker. He has seen the tough life of the economically backward section of the country. When he was a 12-year-old kid who used to sport a chappal and visit his school, his batchmates had no money to afford a pair of slippers. After witnessing this, he wrote a poem expressing his bewilderment at the inequalities of life.
Vijay hailed from Aligarh, where he was based in a small town. Vijay was once considered an ineligible bachelor, earning around Rs 10,000 a month at the age of 27. Though the challenges tried hard to bring him down, he always had the ember in him to shine.
Sharma didn’t even have an educational background in English and was hence quite poor in the language. However, he didn’t shy away from it but taught himself English through rock music.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma was, nevertheless, quite inclined to literature, Hindi literature to be precise, since his early school days. He wrote many poems and even got some of them published. The Paytm chief recently shared on Twitter one of the poems he had written back in 1991 on August 6, 2022. The poem is titled “Vishwas Karo Karm Mein” and is motivational to the very brim, so much so that it strikes the right chords even with the netizens.
Just found my poem, from our school magazine published in 1991. 😊 I was in class 10 then. pic.twitter.com/84pVlrBGJw
Vijay was one of the two people from his village who went on to pursue engineering. Vijay holds an engineering degree from the prestigious Delhi Institute of Technology. As per Vijay, if one used to study in a Hindi-Medium school, he/she had to face many difficulties. A child reading in the 1990s framed Hindi-medium school rarely had access to books and coaching facilities! Therefore, Vijay realized he was alone on his path to success.
During his time at DTU, he expressed his life in a manner similar to the popular Bollywood movie Tare Zameen Par! That is, he could see the lips of his teacher moving, but he could not understand a single word! While preparing for the exams, he and his friends would read the answers and not know the questions because the questions were written in English. However, he conquered one of his greatest fears successfully!
Paytm, which was founded in August 2010, has always been highly valued as a company and features as one of the biggest digital payment services relied upon by merchants and users alike. Furthermore, it has recently witnessed one of the biggest IPOs in Indian history, which kickstarted on November 8, 2021. However, ever since the listing of Paytm shares, the company has witnessed some challenging drops in the share prices, which declined to a record low of nearly 37% to hit an all-time low of Rs 1,283 per share. Nevertheless, the shares of the company had finally seen a rise of 9% in prices, as reported on November 23, 2021.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s Paytm was recently barred by the RBI from onboarding new customers under its banking vertical, Paytm Payments Bank. This significantly affected Paytm’s performance on the share market. Right after the spreading of the news, the company’s shares tanked 14% to hit a new low of Rs 672 on the BSE in the intra-day trade on March 14, 2022. All of this started after it went for its public listing.
Paytm, which once commanded the market and looked forward to a magnanimous public listing with an issue price of Rs 2,150, has witnessed a considerable erosion of its value, which waned by 70%. As per the reports dated March 18, 2022, the Paytm Founder and CEO, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, has lost around Rs 88 crore daily after its stock market debut on November 18, 2022.
Paytm has seen a whole lot of controversies since the wake of the new year, 2022. Amidst the free fall of its shares that the fintech company is witnessing, reports of the arrest of the Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma were also circulated. Vijay Sharma was allegedly arrested and bailed on the same day, February 22, 2022, for hitting the vehicle of DCP (South Delhi) Benita Mary Jaiker. Though the fintech company and its founder are currently pitted against challenges on all sides, this too, will pass.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma- Converting The Obstacles Into Opportunities
Vijay Shekhar Sharma: Founder and CEO of Paytm and One97 Communications
The turning point in Vijay’s life came when he went to market one Sunday and picked up a Forbes magazine. He came to know about the success stories of mega-brands like Apple, Intel, and HP and how they became one of the biggest names in the startup circuit. Each of the companies had one thing in common: all of them were built from basement garages! Then, Vijay wanted to go to Silicon Valley. But, due to a lack of money and resources, that was never possible. Therefore, despite giving up, he taught me that even though Vijay couldn’t visit Silicon Valley, he could create one in India!
