Paytm (an acronym for Pay Through Mobile) is India’s leading digital payments and financial services platform, operated by One97 Communications Ltd. Founded in 2010 by Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Paytm has transformed how Indians pay, shop, invest, and manage money.
Headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Paytm began as a simple mobile recharge and bill payment service but has since grown into a full-stack financial ecosystem serving both consumers and merchants. With over 300 million registered users and 44 million merchants, it is among India’s largest digital platforms.
Payments: UPI, QR-based payments, Paytm Wallet, Soundbox, POS devices
Banking & Finance: Paytm Payments Bank, Paytm Money (stocks, mutual funds), Paytm Insurance, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)
Commerce & Services: Bill payments, mobile/DTH recharge, travel & movie ticketing, events via Paytm Insider
Others: Gaming (Paytm First Games), loyalty programs, advertising
Mission: To bring 500 million unserved and underserved Indians into the mainstream digital economy.
Vision: To be India’s most trusted and comprehensive payments & financial services ecosystem, empowering individuals and small businesses.
Parent Company: One97 Communications Ltd. (Listed since 2021)
Founder & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Employees: ~28,000 (2024)
Stock Listing: NSE & BSE (Ticker: PAYTM)
Major Investors: Ant Financial (Alibaba Group), SoftBank, Berkshire Hathaway, SAIF Partners
Milestones:
2014 – Launched digital wallet
2017 – Launched Paytm Payments Bank
2021 – Largest IPO in India’s history
2025 – Received RBI’s in-principle approval to operate as a payment aggregator; reported first quarterly net profit