Ritesh Agarwal Was 17 When Investors Asked His Father Not to Send Him to College
Thu Jan 08 2026
As Shark Tank India prepares to return with its fifth season on January 5, the show is set to bring sharper founder scrutiny, deeper conversations, and more evolved investment thinking.
Among the returning Sharks is Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO of OYO and Founder-CEO of Prism, who joins the panel for the third consecutive season. Ahead of the new season, Agarwal reflected on how his investment mindset has matured — and revisited a pivotal moment from his teenage years that shaped his entrepreneurial journey.
A More Thoughtful Investor in Season 5
Ritesh Agarwal believes that years of building companies have fundamentally changed how he evaluates founders. According to him, entrepreneurship sharpens pattern recognition — the ability to identify hunger, resilience, and long-term commitment beyond just a polished pitch.
In Season 5, Agarwal says he is focusing more deliberately on:
- Founder intent
- Unit economics
- Sustainability and execution discipline
Compared to earlier seasons, he now asks harder questions and looks beyond big visions to assess whether founders can build durable businesses. This shift mirrors the broader evolution of India’s startup ecosystem, where ambition must now be backed by operational clarity.
From Odisha to Building a Global Hospitality Platform
Agarwal’s own journey remains one of India’s most widely cited startup stories. Growing up in Odisha, his curiosity about travel and accommodation sparked ideas that eventually led to the creation of OYO.
He began experimenting with entrepreneurship in his late teens — a time when few believed someone so young could build a scalable business. Early outreach efforts were often ignored, and convincing investors was difficult.
In 2013, Agarwal started with just one small hotel in Gurgaon. By focusing on standardisation, better pricing, and higher occupancy, the model quickly gained traction, laying the foundation for what would become a global hospitality platform.
The Unusual Fundraising Condition at Age 17
One of the most defining moments of Agarwal’s early journey came when he was just 17 years old.
During his first serious fundraising discussions, investors insisted on meeting his parents — and made an unexpected request.
They advised his father not to send him to college.
The reasoning was direct: formal education might distract him from building the company, and they warned that their investment could be at risk if his focus shifted. The investors expressed strong confidence in his entrepreneurial potential and urged his family to back his startup journey fully.
For Agarwal, skipping college wasn’t an easy decision, but it became a turning point that reinforced his commitment to entrepreneurship.
His Father’s Advice That Still Guides Him
Despite the investors’ confidence, Agarwal recalls that his father focused less on success and more on values.
He remembers his father reminding everyone in the room that:
Success should never lead to arrogance.
That moment stayed with him. Agarwal has often said it instilled a deep sense of responsibility — to remain grounded, honour trust, and ensure that growth never came at the cost of humility.
A Balanced View on Education
Although frequently cited as a founder who skipped college, Agarwal maintains a nuanced perspective on education.
He believes learning is essential, but formal university education is only one of many valid paths. According to him, education today can come from:
- Real-world experience
- Mentorship
- Structured programs
- Observing entrepreneurial journeys through platforms like Shark Tank India
He has also emphasised that educational institutions must continue evolving to stay relevant in a fast-changing world.
Why This Story Still Matters
Ritesh Agarwal’s journey highlights a broader truth about entrepreneurship: there is no single blueprint for success.
While his path involved taking unconventional risks at a young age, he continues to stress that what truly matters is clarity of purpose, discipline, and values — regardless of the route one takes.
As Shark Tank India enters its fifth season, stories like Agarwal’s serve as a reminder that behind every confident investor sits a founder who once had to take a leap — often against convention.
Thu Jan 08 2026
