BharatPe co‑founder Shashvat Nakrani will step down from his operational role as Chief Operating Officer on May 1, 2026, and transition to a Strategic Advisor while retaining his position on the board, signalling a shift from day‑to‑day management to long‑term strategic responsibilities.
Strategic shift to long‑term priorities
In his advisory capacity, Nakrani will concentrate on fundraising, initial public offering (IPO) readiness, mergers and acquisitions, and overall business strategy. The change reflects BharatPe’s move into a more mature corporate phase, where experienced professional managers are handling operational duties and founders focus on high‑level direction and capital markets engagement.
Founder profile and continued stake
Nakrani co‑founded BharatPe in 2018 while studying at IIT Delhi and emerged as one of India’s youngest successful startup founders. He featured on the Hurun India Rich List in 2021 as the youngest self‑made billionaire. Today, his estimated net worth stands at about ₹1,300 crore and he has personal investments in more than 13 startups across sectors.
Despite stepping back from daily operations, Nakrani remains the largest individual shareholder in BharatPe with a 10.8% stake. He has expressed a desire to return to building new ventures, and industry reports indicate he may launch another startup soon, while continuing to support BharatPe’s strategic growth from the boardroom.
Leadership transition and business evolution
With Nakrani’s move, none of the original co‑founders are involved in BharatPe’s daily operations. Co‑founder Ashneer Grover left the firm in 2022 following a high‑profile controversy, and Bhavik Koladiya had departed earlier. The company is now led by CEO Nalin Negi and a professional management team.
Under this leadership, BharatPe has improved its financial metrics. For fiscal year 2025, reported revenue rose to ₹1,667 crore while losses narrowed substantially. The firm has also diversified its business model, pivoting from a payments‑centric approach to greater emphasis on lending products—merchant loans, point‑of‑sale (PoS) devices—and subscription services, catering to more than 1.7 crore merchants across over 450 cities.
Path to public markets
BharatPe is targeting an IPO window between FY27 and FY28. Stronger financials, reduced losses and a professionalised management structure are central to the company’s preparation for public listing and the next phase of growth.
