Zerodha, India’s largest discount stock brokerage firm, was co-founded in 2010 by Nithin Kamath and his brother Nikhil Kamath in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Today, Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath leads a revolutionary fintech company that serves over 68 lakh (6.8 million) active clients, manages equity investments exceeding ₹4.5 lakh crore, and has disrupted the Indian brokerage industry with its zero-brokerage model for equity delivery trades. Remarkably, Zerodha remains 100% bootstrapped with zero external funding, making it one of the most profitable startups in Indian history. In FY2025, the company posted revenue of ₹8,847 crore and profit of ₹4,237 crore despite regulatory headwinds.

Nithin Kamath – Quick Facts

Zerodha Competitors

Zerodha operates in India’s rapidly evolving discount brokerage industry. The key competitors of Zerodha include:

• Groww – Overtook Zerodha in 2023 as India’s largest broker by total client count
• Angel One – Third-largest broker with aggressive growth strategy
• Upstox – Discount broker backed by Ratan Tata and Tiger Global
• 5Paisa – Budget-friendly flat-fee brokerage platform
• ICICI Direct – Full-service broker by ICICI Securities
• HDFC Securities – Full-service arm of HDFC Bank
• Kotak Securities – Integrated banking and brokerage platform
• Dhan – Newer entrant focused on active traders

Nithin Kamath Net Worth 2026 – Zerodha CEO Salary

As of 2026, Nithin Kamath net worth is estimated at approximately $2.5–4.5 billion USD, derived entirely from his ownership stake in the bootstrapped brokerage Zerodha. Unlike most tech billionaires, Kamath’s wealth is not from external investor valuations or public market listings — it reflects Zerodha’s actual profitability. Since Zerodha has never taken external funding, the Kamath brothers own 100% of the company, and their net worth fluctuates with the company’s profit trajectory.

Zerodha CEO Compensation Breakdown (FY2025)

Zerodha Net Worth 2026 – Is Zerodha Profitable?

Yes, Zerodha is highly profitable and remains one of the most profitable private companies in India. However, FY2025 marked a challenging year due to regulatory changes that impacted futures and options (F&O) trading volumes across the industry.

Zerodha Financial Summary

Zerodha CEO Email Address | Nithin Kamath Contact

Below are the official contact details and social media profiles for Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath:

Early Life & Education

Nithin Kamath was born on October 5, 1979, in Shivamogga (also known as Shimoga), a city in Karnataka, India. He comes from a Konkani-speaking family. His father, U.R. Kamath (also referred to as Raghuram Kamath), was an executive at Canara Bank, and his mother, Revathi Kamath, is a musician and teacher. Nithin has a younger brother, Nikhil Kamath, who would later become his business partner and co-founder of Zerodha.

The family relocated to Bengaluru in 1996, where Nithin completed his secondary education. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Electronics and Telecommunications from Bangalore Institute of Technology, one of Karnataka’s well-regarded engineering colleges affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University.

However, Kamath’s true education happened outside the classroom. At the age of 17, he began managing his father’s trading account, developing a deep fascination with the stock market. By the time he graduated from college, Kamath was already an experienced trader with several years of practical market experience — a foundation that would prove far more valuable than his engineering degree in shaping his future career.

Career & Rise to CEO

Nithin Kamath’s career journey is one of the most remarkable entrepreneurial stories in India’s fintech history. From a teenage trader to the founder of India’s most profitable brokerage, his path was marked by both devastating losses and groundbreaking innovation.

Early Trading Career (Late 1990s–2006)

Kamath began actively trading stocks in the late 1990s while still a teenager. He was doing well in trading up to the age of 22, but the 2001 dot-com market crash wiped out his capital entirely. To rebuild his trading funds, Kamath took a job at a call center — an experience that, ironically, is where he met his future wife, Seema Patil. He used his call center earnings to fund his return to the stock market, gradually rebuilding his portfolio and expertise.

Sub-Brokerage Phase (2006–2010)

In 2006, Kamath started his own sub-brokerage firm, Kamath & Associates, operating under Reliance Money. During this period, he gained deep insight into the inefficiencies, high costs, and poor technology that plagued India’s brokerage industry. Traditional brokers were charging percentage-based commissions that ate into retail traders’ profits, and the trading platforms were outdated and clunky. These frustrations planted the seed for what would become Zerodha.

Founding Zerodha (2010–Present)

In August 2010, Nithin Kamath and his brother Nikhil co-founded Zerodha with a starting capital of just ₹10 lakh. The name “Zerodha” combines “zero” (no) and “rodha” (Sanskrit for “barrier”), reflecting their mission to remove all barriers to investing in India. Zerodha’s revolutionary business model offered:

• Zero brokerage on equity delivery trades
• Flat ₹20 per trade for intraday and F&O (later reduced to ₹0 for delivery and capped at ₹20 for others)
• Kite – an in-house, technology-first trading platform built for speed and simplicity
• Coin – a direct mutual fund investment platform with zero commission
• Console – a comprehensive portfolio analytics tool

Nithin Kamath Career Timeline

Leadership & Achievements

Under Nithin Kamath’s leadership, Zerodha has transformed India’s brokerage industry and democratized stock market participation for millions of Indians. Key achievements include:

