Nearbuy CEO – Ankur Warikoo (Age – 45)

⚠ Former CEO Notice: Ankur Warikoo stepped down as CEO of Nearbuy in November 2019. Co-founder Ravi Shankar succeeded him as CEO. Nearbuy was acquired by Paytm in December 2017 and now operates as a Paytm subsidiary with minimal operations. Ankur Warikoo is currently a bestselling author, content creator, and founder of WebVeda, an online education platform.

Nearbuy (formerly Groupon India), the hyperlocal deals and discovery platform, was co-founded in 2015 by Ankur Warikoo, Ravi Shankar, and Snehesh Mitra after a management buyout from Groupon Inc. As CEO from 2015 to 2019, Warikoo raised over $40 million from investors including Sequoia Capital and Paytm, built a team of 400+ employees, and scaled the platform to serve millions of users across India. After Paytm acquired a majority stake in 2017, Warikoo continued as CEO until stepping down in November 2019. Since then, Ankur Warikoo has reinvented himself as one of India’s most influential content creators, with over 17 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X, and has authored six bestselling books including Do Epic Shit and Get Epic Shit Done.

Read on to discover former Nearbuy CEO Ankur Warikoo’s net worth in 2026, income sources, career history, wife & family, education, email & contact details, and more.
Ankur Warikoo Nearbuy CEO
Ankur Warikoo, former Co-founder & CEO of Nearbuy • Photo: Nearbuy

Ankur Warikoo – Quick Facts

Ankur Warikoo — At a Glance
Full Name Ankur Warikoo
Former Position Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer (2015–2019)
Company Nearbuy (formerly Groupon India) — Paytm subsidiary
Current Role Founder, WebVeda | Author | Content Creator
Age 45 years (born August 25, 1980)
Education MBA, Indian School of Business (ISB); M.S. Physics, Michigan State University
Net Worth (2026) ~$15 Million (Est.)
Annual Revenue (2024) ₹16.84 Crore (~$2M)
Social Media Followers 17M+ across all platforms
Notable Books Do Epic Shit (2021), Get Epic Shit Done (2022), Make Epic Money (2023)
Twitter/X @warikoo

Nearbuy Competitors

During its peak years, Nearbuy operated in India’s competitive hyperlocal deals and discovery space. The key competitors of Nearbuy included:

  • Magicpin – Hyperlocal discovery and rewards platform for dining, shopping, and services
  • Dineout – Restaurant discovery and table reservation platform (acquired by Swiggy in 2022)
  • Mydala – India’s largest deals and coupons marketplace, founded in 2009
  • Little App – Hyperlocal deals platform (merged with Nearbuy under Paytm in 2017)
  • EazyDiner – Premium restaurant reservation and dining deals platform
  • Groupon – Global parent company and deals marketplace (Nearbuy’s predecessor in India)
  • BookMyShow – Entertainment and experiences ticketing platform
  • CashKaro – Cashback and coupon aggregator platform

Ankur Warikoo Net Worth 2026 – Income & Salary

As of 2026, Ankur Warikoo’s net worth is estimated at approximately $15 million USD (roughly ₹125 crore). Unlike traditional CEOs whose wealth comes from corporate compensation, Warikoo’s net worth is built from multiple entrepreneurial income streams spanning content creation, online education, book royalties, speaking engagements, brand collaborations, and angel investments across 30+ startups.

Ankur Warikoo Income Breakdown (2024)

Warikoo and his wife Ruchi co-own Zaan WebVeda Private Limited, a holding company with three business units: Brand Warikoo (content), WebVeda (education), and an investment arm. Below is the disclosed revenue breakdown for 2024:

Income Source Amount (INR) Share
Online Courses (WebVeda) ₹9.56 Crore 56.8%
Brand Collaborations ₹2.76 Crore 16.4%
Public Speaking ₹2.38 Crore 14.1%
Book Royalties ₹1.65 Crore 9.8%
Affiliate Income (Donated) ₹0.48 Crore 2.9%
TOTAL REVENUE ₹16.84 Crore 100%
Key Insight: Ankur Warikoo publicly discloses his income every year on social media. His education business WebVeda accounts for 57% of total revenue, with 428,000+ paid students at an average price of ₹1,100 per course. Notably, he does not run ads on his YouTube channel (6M+ subscribers), forgoing an estimated ₹1–1.5 crore in annual ad revenue. His affiliate income is fully donated to fund children’s education.

