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Ritesh Agarwal (OYO Founder) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth16 November 1993

Age30 Years

BirthplaceBissam Cuttack, Rayagada, Orissa (now Odisha), India

ProfessionEntrepreneur

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseGeetansha Sood

FamilySon - Aryan Agarwal; Father - Ramesh Agarwal (died in 2023); Brother - Aashish Agarwal

Net worthRs. 16,000 crores ($2.1 billion)

Ritesh Agarwal (OYO Founder) Biography

Ritesh Agarwal is an Indian entrepreneur best known for founding OYO Rooms, a hospitality company that grew rapidly after its 2013 launch. A college drop‑p

Early life and background

Ritesh Agarwal was born on 16 November 1993 in Bissam Cuttack, Rayagada, in what is now Odisha, India. Raised in a business-class Marwari family, he spent parts of his childhood in Cuttack and later Titilagarh where his family ran a small grocery shop. He was the youngest of several siblings and showed an early interest in technology and reading. By the age of eight he began learning coding and, as a teenager, he sold SIM cards and pursued extra coaching while preparing for competitive exams in Kota.

Agarwal attended Sacred Heart School in Rayagada and later St. Johns Senior Secondary School. He enrolled in the University of London’s international programme through the Indian School of Business and Finance in New Delhi, but did not complete the degree and became a college dropout to focus full time on entrepreneurship.

Career

Agarwal’s entrepreneurial path started early. He published a book in 2011 that compiled information on engineering colleges and went on to found Worth Growth Partners, aiming to help multinational companies grow in India. He later launched Oravel Travels, a platform intended to help hotels manage reservations, payments and invoicing. After securing early angel backing of about $40,000 from VentureNursery in 2012, he evolved that business into a new hospitality concept.

In January 2013 he rebranded Oravel Travels as OYO (On Your Own) Rooms, a company focused on standardizing budget hotel rooms and expanding rapidly in India and beyond. That same year he was selected for the Thiel Fellowship, becoming the first resident Asian recipient; the program included a $100,000 fellowship and exposure to entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley.

Under his leadership, OYO pursued acquisitions and partnerships to build scale. The company bought Chennai-based Novascotia Boutique Homes to strengthen its presence in southern India and acquired Weddingz in 2018 to enter the wedding hospitality segment. OYO raised significant funding rounds, including a $1 billion round reported in 2018 and other investments such as $100 million from Didi Chuxing in 2019. The company also worked on data science initiatives and acquired technology assets such as Qlik Pass in 2016.

Agarwal has held director and designated partner roles in several related entities including Raaga Partners LLP, Redsprig Innovation Partners LLP, and Dayzero Holdings Private Limited. OYO launched programs aimed at partner engagement and growth, including an OPEN Program initiated in 2019.

Awards and recognition

Agarwal received multiple honors early in his career, reflecting his profile as a young founder. His recognitions include the Thiel Fellowship (2013), selection in Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 lists for consumer technology, and numerous entrepreneurship and young achiever awards from Indian and international organizations across 2013–2022.

Public profile

Agarwal’s public profile has been shaped by rapid expansion and rising scrutiny. OYO and its leadership have faced regulatory and legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions. In 2022 the Competition Commission of India imposed a fine on OYO related to competition concerns. Earlier investigations and complaints dating from 2019–2020 included allegations and FIRs lodged by individual hotel owners and business partners, and regulatory action in the United States resulted in a monetary penalty by the California authority in 2020 over compliance issues.

Personal life

Ritesh Agarwal is married to businesswoman Geetansha Sood; the couple married on 7 March 2023. They have one son, born on 7 December 2023. Agarwal’s parents include his late father Ramesh Agarwal, who died in 2023, and he has an elder brother named Aashish Agarwal. He follows a vegetarian diet and lists hobbies such as cycling, traveling, reading and watching documentaries.

Latest updates

As of the most recent information, Agarwal continues to be associated with OYO and its various business interests. The company has remained active in fundraising, acquisitions and program launches aimed at consolidating its hotel and wedding-services businesses. His public recognition continues to include awards earned through 2022, and his personal milestones in 2023—marriage and the birth of his son—have been publicly noted.
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Recent Work

OYO Rooms (founder)

Founded and scaled OYO, a hospitality company that standardizes and aggregates budget hotel rooms and expanded through acquisitions and fundraising.

2013–present
Acquisition of Weddingz

OYO entered the Indian wedding services market through the acquisition of Mumbai-based Weddingz.

2018
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Career Highlights

  1. Founded OYO Rooms in 2013 after evolving Oravel Travels
  2. Recipient of the Thiel Fellowship (2013) and multiple entrepreneurship awards
  3. Led OYO through major funding rounds and strategic acquisitions, including a reported $1 billion funding round in 2018
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Net Worth

Rs. 16,000 crores ($2.1 billion)

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Ritesh Agarwal (OYO Founder) born?

16 November 1993

What is Ritesh Agarwal (OYO Founder) known for?

Entrepreneur

What is Ritesh Agarwal (OYO Founder)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Ritesh Agarwal (OYO Founder) married to?

Geetansha Sood

What is Ritesh Agarwal (OYO Founder)’s net worth?

Rs. 16,000 crores ($2.1 billion)