15 Facts About Ritesh Agarwal

Ritesh Agarwal was born on 16 November 1993 and is an Indian billionaire entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of OYO Rooms, a hospitality chain.

Ritesh Agarwal has been a panellist on Shark Tank India in 2024.

Ritesh Agarwal was born in a Marwari family in Bissam Cuttack, Orissa, India and was brought up in Titilagarh.

Ritesh Agarwal's family operated a small shop in Rayagada, Odisha.

Ritesh Agarwal completed his schooling at Sacred Heart School, and later at St John's Senior Secondary School, before moving to Delhi in 2011 for college.

Ritesh Agarwal married Geetansha Sood, a native of Lucknow, on 7 March 2023.

In 2011, Ritesh Agarwal founded an Airbnb equivalent called "Oravel Stays".

Ritesh Agarwal's enterprise was accelerated through the Venture Nursery program in 2012, and was later one of the winners of the 2013 Thiel Fellowship, receiving a US$100,000 grant.

In July 2019, it was reported that Ritesh Agarwal purchased billion in shares, tripling his stake in the company.

Ritesh Agarwal appeared on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Asia.

In 2023, Ritesh Agarwal became the youngest "Shark" to appear on Shark Tank India.

In 2024, Ritesh Agarwal continued to lead OYO Rooms as it built on its success from the previous year.

Ritesh Agarwal focused on expanding its presence in key international markets, particularly in the Nordic countries, Southeast Asia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, where it had seen strong growth.

Ritesh Agarwal made headlines for his prediction that spiritual tourism would become a significant driver of India's tourism industry over the next five years.

Ritesh Agarwal was accused of cheating by OYO's co-founder, Manish Sinha, during the early periods of the company.