How 24-year-old Ritesh Agarwal built Oyo into a $5 billion startup in just 5 years
6 years, 3 months ago

How 24-year-old Ritesh Agarwal built Oyo into a $5 billion startup in just 5 years

Live Mint  

Bangalore: Finding clean, affordable hotels in India can be a traveller’s nightmare. “By 2023, we will be the world’s largest hotel chain,” the 24-year-old founder said in a recent interview at an Oyo hotel in a suburb of New Delhi, where the company is based. “Oyo is going all out to build a very large base of hotel partners and become a bona-fide brand,” said Mrigank Gutgutia, an analyst with RedSeer Management Consulting. “Their app model works well because price-conscious travellers who search by location like to feel they have lots of choices.” Agarwal wouldn’t give sales numbers, but he said the number of transactions has tripled in the last year, with 90% coming from repeat travellers -- and no money spent on advertising. That makes the startup India’s second most-valuable, after One97 Communications, owner of Paytm, a digital payments company with financial backing from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. A college dropout in a country where university pedigree is obsessed over, Agarwal has become an unlikely business star, with frequent appearances on televised award shows and a cover story last year in Forbes India.

History of this topic

OYO Results: Hotels chain operator reports ₹114.64 crore net profit in FY2024, revenue drop 15%
1 week, 1 day ago
Over 10 lakh people used OYO rooms on NYE, says Ritesh Agarwal: ‘Our users are certified night owls’
2 weeks, 1 day ago
Oyo buys US-based G6 Hospitality from Blackstone for $525 mn, adds 1,500 hotels
3 weeks, 2 days ago
Oyo founder Ritesh Agarwal to invest ₹550 crore into the company for global expansion
1 month, 4 weeks ago
Oyo founder Ritesh Agarwal invests Rs 830 crore in funding round, valuation drops to $2.4 billion
5 months ago
Why Oyo boss Ritesh Agarwal must clean up before the IPO
2 years, 1 month ago
OYO to cut 10% employee base, to let go 600 from tech and hire 250 in sales
2 years, 1 month ago
OYO Founder Ritesh Agarwal Shares Investment Lessons he Learned in 2021; See Here
3 years ago
Ritesh Agarwal: Room to grow
3 years ago
OYO appoints Ankit Gupta as CEO; to lead flagship hotels, homes
3 years, 2 months ago
SoftBank-backed Oyo files draft papers for $1.14 billion IPO
3 years, 3 months ago
Microsoft in advanced talks to invest in OYO: Report
3 years, 5 months ago
OYO raises $660 million via debt funding from investors
3 years, 5 months ago
OYO raises $660 mn debt from investors
3 years, 5 months ago
Oyo has $1 billion to fund operations until IPO, CEO Ritesh Agarwal tells employees
4 years, 1 month ago
Oyo CEO says company’s business has rebounded from spring nadir
4 years, 2 months ago
Oyo founder Ritesh Agarwal launches early-stage VC fund
4 years, 5 months ago
India Today E-Conclave | We are in a good place: Oyo founder dismisses company obituaries
4 years, 8 months ago
Oyo to offload more loss-making hotels; coronavirus pandemic derails plans for rapid global expansion
4 years, 8 months ago
Oyo is firing thousands of staff across China and India, cites non-performance
5 years ago
Oyo likely to cut 2,000 jobs in India by end-January as part of cost-cutting, technology addition measures
5 years ago
Oyo elevates India and South Asia CEO Aditya Ghosh to board of directors
5 years, 1 month ago
Aditya Ghosh on OYO board, Rohit Kapoor new India CEO
5 years, 1 month ago
Hotel operators who partnered with Oyo call it 'biggest online fraud', demand criminal probe against Softbank-backed startup now poised to raise $1.5 bn
5 years, 3 months ago
Founder’s buyback lifts Oyo valuation to $10 billion
5 years, 3 months ago
OYO to raise $1.5 billion in latest round of funding
5 years, 3 months ago
Oyo is successful because of its business model: CEO Ritesh Agarwal
5 years, 3 months ago
OYO to add over 3,000 employees in India over 6 months
5 years, 4 months ago
Oyo share buyback: Japanese financial groups’ consortium led by Mizuho, Nomura fund Ritesh Agarwal’s $2 bn stake repurchase
5 years, 5 months ago
OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal to buy back shares from early investors for USD 2 billion
5 years, 5 months ago
Oyo says it is world's third largest hotel chain by room count; UK, US markets remain strong growth drivers for company
5 years, 6 months ago
Oyo’s preparing to list in next 2-3 years, eyes up to $18 billion valuation
5 years, 6 months ago
Oyo creates over 1 lakh direct and indirect jobs in India; aims to double number by next year
5 years, 9 months ago
Oyo books $200 million funding from Airbnb
5 years, 9 months ago
Oyo to invest Rs 1,400 cr in India, Nepal markets to enhance infrastructure, technology; announces new brand
5 years, 10 months ago
Oyo all set to make US foray; plans to launch affordable living solutions for young people, middle-income groups
5 years, 11 months ago
Oyo’s India revenue for FY18 rises over three-fold at ₹327 crore
5 years, 11 months ago
Oyo expands international presence with Philippines foray; to invest over $50 mn, aims to create 1,000 jobs
5 years, 11 months ago
After China, UK, Oyo to expand international footprint with foray into Philippines, onboards 10 properties
5 years, 11 months ago
OYO aims at 1 million rooms to become world's 'largest' hotel chain; sets target of 2.5 million rooms by 2023
6 years ago
OYO aims at 1 million rooms to become world’s ‘largest’ hotel chain
6 years ago
OYO to add up to 500 Townhouse hotels across India in 2019 as part of expansion plan – Firstpost
6 years ago
OYO expands global presence with Sri Lanka foray; hospitality firm to strengthen presence in South Asian mkt
6 years, 1 month ago
OYO says it has emerged as one of top 5 hotel chains in China after 12 months of ops; launches six skill institutes
6 years, 1 month ago
OYO raises $1 billion fund: How 24-year-old Ritesh Agarwal turned his idea into India's second most valuable start-up
6 years, 3 months ago
OYO announces $ 1 billion fund raise for expansion; plans to scale business China, Malaysia and Nepal
6 years, 3 months ago
Oyo Rooms checks into unicorn club with $1 billion fundraise
6 years, 3 months ago
Deals Buzz: China’s Didi Chuxing may invest in Oyo Rooms
6 years, 4 months ago
SoftBank-backed Oyo is in the market to raise about $1bn; looming deal will spawn another Indian unicorn
6 years, 4 months ago

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