RITESH AGARWAL
ENTREPRENEUR
Necessity is the mother of invention. An adventurer and travel enthusiast, he struggled to find affordable hotels wherever he went. An ardent traveller since 17, he obtained a rich experience of staying in numerous bed and breakfasts, guest houses, and hotels, where he perceived a significant want in affordable accommodations. A comfortable living space and a better life is what everybody deserves from a hotel. A memorable hotel stay leads to customer satisfaction which only help the industry to grow. These experiences were instrumental in realizing his own venture. At a young age of 19, his innovative and enterprising mind made him travel extensively to appreciate the ground realities of the hotel industry, leading to the formation of his own venture in 2012: “Oravel Stays”.
At 19 itself, Mr. Ritesh Agarwal was selected for the Thiel Fellowship, to receive a
grant of $100,000, following which this indomitable young man established himself
as one of the youngest self-made billionaires of the world.
Mr. Agarwal, born in a Marwari family in Bissam Cuttack, was brought up in Titlagarh, completing his schooling from Rayagada. His budget accommodation portal- ‘Oravel Stays’ was later relaunched as OYO Rooms of which he is both the founder and CEO. The OYO Rooms is the fastest growing branded network of hotels both online and offline. He has left a significant mark in society when it comes to attaining great strides at a very young age. His venture was one of the 8 hottest circulating startups in news. He was honoured with the TIE Luminous Entrepreneurial Excellence award.
His inspiring story teaches us to be a guiding light for the coming generations. By recognising him as the Crown Jewels of Odisha, we at VARINDIA, invite the
youth to dare step out of their boundaries, think different, and innovate for a robust tomorrow following the footsteps of this one-of-a-kind man.
