Early Life
Harshil Mathur was born and raised in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. He pursued his education at Seedling Public School and graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee in 2013 with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering. During his time at IIT Roorkee, Mathur was actively involved in various clubs and organizations, which helped him develop his problem-solving abilities and entrepreneurial mindset. Prior to founding Razorpay, he worked as a Wireline Field Engineer at Schlumberger.
Rise to Success
Mathur co-founded Razorpay in 2014 with Shashank Kumar, aiming to simplify digital payments for businesses in India. Razorpay's journey started with the realization of the cumbersome online payment systems that existed in India. Mathur and Kumar identified a significant gap in the market, especially for startups and small enterprises. Harshil and his co-founder faced over 100 rejections from investors before securing funding, demonstrating their determination. Razorpay quickly gained traction, attracting major investors, and becoming a unicorn in 2020.
Key Business Strategies
Razorpay's success lies in its focus on innovation, customer-centricity, and providing end-to-end financial solutions. The company expanded its product portfolio beyond payment gateways to include RazorpayX (a new banking platform) and Razorpay Capital (providing financing solutions). The company has grown to become a market leader, serving over 8 million businesses. Razorpay has consistently found newer problems to solve for businesses. Mathur and his team have shifted focus from areas that stagnate to ones that would grow, such as e-commerce and online education, and they have powered almost all major internet companies and unicorns in India.
Philanthropy
While specific amounts and detailed initiatives aren't widely publicized, Harshil Mathur's commitment to supporting budding entrepreneurs is evident through his investments in various startups. He provides financial support to other fledgling businesses to help them get off the ground.