• Disrupted the Indian brokerage industry by introducing the discount brokerage model in India, forcing legacy brokers to reduce their fees and modernize their platforms
• Built India’s largest broker by active clients (held the top position from 2021 until Groww overtook in total clients in 2023; remains second-largest as of 2026)
• Created Kite, one of India’s most popular and fastest trading platforms, used by millions of traders daily
• Launched Varsity (2015) – a completely free financial education platform that has educated millions of Indians about stock markets, options, and investing
• Founded Rainmatter Capital (2016) – a fintech-focused venture fund and incubator that has invested in and mentored dozens of Indian fintech startups
• 100% bootstrapped success – built a multi-billion-dollar business without ever raising a single rupee of external capital
• Zerodha Coin – popularized direct mutual fund investing in India by offering zero-commission mutual fund purchases
• Open-source contributions – open-sourced several Zerodha tools and libraries, contributing to India’s fintech developer ecosystem

Nithin Kamath Wiki – Age, Family, & Personal Life

Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath (age 46) is based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. He is married to Seema Patil, whom he met at a call center in 2001. The couple dated for several years before marrying in 2008. Seema co-founded Zerodha and is a breast cancer survivor, a fact she publicly disclosed in 2023. Together, they have a son named Kiaan Kamath (born 2015).

Nithin’s younger brother, Nikhil Kamath, is Zerodha’s co-founder and is himself a prominent investor and entrepreneur. Their father, U.R. Kamath, was a retired Canara Bank executive, and their mother, Revathi Kamath, is a musician and teacher. The Kamath family hails from a Konkani-speaking background in Karnataka.

Health & Stroke Recovery

In January 2024, Nithin Kamath suffered a mild stroke, which he publicly disclosed six weeks later in February 2024. Doctors attributed the stroke to a combination of factors: emotional stress from the passing of his father, disrupted sleep patterns, excessive workouts, dehydration, and physical exhaustion. He experienced significant symptoms including facial drooping and difficulty with reading and writing.

In a candid update posted on social media in March 2025 (fourteen months after the stroke), Kamath shared that his body had recovered almost fully, but his mind was “at about 85%” and his speech at a similar level. His writing ability, he noted, had not improved significantly. Despite initially considering retirement, Kamath chose to continue leading Zerodha, saying the company’s mission was too important to step away from.

Personal Interests & Philanthropy

• Financial literacy advocate – Created Varsity, a free educational platform used by millions
• Rainmatter Foundation – Supports climate change, sustainability, and livelihoods initiatives
• Active social media presence – Regularly shares insights about markets, trading, and entrepreneurship on Twitter/X
• Fitness enthusiast – Was an avid badminton player and marathon runner before his stroke
• Transparency advocate – Known for publicly sharing Zerodha’s financial data and his own health journey

About Zerodha

Zerodha is India’s largest discount stock brokerage company, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Founded in August 2010, the company revolutionized Indian stock market trading by introducing flat-fee brokerage pricing and technology-first trading platforms. The company name combines “zero” and “rodha” (Sanskrit for barrier), reflecting their mission to eliminate barriers to investing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who is the current CEO of Zerodha?

The current CEO of Zerodha is Nithin Kamath, who co-founded the company in August 2010 along with his brother Nikhil Kamath. Despite suffering a mild stroke in January 2024, Kamath has continued to lead the company and remains actively involved in its operations.

What is Nithin Kamath’s net worth in 2026?

As of 2026, Nithin Kamath’s net worth is estimated at $2.5–4.5 billion USD. His wealth comes entirely from his ownership stake in Zerodha, which is 100% founder-owned with zero external investors. Estimates vary depending on the valuation methodology used for the private company.

What is Zerodha CEO’s salary?

Nithin Kamath’s total remuneration in FY2025 was approximately ₹96 crore (~$11.5 million), up from ₹80 crore in FY2024. His brother Nikhil Kamath also drew the same amount. The compensation includes basic salary, HRA, perquisites, and allowances.

What is Zerodha CEO’s email address?

Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath’s email address is [email protected]. He is also very active on Twitter/X at @Nithin0dha and on Instagram at @nithinkamath. For customer support, visit support.zerodha.com.

Does Zerodha have external investors?

No. Zerodha is 100% founder-owned and has never taken any external funding. Nithin and Nikhil Kamath own the entire company, making it one of the most valuable bootstrapped companies in the world. The company was started with a capital of just ₹10 lakh in 2010.

Did Nithin Kamath have a stroke?

Yes. Nithin Kamath suffered a mild stroke in January 2024, which he publicly disclosed in February 2024. As of March 2025, he reported that his body had recovered almost fully, his mind was “at about 85%,” and his speech was at a similar level. He chose to continue leading Zerodha despite briefly considering retirement.

Is Zerodha still the largest broker in India?

As of early 2026, Zerodha is India’s second-largest broker by active clients with approximately 68.6 lakh active accounts, behind Groww which overtook Zerodha in total client numbers in 2023. Zerodha holds approximately 15.2% of the retail brokerage market share.

Article last updated: March 2026