Harshil Mathur, co-founder of Razorpay and a key figure in India's fintech revolution, shares his inspiring journey from coding at IIT Roorkee to transforming digital payments. He discusses the early challenges of being young founders and the organic evolution of Razorpay from a side project. Harshil unpacks the complexities behind payment systems and the significance of UPI, as well as the regulatory landscape. Insights on balancing innovation with regulations and the future of biometric payments round out this enlightening conversation for aspiring entrepreneurs and fintech enthusiasts.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Sam Altman's Advice on Appearance
Harshil Mathur was advised by Sam Altman to "look older" to get taken seriously by banks during early fundraising.
He started wearing suits and grooming differently to fit into the financial industry culture.
question_answer ANECDOTE
College Coding Group Seeded Razorpay
In college, Harshil formed a coding community called SDS Labs to build software and products.
This community planted seeds for Razorpay as many early members became co-founders and collaborators.
question_answer ANECDOTE
From Oil Rigs to Coding Passion
Harshil worked on oil rigs with Schlumberger but found it physically demanding and boring.
He realized his passion was coding and building software, leading him to start Razorpay.
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What does it take to build one of India’s most important fintech companies from scratch?
In this candid and deeply insightful conversation, Razorpay co-founder Harshil Mathur walks us through his journey, from coding at IIT Roorkee and working on oil rigs at Schlumberger to co-creating Razorpay, a company that has redefined digital payments in India. We dive into the early struggles of being taken seriously as young founders, the organic evolution of Razorpay from a side project, and the philosophy behind choosing a B2B path when the world was chasing B2C valuations. Harshil also unpacks the real complexity behind payment systems, the rise of UPI, the regulatory ecosystem, and what the future of seamless, biometric-based payments looks like.
Whether you're a fintech enthusiast, aspiring founder, or just curious about how India's digital economy was built—this episode is packed with stories, strategies, and sharp insights.
About SparX by Mukesh BansalSparX is a podcast where we delve into cutting-edge scientific research, stories from impact-makers and tools for unlocking the secrets to human potential and growth. We believe that entrepreneurship, fitness and the science of productivity is at the forefront of the India Story; the country is at the cusp of greatness and at SparX, we wish to make these tools accessible for every generation of Indians to be able to make the most of the opportunities around us. In a new episode every Saturday, our host Mukesh Bansal (Founder of Myntra and Cult.fit) will talk to guests from all walks of life and also break down everything he's learnt about the science of impact over the course of his 20-year long career. This is the India Century, and we're enthusiastic to start this journey with you.Follow us on our Instagram: / sparxbymukeshbansal Also check out our website: https://www.sparxbymukeshbansal.com You can also listen to SparX on all audio platforms!Fasion | Outbreak | Courtesy EpidemicSound.com
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