OYO Founder Ritesh Agarwal: From Small Town Dreams to Billion-Dollar Empire

• Ritesh Agarwal, founder of OYO, grew up in Rayagada, Odisha, and was inspired by young entrepreneurs in America to pursue his dreams.
• He dropped out of college after 12th grade, influenced by "The Social Network," and secured a Peter Thiel Fellowship, receiving $1,000 to travel to San Francisco in 2013.
• Initially launching "Oravel Stays" in 2011, he rebranded it to OYO Rooms in 2013, focusing on standardized, affordable hotel rooms.
• OYO expanded rapidly, becoming a unicorn by 2018 and operating in over 40 countries, managing approximately one million rooms.
• Despite COVID-19 challenges, OYO achieved its first profit of ₹229 crores in 2023–24, with Ritesh Agarwal's net worth estimated at ₹16,000 crores by January 2026.

Why It Matters: Ritesh Agarwal's journey from a small town to building OYO into a global empire inspires aspiring entrepreneurs.