Hence, he started an internet company with his friend Hari during his college days in 1997. It was in their second year of college that Vijay started a company called XS Corps back in 1997. Both of them wanted to develop search engines, and they knew that the search engine would become the main attraction given the fact that the internet was taking giant strides in the technology circuit during that time. Reflecting on this, Harinder Takhar and Vijay Shekhar Sharma managed to build indiasite.net, which was made to serve as a search engine for a firm. After working on it strenuously for a period of 2 years, they managed to pull off a great deal and sold the website to US Lotus Interworks for a million dollars.
It was in the same year, early in his career, that Vijay Shekhar Sharma developed electronic itineraries for Jet Airways. He also made another website for India’s tourism department. In contrast to the other ventures in his professional career, where he was utterly serious, passionate, and dedicated, Sharma was really impatient when it came to studies. He often used to walk out of the examinations. I wanted to achieve a lot in a short span,” said Sharma.
Sharma’s company, XS Corps, was attempting to create a search engine in India. Though this idea could not be materialized then, due to the scarcity of funding, the company managed to create a content management tool, which helped several media agencies like Living Media and Express Group to host their content. In the final year of college, Sharma aimed to go for River Run Software, which offered the highest-paid job on campus. Sharma still has the memories of the interview day really fresh in his mind. It was one such occasion where he was under immense pressure, which was similar to some more instances. For instance, when he sat in front of Jack Ma or when he sat face to face with the RBI governor, it was the same inexplicable pressure that Vijay experienced.
XS Corps was acquired by a US entrepreneur in 1999 for $1 million of cash and some stocks. This gave him the opportunity to pay off his father’s debt, and in doing that, he left the job there. However, his parent insisted he join a real job, but his sheer determination towards developing a new company never allowed him to stay in the traditional job for a long period! Throughout his life, Vijay wanted to be a bird who had freedom; he never wanted to be a horse who ran the same track over and over again!
Hence, to pursue his dream, he founded One97 Communications in 2000 with an aim to create an online directory for people to access through SMS. Sharma managed to work on the idea and managed to expand other value-added services like live astrology, cricket, songs, and more. However, soon after, he realized that recovering money from telecom operators in India wasn’t as easy as it seemed. In his first tenure, he learned that cash flow matters, not profitability! With the lack of a collection team and mounting outstanding amounts, the company was on the verge of collapse, and Sharma again had to hit the roads for a new job in 2003.
This was because he was the victim of this cash flow problem, as his clients would never pay him on time. Sharma took up repairing computers against a daily wage and was forced to sell 40% of the company for Rs 8 lakh to his angel investor at that time. It was high time for Vijay as his sister’s marriage was coming up, and he wanted to secure that marriage. There was a big problem for the family as his father, even though he was clean on the loan defaulters sheet, was not granted a loan of 2 lakhs! Hence, by drawing inspiration, he developed Paytm, the platform that aimed to resolve the issues of the poor and economically backward sections of society. The platform was built for a shopkeeper or an auto-rickshaw driver who is never respected or liked by any financial institution.
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The platform has been synonymous with the rise of e-wallet in the country. The Paytm Payments Bank has become the first platform to offer a zero-balance account facility. This platform also offers UPI payments and shopping facilities. Paytm as a brand continues to rise in the modern-day era of e-commerce.
How to Be Fearless By Vijay Sharma – Founder of Paytm
Vijay Shekhar Sharma – Awards and Recognitions
Vijay Shekhar Sharma has received numerous awards and recognitions during his career, some of which are:
Received Best Serial Entrepreneur Award at Rural and Urban Development Summit 2022 from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt. of India.
Forbes magazine has ranked me as the youngest Indian billionaire.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma was felicitated with the Yash Bharati Award, the highest civilian award from the Uttar Pradesh government.
He was ranked in the 62nd position in the Forbes list of the richest person in India in 2020.
He was listed as the youngest billionaire in India in 2017, with a net worth of $1.3 billion.
Time Magazine listed Sharma among the 100 most influential people in 2017.
Sharma was recognized by The Economic Times as the ET Entrepreneur of the Year for 2016.
He was also named the Dataquest IT Man of the Year in 2017.
Sharma was felicitated with an Honorary Doctorate from Amity University, Gurgaon, in 2016.
