Ritesh Agarwal: The Phenomenal Journey of a Self-Made Billionaire

The name Ritesh Agarwal is now synonymous with affordable, standardized, and technology-driven hospitality services worldwide. He is the founder and CEO of OYO (On Your Own) Rooms, a multinational hospitality chain of leased and franchised hotels, homes and living spaces. From a small-town dreamer to the head of one of the world’s fastest-growing hospitality chains, his journey speaks of his spirit of entrepreneurship, which embodies innovation, resilience and passion.

Ritesh was born on 16 November 1993 in Bissam Cuttack, Odisha and grew up in Titilagarh. His family ran a small shop in Rayagada. Right from his childhood, he was drawn to computers, and coding was his first love. He attended Sacred Heart School and later St John’s Senior Secondary School. In 2009, he enrolled in IIT Kota, but his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for coding soon led him down a different path. He dropped out to pursue his tech dreams and moved to Delhi in 2011, seeking greater opportunities and a platform to launch his entrepreneurial career.

Starting as a struggling teenager to leaving college for his own business, Ritesh went against what people thought he should do.

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