Sanjeev Bikhchandani

Sanjeev Bikhchandani is an Indian internet entrepreneur widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the country's online economy. Born in New Delhi in 1963, he founded Info Edge, the company behind Naukri.com, India's first and largest online job portal, and went on to make some of the most successful technology investments in Indian history through early bets on Zomato and Policybazaar. A graduate of IIM Ahmedabad and a recipient of the Padma Shri, he is also a co-founder of Ashoka University and a respected mentor to a generation of Indian founders.

This profile covers who Sanjeev Bikhchandani is, his education and early career, the founding of Info Edge and Naukri.com, his landmark investments, his net worth, his philanthropy and his current role.

Early Life and Education

Sanjeev Bikhchandani was born in 1963 in New Delhi. He studied at Modern School in the capital and then earned a degree in economics from St. Stephen's College, one of India's most prestigious colleges, at Delhi University. He completed his management education with an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, graduating in 1989.

After business school, many of his peers took secure, high paying corporate jobs. Bikhchandani, however, was drawn to building something of his own, a decision that would place him at the very start of India's internet entrepreneurship story years before the web became mainstream in the country.

Early Career and the Founding of Info Edge

Sanjeev Bikhchandani co-founded Info Edge (India) Ltd in 1990, working in the early years from modest circumstances, including space in a servant's quarter, as he tried different business ideas. The breakthrough came with the recognition that information about jobs, which was scattered and hard to access, could be organized and delivered far more efficiently.

In 1997, Info Edge launched Naukri.com, taking advantage of the early internet to connect job seekers and employers. The word naukri means job in Hindi, and the portal filled a clear need in a large and fast growing labor market. Naukri grew to become the dominant online recruitment platform in India, and it remains the core business of Info Edge.

Building on that success, Info Edge launched a family of classified and information platforms, including 99acres in real estate, Jeevansathi in matrimony and Shiksha in education. Together these turned Info Edge into a leading internet classifieds company spanning several of the most important categories in Indian life.

Landmark Investments in Zomato and Policybazaar

Sanjeev Bikhchandani's reputation rests not only on the businesses he built but on the companies he backed early. Through Info Edge, he invested in Zomato, the food delivery and restaurant discovery company, and in Policybazaar, the online insurance marketplace, when both were young startups.

Both companies went on to become large, publicly listed businesses, and Info Edge's early stakes generated enormous returns, among the most successful venture style investments in Indian internet history. These bets demonstrated Bikhchandani's eye for promising founders and durable internet business models, and they transformed Info Edge into both an operating company and a powerful investment platform.

Sanjeev Bikhchandani Net Worth

Forbes estimated the net worth of Sanjeev Bikhchandani and family at about $4.25 billion in its 2024 ranking of India's richest people, placing him among the top tier of the country's wealthy. The bulk of that wealth comes from his shareholding in the listed company Info Edge, whose value reflects both its operating businesses, led by Naukri, and its investment holdings.

Because his wealth is concentrated in a public company, estimates move with the Info Edge share price and with the performance of the companies in which it has invested. His fortune is notable for being built largely from internet businesses created from scratch rather than inherited.

Ashoka University and Philanthropy

Sanjeev Bikhchandani is a co-founder of Ashoka University, a leading private liberal arts and sciences university in India built on a collective philanthropy model in which many successful individuals pool resources to fund higher education. His involvement reflects a long standing interest in education and in strengthening India's institutions.

He is widely seen as a generous mentor to younger entrepreneurs, frequently sharing lessons from his own long and sometimes difficult journey, and he has used his platform to encourage ethical, patient company building.

Honors and Recognition

In 2020, Sanjeev Bikhchandani was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's senior civilian honors, in recognition of his contributions to trade and industry. He has also received entrepreneurship awards over the course of his career, including recognition as an entrepreneur of the year. He is frequently cited as a founding figure of the Indian internet industry and a role model for first generation entrepreneurs.

Personal Life

Sanjeev Bikhchandani built Info Edge alongside his wife, Ritu, who was a co-founder of the company, underscoring the family roots of the business. He maintains a relatively understated personal profile, with his public visibility centered on his business leadership, his investments and his commentary on entrepreneurship and the Indian startup ecosystem.

Sanjeev Bikhchandani in 2026

As of 2026, Sanjeev Bikhchandani serves as founder and executive vice chairman of Info Edge, guiding the company's strategy across its operating platforms and its investment portfolio. His focus remains on the long term strength of Naukri and the other Info Edge brands, on supporting the next generation of founders, and on his work in education through Ashoka University.

He is profiled alongside other internet pioneers in the Tech sector on Founder Canon, founders who built the digital infrastructure of modern economies.