He received the title Businessman of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2016.
He also became the NDTV Indian of the Year in 2016.
Sharma also emerged as India’s Hottest Business Leader under 40, as recognized by The Economic Times in 2015.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma- An Inspiration
Vijay has been the face of the economically backward section of Indian society. Even though he came from a family that had financial issues, he was able to break the barriers and work for the betterment of society. Undoubtedly, Vijay is one of the biggest names in the Indian Startup circuit!
Paytm is the biggest E-commerce company in India which specializes in the digital transactions system. Paytm is trusted and used by millions of Indians for shopping, transferring cash, booking tickets, and paying day-to-day bills. How did Paytm get here? The journey was not an easy one!
Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Paytm.
Paytm was founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma with an initial investment of $2 million in 2010. It has its headquarters at Noida.
The idea of Paytm
Vijay Shekhar got the idea to build Paytm during his visit to China when he saw vegetable vendors using their cell phones to accept payments from some buyers. This prompted him to set up a Paytm wallet in 2013. Paytm is the most secure application. Paytm gives App secret word to your Paytm wallet and uses QR codes to complete transactions.
Facts about Paytm Owners and shares of Paytm
Paytm is an acronym for “Payment Through Mobile”
Paytm attracted a large crowd for the ease of online recharges, wallets, and shopping experiences. It also offered cashback and free movie tickets to its users.
One97 Communications is the parent company of Paytm
In 2005, Vijay Shekhar Sharma began One97 Communications that offered portable content like news, cricket scores, ringtones, jokes, and test results. One97 is the parent organization of Paytm, which was launched in 2010.
PayPal filed a case against Paytm in 2016
PayPal filed a case against Paytm in 2016 on the grounds of using similar blends of colors in its logo. Paypal claimed Paytm had stolen from its logo and created a logo that was “blatantly and strikingly similar” to its own logo. The two-toned blue color scheme was a resemblance to the Paypal logo. Paypal objected that Paytm wanted to gain an advantage over its opponent and ruin its reputation!
The default language selected for Paytm is english. However, Paytm is avaliable in 10 different Indian languages. Some of these include Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, and Punjabi. Paytm has reached almost 88% of Indian villages and most of the users are based in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Paytm says that many Indians have still no access no internet even today and hence, they are taking a step towards “Digital India”
Paytm wallet application counts to 100 Million downloads
Paytm wallets applications has 100 Million downloads on Google play store. There are over 350 million Paytm users.
Jack Ma Purchased Stakes in Paytm
In 2015, Chinese money manager Jack Ma, proprietor of Alibaba Group, purchased a $500 million stake in Paytm. Jack Ma is assessed to hold 30 to 40 percent of Paytm. Alibaba holds a share of 25% of Paytm. Alibaba presently gives help to Paytm to further develop extortion detection and satisfaction systems also.
Paytm contributed to PM cares fund during COVID-19 pandemic
Paytm has great contribution during Covid 19 pandemic. It has contributed to PM CARES relief fund. Each Rs 10 received via a single user was donated to the PM cares fund via the Paytm app. In 10 days, Paytm had collected Rs 100 crore Via Paytm, 21000 oxygen cans were shipped to patients in need, and oxygen plants were donated to 13 of the worst-hit cities in India.
Paytm launched Paytm Mall in 2017 which permits customers to shop from 1.4 lakh enlisted sellers. It is a BTC model inspired by China’s TMall. Paytm Mall has set up 17 content communities across India and collaborated with in excess of 40 messengers. Paytm Mall raised $200 million from Alibaba Group and SAIF Partners in March 2018. Paytm Mall suffered a loss of around ₹1,800 crores and its market share dropped from 5.6% to 3%.
FAQs
When was Paytm founded?
Paytm was founded by Vijay Shekar Sharma in 2009.
Who is the owner of Paytm?
Paytm parent organisation One97 Communications owns the company.
Is Paytm owned by Tata?
No. Ratan Tata has invested in Paytm in March 2015. He picked up a stake in Paytm parent company, One97 Communications. He also plays a role of an advisor for the company.