Nearbuy Net Worth – Funding & Financials

Nearbuy (formerly Groupon India) raised over $40 million in total funding before being acquired by Paytm in a distress sale in December 2017 for approximately $30 million. The deal platform merged with Little App under Paytm’s umbrella. As of late 2024, Nearbuy operates at minimal capacity with just 2 employees, effectively a shell of its former self.

Nearbuy Financial Summary

Metric Value Notes
Total Funding Raised ~$40M+ 2015–2017
Key Investors Sequoia Capital, Paytm Series A + Venture Debt
Series A Round $20M March 2015 (Sequoia)
Venture Debt $2.25M September 2016
Acquisition Price (Paytm) ~$30M Distress sale
Peak Valuation (Combined) ~$100M 2018 (with Little App)
Employees (2024) 2 ▼ from 400+
Status Paytm Subsidiary Minimal operations
What Happened to Nearbuy: Nearbuy and Little App collectively raised over $67 million but were acquired by Paytm in a distress sale for about $30 million in December 2017. Industry experts pointed to the flawed couponing business model as the root cause — deal platforms struggled to retain users and add lasting value. The platform now operates at minimal capacity under Paytm’s ownership.

Nearbuy CEO Email Address | Ankur Warikoo Contact

Below are the contact details and social media profiles for former Nearbuy CEO Ankur Warikoo. Note that the Nearbuy email is no longer active; Warikoo is best reached through his personal website and social media channels:

Contact Information
Former Email (Nearbuy) [email protected] (no longer active)
Website ankurwarikoo.com
Twitter/X @warikoo
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/warikoo
YouTube youtube.com/@warikoo (6M+ subscribers)
Instagram @ankurwarikoo (4M+ followers)
Nearbuy Support [email protected] | 080-66010101

Career & Education – Company, University, & College

Ankur Warikoo’s career spans management consulting, internet entrepreneurship, and content creation. From building Groupon’s India business to becoming one of the country’s most followed digital educators, his journey reflects a willingness to pivot and reinvent at every stage. Below is his complete career timeline:

Ankur Warikoo Career Timeline

Period Role Company
2004–2005 Consultant NIS Sparta
2006–2009 Associate / Management Consultant A.T. Kearney
2007 Co-founder Accentium Web
2010–2012 Venture Partner Rocket Internet GmbH
2011–2015 CEO, Groupon India / Head, Groupon APAC Groupon
2015–2019 Co-founder & CEO Nearbuy
2020–Present Founder & Content Creator WebVeda / Brand Warikoo

Ankur Warikoo began his career as a consultant at NIS Sparta (2004–2005) before moving to global management consultancy A.T. Kearney (2006–2009), where he worked on strategy projects across industries. In 2007, he co-founded Accentium Web alongside Vivek Pahwa. He then joined Rocket Internet GmbH as a Venture Partner (2010–2012), helping launch internet businesses in India including secondshaadi.com and gaadi.com.

In 2011, Warikoo was tapped to launch Groupon’s India operations, eventually becoming CEO and later Head of Groupon APAC, overseeing business in India, Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. After a management buyout from Groupon Inc. in 2015, he co-founded Nearbuy with Ravi Shankar and Snehesh Mitra, raising $20 million from Sequoia Capital in the process.

After stepping down from Nearbuy in November 2019, Warikoo reinvented himself as a content creator and digital educator. He launched WebVeda, an online education platform that has enrolled 428,000+ students across courses on entrepreneurship, personal growth, finance, and career development. He has authored six bestselling books, with combined sales exceeding 1 million copies. As of 2026, he is one of only four people globally with 2 million+ followers on each of YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter/X.

Education

Institution Degree / Program Website
Don Bosco School, New Delhi Secondary Education (1986–1998)
Hindu College, University of Delhi B.Sc. in Physics hinducollege.ac.in
Michigan State University M.S. in Physics & Statistics (2002–2004) msu.edu
Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad MBA in Finance (2005–2006) isb.edu
Indian School of Business ISB Hyderabad Campus
Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad — where Ankur Warikoo earned his MBA in Finance. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ankur Warikoo Wiki – Age, Wife, Family, & More

Former Nearbuy CEO Ankur Warikoo (age 45 as of 2026) was born on August 25, 1980, and grew up in New Delhi, India. He is married to Ruchi Budhiraja Warikoo, whom he first met on a college bus when he was 19. They began dating in December 2006 and married in October 2007. The couple has two children: son Vidur (born May 2011) and daughter Uzma (born 2013). The family resides in New Delhi.

