FinTech Watchlist Company Profile—Paytm

The study analyzes the journey of India’s largest mobile payment player, Paytm that started off as an online platform for mobile phone top-up in 2010. Over the years, the company has expanded much beyond its initial offerings and pivoted into multiple areas to become an online wallet, a payment solutions provider, an online gold seller and dealer, and a full-fledged eCommerce store. It has also delved into the financial services space by launching mutual funds, insurance, and banking services. This study discusses the evolution of Paytm, from its starting point in 2010 when it was founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma as a mobile recharge site. Today, the company competes with various other mobile recharge and digital payment providers such as FreeCharge, MobiKwik, Amazon, and Flipkart. Since its inception, Paytm has added numerous new features and offerings, which has not only helped it differentiate its solutions portfolio but also enabled it to attain a competitive edge. Further, the study delves into the key strategies, visions, and plans behind the explosive growth achieved by the company in the past eight years. Paytm’s mobile-first strategy is at the heart of all its offerings. The company aspires to develop one-stop mobile app solutions that can help businesses evolve and assist users in their everyday tasks, including bill payment, shopping, mobile recharge, money transfer, tickets purchase, hotel booking, and so on. With Paytm’s mobile applications, users can make digital transactions of almost every kind with a click of a button from their mobile phones. The study further analyzes Paytm’s business model and represents it in the simplest-possible way. It also discusses how the company has successfully become a household name with its aggressive marketing efforts.--BEGIN PROMO--

Key Issues Addressed

• Is Paytm complementing, extending, or disrupting the payment space and the financial services industry in India?
• Is Pay