From IIT Roorkee to Razorpay: The Journey of India’s Youngest Billionaires

n the fast-evolving world of Indian entrepreneurship, few stories shine as brightly as that of Shashank Kumar and Harshil Mathur.

At just 34 years old, the co-founders of Razorpay have not only redefined the fintech landscape but also earned a coveted spot on the Hurun Global Rich List 2025, with a jaw-dropping net worth of ₹8,643 crore each.

Their rise from humble college dorms to the pinnacle of India’s self-made billionaire club is a testament to grit, innovation, and an unshakable belief in the power of technology to transform lives.

The Spark at IIT Roorkee

Shashank Kumar and Harshil Mathur’s journey began in the bustling corridors of IIT Roorkee, one of India’s premier engineering institutions. As students, they weren’t just chasing grades—they were chasing ideas.

United by a shared love for technology and a knack for solving real-world problems, the duo quickly became friends and collaborators.

IIT Roorkee, with its rigorous academic environment and culture of innovation, laid the foundation for what would eventually become Razorpay.

It was here that they honed their technical skills and began dreaming of something bigger than the conventional career paths most of their peers were destined to follow.

After graduating, both Kumar and Mathur took a brief detour into the corporate world. Kumar joined Microsoft as a software development engineer, immersing himself in the intricacies of large-scale software systems.

Mathur, meanwhile, carved his own path in tech, gaining valuable experience that would later prove instrumental in building Razorpay.

These stints weren’t just resume-builders—they were a crash course in understanding how technology intersects with business, a lesson that would shape their entrepreneurial vision.

Spotting the Gap: The Birth of Razorpay

By 2014, India’s digital economy was on the cusp of a revolution, but it was far from seamless. Small businesses, startups, and even larger enterprises struggled with clunky payment systems that were either too expensive or too complicated to integrate.

Kumar and Mathur saw an opportunity where others saw frustration. Armed with their technical expertise and a deep understanding of India’s unique market challenges, they launched Razorpay with a simple yet ambitious goal: to make digital payments effortless for businesses of all sizes.

The early days weren’t glamorous. Operating out of a modest setup in Bengaluru, the duo faced the classic startup hurdles—skeptical investors, a crowded market, and the daunting task of convincing merchants to trust a fledgling company.

But Kumar and Mathur brought something unique to the table: a product-first mindset. Razorpay wasn’t just another payment gateway; it was designed to be intuitive, scalable, and tailored to India’s diverse business ecosystem.

From mom-and-pop shops to tech unicorns, they wanted every merchant to feel like Razorpay was built just for them.

The Fintech Revolution Takes Off

What started as a solution for a handful of businesses quickly snowballed into a fintech juggernaut. Razorpay’s user-friendly interface, robust APIs, and ability to handle everything from one-time payments to subscriptions caught the attention of India’s startup boom.

By 2016, the company had raised significant funding from marquee investors like Tiger Global and Y Combinator, marking its entry into the big leagues.

Kumar and Mathur’s focus on innovation didn’t stop at payments—they expanded Razorpay into a full-stack financial services platform, offering tools like payroll management, vendor payments, and even neo-banking solutions.

Their timing couldn’t have been better. India’s 2016 demonetization push and the subsequent rise of UPI accelerated the shift to digital payments, and Razorpay rode the wave with finesse.

While competitors scrambled to adapt, Kumar and Mathur doubled down on their mission to empower businesses, ensuring Razorpay stayed ahead of the curve.

Their relentless drive paid off: by 2025, Razorpay was processing billions in transactions annually, serving over 10 million businesses, and cementing its status as a cornerstone of India’s fintech ecosystem.

From Dreamers to Billionaires

The Hurun Global Rich List 2025 isn’t just a milestone for Kumar and Mathur—it’s a symbol of how far they’ve come. At 34, they’re not only India’s youngest billionaires but also poster boys for the country’s self-made success stories.

Their ₹8,643 crore net worth each reflects not just financial triumph but the value they’ve created for millions of businesses and consumers. Razorpay’s valuation has soared into the multi-billion-dollar territory, a feat that speaks volumes about their ability to scale a vision into a global brand.

Lessons from the Top

The journey of Shashank Kumar and Harshil Mathur offers a blueprint for aspiring entrepreneurs.

It’s a story of spotting a problem, building a solution, and scaling it with unwavering focus. It’s about taking risks—like leaving cushy corporate jobs to chase a dream—and staying adaptable in a market that’s constantly shifting.

Above all, it’s a reminder that in today’s India, where technology is rewriting the rules of business, the next big idea could come from anywhere—even a dorm room in Roorkee.

As Razorpay continues to innovate and India’s fintech sector soars to new heights, Kumar and Mathur aren’t resting on their laurels.

They’re already eyeing the future—be it through global expansion or pioneering the next wave of financial tools.

For now, though, their rise to the top in 2025 stands as an inspiration to millions, proving that with the right mix of talent, timing, and tenacity, even the loftiest dreams can become reality.