OYO Founder Ritesh Agarwal's Journey: From Small Town to ₹200 Crore Company

• Ritesh Agarwal, founder of OYO, shared his journey from Rayagada, Odisha, to building a global company, inspired by young American entrepreneurs.
• He received $1000 from Peter Thiel, which he used for his first flight to San Francisco in 2013, marking a turning point in his life.
• Ritesh's mother initially worried about his entrepreneurial path, but now, being a founder is highly respected, reflecting India's changing perception of startups.
• OYO, started as Oravel Stays in 2011, evolved into OYO Rooms in 2013, providing standardized, affordable hotel rooms and rapidly expanding globally.
• Despite COVID-19 challenges, OYO reported its first profit of ₹229 crore in 2023-24, with a projected profit of ₹623 crore in 2025, and Ritesh is now a judge on Shark Tank India.

Why It Matters: Ritesh Agarwal's story exemplifies how vision, perseverance, and India's evolving startup ecosystem can lead to global success.