BharatPe co-founder Shashvat Nakrani to step back from daily role, shifts to board and strategy

BharatPe co-founder Shashvat Nakrani has announced he will step away from day-to-day operations at the company, transitioning into a strategic advisor and board director role effective May 1. He will no longer be involved in daily execution, Nakrani said he will continue contributing to key areas such as fundraising, IPO planning, mergers and acquisitions, and long-term strategy.

Nakrani stated in his LinkedIn post that his decision comes after a period of reflection. “For me, building has always meant following curiosity, returning to first principles, and exploring ideas that may not always succeed, but are worth pursuing,” he said. He also explained that he remains deeply connected to the company as its largest individual shareholder and expressed confidence in the current leadership under CEO Nalin Negi.

Nakrani’s journey in BharatPe

Nakrani co-founded BharatPe in 2018 at just 19 when he was studying at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, aiming to address gaps in India’s digital payments ecosystem. Since then, the company has grown into a significant player in merchant payments and lending.

He was among the key figures who remained with the company following the exits of co-founders Ashneer Grover and Bhavik Koladiya. Now, Nakrani says he wants to return to his roots as a builder and explore new ideas, much like when he first started the company. “That same curiosity led me to drop out of college at 19… and build BharatPe,” he noted.