STANDOUT STORIES

Ritesh Agarwal:  From Small Town Boy to Global Visionary “It’s no t about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” —Ritesh Agarwal   There’s something magnetic about stories that begin in unlikely places—far from the gleam of venture capital and glass towers. Stories that sprout quietly, powered not by privilege, but by pure, unshakable resolve. Ritesh Agarwal’s story is one such tale. A teenager from a small town in Odisha, India, with no Ivy League badge or billionaire family name, Ritesh emerged as the face of one of the most disruptive hospitality startups the world has ever witnessed OYO. But how did a boy from Rayagada, known more for its quiet streets than startups, challenge the hotel industry across 30+ countries? Let’s rewind. The Small-Town Spark Ritesh wasn’t your average teenager. While many his age pondered college majors, he was hopping from one budget hotel to another across India not as a luxury-seeker, but as a frustrated traveler. Rooms were inconsistent. Ser...