Nikhil Kamath Biography: Early Life, Career & Net Worth
Nikhil Kamath (born September 5, 1986) is an Indian entrepreneur and investor. He co-founded Zerodha, a retail stockbroker, and True Beacon, an asset management company. Forbes estimates that Kamath’s net worth will be $3.3 billion in December 2025. He, along with his brother Nithin, is on Forbes’ list of India’s 100 Richest for 2024.
Nikhil Kamath Biography
Kamath was born on September 5, 1986, in Shimoga and grew up in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was born into a Hindu household that speaks Kannada and Konkani. Raghuram Kamath, Kamath’s father, worked as an executive at Canara Bank, while his mother, Revathi Kamath, owned her own event management company, which managed significant events for HP and Bosch at venues such as Leela Palace and Windsor Manor.
She has worked on high-end resorts and hospitals, carrying out projects totalling crores. In addition to her professional career, Revathi was an accomplished veena player. Nithin Kamath, Nikhil’s older brother, would eventually become his closest business partner and play a pivotal role in his career
Nikhil Kamath Education
Kamath’s early schooling was conventional until he reached adolescence. He went to school in Karnataka but struggled to connect with the strict academic structure. After finishing tenth grade, he made the rare decision to drop out of school. This decision, widely regarded as dangerous in a country where formal education is highly valued, represented a watershed moment.
Career
At the age of 17, he started working at a call centre in Bengaluru, earning approximately ₹8,000 per month. While the position helped him financially, his true interests lay elsewhere. During his free time, he learnt about stock markets, trading methods, and the fundamentals of investing, primarily through self-study and practical experience.
His initial exposure to trading was through observation and little experimentation. As a teenager, Kamath began trading stocks with modest funds, gradually gaining confidence and ability. He managed investments for family members and friends, building trust through consistent performance rather than spectacular promises.
These early years taught him about market psychology, risk management, and patience, all of which would eventually define Zerodha’s business decisions. Unlike many traders who relied on tips or speculation, Kamath concentrated on analysing market movements and long-term trends.
In 2006, Nikhil and his brother Nithin co-founded Kamath Associates, a modest trading and investing firm. The venture enabled them to trade proprietary capital and manage funds for a limited number of clients. While the firm did not receive national prominence, it did lay the framework for its future objectives.
It also assisted them in understanding the flaws in India’s broking system, which at the time was characterised by high fees, complex processes, and limited access for ordinary retail investors.
The real breakthrough occurred in 2010, with the launch of Zerodha. The Kamath brothers created a cheap broking strategy that charged modest, flat fees instead of percentage-based commissions. For delivery trades, Zerodha scrapped broking rates altogether, a move that defied long-standing industry conventions.
The goal was simple: make investment affordable and accessible to more Indians. Zerodha concentrated on technology, transparency, and cost control when internet trading platforms were still in their early stages of use.
Zerodha’s rise was gradual rather than spectacular in its early years. The company remained bootstrapped, opting not to seek venture capital backing. This move granted the founders complete control over operations and long-term strategy. Zerodha gradually grew its user base through word-of-mouth and a focus on customer experience.
By keeping costs low and systems efficient, the company increased profitability while expanding its presence across the country. Today, Zerodha processes millions of trades every day and is largely regarded as a driving force behind the rise of retail investing in India.
Beyond Zerodha, Kamath’s interests have grown to include asset management and startup investing. In 2019 and 2020, he co-founded True Beacon, an asset management organisation catering to ultra-high-net-worth people.
The firm concentrates on structured and risk-managed investing methods, catering to clientele who want predictable returns over speculation. This action represented Kamath’s philosophy in rigorous capital management and long-term planning.
In 2021, Kamath teamed with Abhijeet Pai to form Gruhas, a fund focused on property technologies, sustainability-driven companies, and consumer brands. Through Gruhas, he has sponsored firms focused on housing, urban life, and resource efficiency, all of which he believes are critical to India’s future. At the same time, he continued to be involved in Rainmatter, Zerodha’s fintech incubator, and WTFund, a program that supports young startups under the age of 25.
Kamath has also established a good reputation as an angel investor, having backed over 30 startups in industries such as jewellery, food, aviation, and digital services. Companies such as BlueStone and Licious count him as an early sponsor. In sports and entertainment, he co-owns a Bengaluru-based franchise in the Global E-Cricket Premier League, demonstrating his interest in new-age formats that merge gaming and competition.
In 2025, Kamath garnered attention with the debut of The Foundery, a 90-day residential startup studio built in cooperation with retail veteran Kishore Biyani. The program is aimed at supporting early-stage consumer firms through coaching, funding, and hands-on involvement, including the potential for co-founder roles.
The initiative exemplifies Kamath’s conviction in starting enterprises from scratch, guided by real-world experience rather than theory alone.
Kamath is also well-known for his podcasting efforts. He leads “WTF is”, a casual discussion series about anything from technology to philosophy, and “People by WTF”, a long-form interview show with world leaders. In 2025, his podcast had guests such as Elon Musk, Ray Dalio, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Bill Gates.
These discussions have drawn big crowds and positioned Kamath at the forefront of public debates about the future of employment, economics, and society.
Controversies
Kamath bought his first residential property in October 2024, drawing criticism on social media for his previous public advocacy for renting over owning, claiming that renting provided more liquidity. Some netizens chastised him for the “U-turn” in his decision.
In June 2021, Kamath participated in an online charity chess simultaneous exhibition against five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand to raise funds for COVID-19 relief, organized by the Akshaya Patra Foundation and the All India Chess Federation. He was discovered to have used computer aid to defeat Anand, causing Chess.com to suspend his account for a fair-play violation.
Kamath apologised, calling his acts “silly” and claiming they were “for fun and charity”, prompting criticism from authorities such as Grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna. Anand claimed he “just played the position on the board” and then stated he had gone on. At Anand’s request, Kamath’s account was restored within 24 hours.
Nikhil Kamath Wife
Over the last decade, Nikhil Kamath has emerged as one of the most prominent leaders in India’s business and startup communities. Kamath, the co-founder of Zerodha, the country’s largest retail stockbroking platform by trading volume, represents a new breed of entrepreneurs who developed successful firms without elite degrees, inherited resources, or typical corporate careers.
Nikhil Kamath Net Worth
His journey from being a school dropout earning a small income to becoming one of India’s youngest self-made billionaires has received widespread attention, not only for its financial success but also for the concepts and risks that moulded it. Forbes projects that by December 2025, his net worth will be around $3.3 billion, ranking him among the country’s wealthiest persons.
Social Media
Instagram: @nikhilkamathcio
