Nikhil Kamath Net Worth 2025: Income Sources, Business Empire & Investments

Nikhil Kamath Net Worth 2025: Income and Success Story of Zerodha’s Co-Founder

SUMMARY

Introduction:

Nikhil Kamath is a co-founder of Zerodha, the largest online stock trading platform in India. He is a self-made billionaire who built his little dream into a multi-billion-dollar business. As a self-made billionaire, among the youngest in the country. His story is one of bold decisions, dedication, and steady growth. In this article, we will look at the journey of Nikhil from being a school dropout to one of the youngest billionaires in the country, his early days of struggle️, the secret behind Zerodha’s success, and how he earns money.

Nikhil Kamath: Early life and struggles

Nikhil was born on the 5th of September 1986 in a small town in Karnataka. Nikhil’s father worked at Canara Bank as an executive, and his mother was a professional veena player. At just 14 years old, Nikhil took a bold decision and left school so he could learn real-life skills. At one point, he began to buy and sell used mobile phones for profit.

He also joined a call center on the night shift, where he earned Rs 8,500 a month, working long hours. The job was tiring, but it provided him with the money to start trading in the stock market. His brother Nithin was already into trading and guided him. Nikhil lost money at first, but it taught him patience and risk control. He relied solely on hard work, and his hands-on experience taught him discipline and risk management.

He used his own savings to start, learning about the market. This experience taught him how expensive and complicated the traditional Indian brokerage system was for the common person. This became the foundation for his future empire. Nikhil’s experience proved that practical experience mattered more than having a degree.

Building Zerodha

Nikhil’s trading expertise led him to team up with Nithin in 2010 to start Zerodha with their own savings. The name Zerodha means “zero barriers” to trading. At that time, most brokers charged high fees based on trade size; however, Zerodha changed that with a flat Rs 20 per trade. They built the platform themselves, handled customer support, and kept costs low.

No big funding, no fancy office, just focus on removing the barriers to entry for Indian investors. Nikhil managed trading systems, while Nithin ran operations. The simple, low-cost model attracted young investors fast. This was a game-changer. Overnight, Zerodha made stock market investing simple, cheap, and accessible to millions of young Indians. The company grew fast with its best technology and customer-first approach.

The company received massive scale and profitability without any external funding, allowing Kamath’s brother to have complete control over their vision. Today, Zerodha is India’s largest retail broker by client base. It stays profitable and debt-free. Nikhil later started more businesses like True Beacon and Gruhas, but Zerodha remains his biggest success.

Net worth in 2025

Nikhil Kamath’s wealth in 2025 may be worth somewhere between Rs 24,000 crore and Rs 25,000 crore. This is due to his ownership stake in Zerodha, as the company has been ruling the retail-trading segment with superb profit numbers. The company’s value had soared with the increased investors in India. When the market is up or down, his net worth stays strong.

Instead of depending solely on Zerodha for its performance, Nikhil has intentionally diversified his interests via new businesses like True Beacon and Rainmatter, a VC fund that invests in fintech, financial literacy, and startups working towards sustainability. This diversification also guarantees steady and continued growth in his net worth.

Net worth by year

2010: Rs 50 crore
2015: Rs 500 crore
2020: Rs 5,000 crore
2023: Rs 15,000 crore
2025*: Rs 24,000 crore to 25,000 crore

These are estimates as official numbers are not fully public. The 2025 figure is expected to increase or decrease, as markets can change.

Income breakdown: Nikhil Kamath’s Earnings

Zerodha’s profit and salary: As the company’s co-founder, Nikhil is entitled to a substantial portion of the company’s annual profits in the form of dividends. Zerodha, being an unlisted company, focuses on high profitability, so these dividend payouts are huge. Zerodha earns over Rs 4,000 crore in revenue and Rs 2,000 crore in profit yearly. He also draws a professional salary from the company.

Other ventures & investments: He also owns other businesses that provide significant capital gains and fees. True Beacon works on a performance-fee model, so Nikhil gets a share of the high returns generated for super-rich clients. Managing billions brings in hundreds of crores each year. His investments in Rainmatter and Gruhas also add to his net worth.

Personal Trading: Nikhil is also a professional trader and investor; he gets a healthy return from his personal investment portfolio across public markets and private equity. He still trades his own money for extra gains. These diversified avenues ensure his net worth continues to grow regardless of bad market conditions or minor fluctuations in any single sector.

Conclusion:

Nikhil Kamath’s journey from a school dropout to a billionaire shaping India’s financial and startup ecosystem is a testament to his hard work and dedication. He faced challenges but saw them as lessons and dared to simplify the complicated trading market for the masses. He proved that a successful business idea comes from solving real problems.

Zerodha was not only aiming to make money but to make investing easy for millions. Nikhil Kamath’s net worth of approximately Rs 25,000 crore in 2025 is a direct measure of Zerodha’s success in simplifying investment for millions of Indians. The article mentioned Nikhil Kamath’s income and journey to a successful startup. The success story of Zerodha teaches us to start small, learn fast, and stay consistent.