In 2010, at a time when traditional brokerages dominated the Indian stock market with high fees and complex platforms, two brothers from Bengaluru set out to change the game. Nithin and Nikhil Kamath founded Zerodha, a name derived from Zero and Rodha (Sanskrit for “barrier”), with a bold mission: to make trading and investing accessible, affordable, and transparent for every Indian.
Nithin Kamath’s early journey was anything but easy. From cold-calling prospects to trading the markets himself, he understood the pain points of retail investors first-hand. What he discovered was an industry ripe for disruption. Armed with this insight and a technology-first mindset, the Kamath brothers built Zerodha as India’s first discount brokerage—slashing brokerage fees, simplifying user experience, and putting traders and investors at the center of everything.
The approach worked. By 2019, Zerodha had emerged as India’s largest stockbroker, all without raising a single rupee of external funding. No venture capital, no shortcuts—just a relentless focus on innovation, product excellence, and customer trust.
Today, Zerodha powers the investments of over 1 crore users, offering trading and investment solutions across equities, derivatives, mutual funds, and bonds. Its success is not just in numbers but in redefining how Indians perceive investing.
📈 From call centers to codebases, Zerodha’s rise is a story of grit, disruption, and doing things differently—a proudly bootstrapped fintech unicorn that continues to set benchmarks in India’s financial ecosystem.
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