Beyond his business ventures, Warikoo is known for his deeply personal and transparent content style. He openly discusses topics like failure, mental health, money management, and parenting on social media. He is a passionate photographer and self-described “wannabe DJ.” He is also an active angel investor in 30+ Indian startups across ed-tech, fintech, and SaaS sectors.

Notable Achievements & Recognitions

  • Bestselling Author – Six #1 bestselling books in India: Do Epic Shit, Get Epic Shit Done, Make Epic Money, Build an Epic Career, Beyond the Syllabus, and Winning People Without Losing Yourself
  • 1 Million+ Books Sold – Combined sales across all formats and languages
  • 17M+ Social Media Followers – One of only four people globally with 2M+ followers on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter/X each
  • 428,000+ Students – Paid enrollments on WebVeda education platform
  • India Genius Challenge (2025) – Founded a platform to recognize India’s brightest young minds beyond academic marks
  • Angel Investor – Active investments in 30+ Indian startups across ed-tech, fintech, and SaaS

About Nearbuy

Nearbuy (formerly Groupon India) was an Indian hyperlocal deals and discovery platform headquartered in Gurugram, India. Founded in 2015 after a management buyout from Groupon Inc., the platform offered deals, discounts, and vouchers across categories including dining, wellness, spa & salons, travel, and entertainment. At its peak, Nearbuy served users in 30+ Indian cities with thousands of merchant partners.

The company was originally incorporated as Groupon India Private Limited in May 2010, operating as a 100% subsidiary of Groupon Inc. (USA). In August 2015, a management buyout led by Ankur Warikoo resulted in the company being rebranded as Nearbuy, with $20 million in Series A funding from Sequoia Capital. In December 2017, financial services giant Paytm acquired Nearbuy and merged it with another deals platform, Little App, to create India’s largest local deals platform. As of 2024, Nearbuy operates at minimal capacity with just 2 employees under Paytm’s ownership.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who was the CEO of Nearbuy?

Ankur Warikoo was the co-founder and CEO of Nearbuy from 2015 to November 2019. He led the company’s rebranding from Groupon India, raised over $40 million in funding, and oversaw its acquisition by Paytm. After his departure, co-founder Ravi Shankar became CEO.

What is Ankur Warikoo’s net worth in 2026?

As of 2026, Ankur Warikoo’s net worth is estimated at approximately $15 million USD (₹125 crore). His wealth comes from multiple income streams including his online education platform WebVeda, book royalties from six bestselling books, brand collaborations, public speaking fees (₹9 lakh per hour), and angel investments in 30+ startups.

What is Ankur Warikoo’s email address?

Ankur Warikoo’s former Nearbuy email was [email protected], which is no longer active. He can be best reached through his official website ankurwarikoo.com, Twitter/X at @warikoo, or LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/warikoo.

What happened to Nearbuy?

Nearbuy was acquired by Paytm in December 2017 for approximately $30 million in what was characterized as a distress sale. Paytm merged Nearbuy with Little App to create India’s largest local deals platform. As of 2024, the platform operates at minimal capacity with just 2 employees, effectively winding down its operations.

What does Ankur Warikoo do now?

After leaving Nearbuy, Ankur Warikoo became one of India’s most influential content creators and digital educators. He runs WebVeda, an online education platform with 428,000+ paid students. He has authored six #1 bestselling books, has 17M+ social media followers, and is an active angel investor. His business generated ₹16.84 crore (~$2 million) in revenue in 2024.

Where did Ankur Warikoo study?

Ankur Warikoo attended Don Bosco School in New Delhi, followed by a B.Sc. in Physics from Hindu College, University of Delhi. He then pursued an M.S. in Physics & Statistics at Michigan State University (USA) and completed his MBA in Finance from the prestigious Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.

Article last updated:February 2026March 2, 2026

Disclaimer: All information presented in this article has been compiled from publicly available sources, including corporate filings, official websites, verified news reports, and Ankur Warikoo’s own public disclosures on social media. Net worth figures are estimates and may vary by source. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.