Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

Nithin Kamath, founder and chief executive officer of Zerodha, has been awarded the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award 2024. Kamath was chosen by a 10-member jury that acknowledged his groundbreaking low-margin, high-volume strategy that transformed the brokerage industry.

A self-made entrepreneur, Kamath has not only bootstrapped Zerodha to a billion-dollar valuation but also actively supports start-ups in fintech and climate space, and advocates for social initiatives.

Kamath will represent India at the global stage at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in Monte Carlo to be held in June 2025.

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav felicitated Nithin Kamath, KV Kamath and S Somanath along with the EOY 2024 category winners.

KV Kamath, chairman of Jio Financial Services, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his substantial contributions to India’s financial services sector. Somanath received the Special Jury Award in recognition of his instrumental contributions to space ambitions by leading India’s landmark space missions, establishing a legacy of innovation and outstanding scientific achievement.

The winners in other categories are: Pradeep Rathod, chairman and managing director, Cello World in the consumer products and retail category, Rajesh Magow, co-founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip for the Services, Himanshu Baid, managing director and chief executive officer, Poly Medicure for the Lifesciences and Healthcare, Meher Pudumjee, chairperson, Thermax for manufacturing, Pirojsha Godrej, executive chairman, Godrej Properties for the real estate and infrastructure, Kamesh Goyal, founder and chairman, Go Digit General Insurance for the startup category, Sameer Nigam, co-founder and CEO of PhonePe for business transformation, and Anish Shah, managing director and chief executive officer, Mahindra Group was named the Entrepreneurial CEO.

Addressing the winners via a video message, Piyush Goyal, minister of commerce and industry, said, "This award is more than just an accolade, serving as a beacon of global innovation and a celebration of those who redefine the power of possibilities. I commend EY's 26th awards event, and congratulate the winners who turn ideas into industries, dreams into disruption, and challenges into opportunities. May this milestone further ignite their drive to dream, innovate, and propel India towards Viksit Bharat 2047."

The EOY 2024 winners boast of a collective revenue of nearly ₹2 lakh crore with a combined valuation (listed and unlisted companies) of over ₹15 lakh crore and are instrumental in providing employment to almost 3 lakh individuals across the globe.

"Entrepreneurs are India’s biggest competitive advantage and economic force multipliers. EOY winners reflect the tremendous impact Indian entrepreneurs are creating in India and globally. I congratulate the 2024 winners who are transforming their industries, scaling their businesses, and building an unbeatable moat to drive sustainable growth. I also want to thank our esteemed jury for their meticulous evaluation and recognizing our outstanding entrepreneurs.”

The jury was led by Sajjan Jindal, chairman of JSW Group