OYO was founded by 27-year-old Ritesh Agarwal, the first resident Asian to be accepted to the Thiel Fellowship (started by Paypal founder Peter Thiel). Travelling across India at the age of 17, Ritesh stayed in more than 100 bed and breakfasts, guest houses, and hotels to realize there was a massive dearth of affordable and good-quality hotels in the unbranded budget hotel category. With this in mind, he started his entrepreneurial journey by creating a listing platform for budget accommodations, only to conclude that discovery alone will not solve this problem. Ritesh believed that everyone deserves a hygienic and comfortable living space, irrespective of
their budget. That’s how OYO was launched in May 2013 (known as OYO Hotels & Homes now).
The company today is the leading technology and revenue growth platform for 100K+ small hotels and homeowners globally. Today, Ritesh is one of the youngest and most successful founders in the world and has been honoured at several forums, for creating a global disruptor in the form of OYO Hotels & Homes.
Professional Memberships & Associations:
● FICCI Executive Committee Member since 2017
● CII National Council Member since 2018
● Co-Chairman of CII Tourism and Hospitality Committee since 2018
● Chairman CII Ecommerce Committee 2018 – 2020