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Paytm Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma On 100 Most Influential People List
On Thursday, The Times released its annual 100 Most Influential People in the world in 2017 and two Indians made their entry onto this list – PM of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and Paytm’s founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
The 43-year-old Cheif Executive of the Indian mobile payments platform is the only Indian entrepreneur to be featured on the 2017 list.
This list also included US President Donald Trump, actor Emma Stone, philanthropist Melinda Gates, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, CEO, and founder of Snapchat Evan Spiegel.
The Times magazine has featured a list of pioneers, artists, actors, titans, leaders and icons from all around the world. Vijay Shekhar was listed under the titan category followed by Jeff Bezos. It was in March this year, Sharma was ranked as India’s youngest billionaire by Forbes magazine, as his net worth is $1.3 billion.
Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, who wrote Sharma’s profile was all praises for the Paytm founder. He said: “When Modi government announced (the) Demonetisation act in November, Sharma seized that moment and with a flurry of ads he encouraged people to start using the Paytm’s (sic) digital wallet platform to pay for every day’s goods and services.”
Seeing his performance in the Indian economy market, Alibaba’s Jack Ma is now an investor in Paytm. Vijay Shekhar Sharma shared his happiness on Twitter.
So privileged that @NandanNilekani has written this. 🙏🏼🙏🏼 and thank you @TIME for making this sound so big 🙂 https://t.co/Li6rdoqj4I
— Vijay Shekhar (@vijayshekhar) 20 April 2017
Check out the 2017’s full list of 100 Most Influential People in the world
- Biram Dah Abeid, Mauritanian politician, activist
- David Adjaye, architect
- Riz Ahmed, actor
- Thelma Aldana, Attorney General of Guatemala
- James Allison, immunologist
- Guillem Anglada-Escudé, Natalie Batalha and Michaël Gillon, astronomers
- Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks
- Margaret Atwood, novelist
- Stephen Bannon, White House Chief Strategist
- Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista, activist
- Samantha Bee, actor, comedian
- Fatou Bensouda, Chief Prosecutor, International Criminal Court
- Jeff Bezos, CEO, Amazon
- Simone Biles, gymnast
- Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour, organizers, Women’s March
- Jason Blum, director
- Tom Brady, football player, New England Patriots
- Gretchen Carlson, advocate for workplace equality, former Fox News anchor
- Chance the Rapper, rapper
- George Church, geneticist
- James Comey, director, FBI
- James Corden, host, The Late Late Show with James Corden
- Viola Davis, actor
- Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines
- Ava DuVernay, director
- Daniel Ek, co-founder, and CEO, Spotify
- Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations, Chicago Cubs
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey
- Fan Bingbing, actor
- Bob Ferguson, Attorney General of Washington
- Melinda Gates, philanthropist
- Donald Glover, actor, writer, rapper
- Ashley Graham, model
- Glenda Gray, physician, and researcher
- Kirsten Green, founder, Forerunner Ventures
- Gavin Grimm, activist
- Demis Hassabis, artificial intelligence pioneer
- LeBron James, basketball player, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Barry Jenkins, director
- Leslie Jones, comedian, actor
- Colin Kaepernick, football player
- Alicia Keys, singer
- Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of North Korea
- Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser
- John Legend, singer, songwriter
- John Lewis, U.S. Congressman, 5th District of Georgia
- Leila de Lima, Philippine opposition senator
- Jean Liu, president, Didi Chuxing
- Demi Lovato, singer
- Barbara Lynch, chef, restaurateur
- Kerry James Marshall, artist
- General James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, U.S.
- Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Conor McGregor, mixed martial artist
- Rebekah Mercer, Republican donor
- Alessandro Michele, designer, Gucci
- Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
- Neymar, soccer player
- Sandra Day O’Connor, former Supreme Court Justice, founder, iCivics
- Sarah Paulson, actor
- Jordan Peele, actor, comedian, filmmaker
- Tom Perez, chairman, Democratic National Committee
- Ben Platt, actor
- Pope Francis, Pontifex
- Reince Priebus, White House Chief of Staff
- Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
- Ryan Reynolds, actor
- Margot Robbie, actor
- RuPaul, television personality
- Raed Saleh, head of Syria’s White Helmets
- Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia
- Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator, New York
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma, entrepreneur, founder, Paytm
- Ed Sheeran, singer, songwriter
- Cindy Sherman, photographer
- Raf Simons, designer, chief creative officer, Calvin Klein
- Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force
- Evan Spiegel, CEO, and co-founder, Snapchat
- Emma Stone, actor
- Donald Trump, President of the United States
- Ivanka Trump, White House special assistant
- Dr. Celina Turchi, infectious disease expert
- Bernard J. Tyson, CEO, Kaiser Permanente
- Hamdi Ulukaya, entrepreneur, CEO, Chobani
- King Maha Vajiralongkorn, King of Thailand
- Guus Velders, atmospheric chemist
- Margrethe Vestager, antitrust czar, European Union
- Jeanette Vizguerra, activist
- Wang Qishan, senior leader, Communist Party, China
- Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator, Massachusetts
- Colson Whitehead, novelist
- Constance Wu, actor
- Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, General Secretary, Communist Party, China
- Janet Yellen, chair, Federal Reserve
- Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo
The healthy snacking category in India is no longer a niche trend it is steadily becoming a mainstream consumer movement. The latest funding momentum around brands like Phab highlights how investors are increasingly backing companies that sit at the intersection of health, convenience, and modern lifestyles. As urban consumers become more conscious of ingredients, nutrition, and long-term wellness, demand is shifting away from traditional packaged snacks toward products that promise both taste and better nutritional value.
What makes this market particularly attractive is its ability to create recurring consumer habits. Unlike many direct-to-consumer categories that rely heavily on one-time purchases, healthy snacks naturally fit into daily routines. This opens opportunities for brands to build stronger customer loyalty while expanding into adjacent categories such as protein-rich foods, functional beverages, and wellness-focused products. The competition is no longer about selling snacks it is about owning a larger share of the consumer’s health journey.
Looking ahead, the biggest winners may not be the brands with the widest product portfolios, but those that can balance nutrition, affordability, and taste at scale. As health-conscious consumption expands beyond metro cities, India’s better-for-you food segment could evolve into one of the country’s most significant consumer categories. The growing flow of capital into this space signals that investors are betting on a long-term behavioral shift rather than a short-lived food trend.
India’s fintech sector is entering a new phase of growth, and the spotlight is increasingly shifting toward underserved consumers in smaller cities and towns. The recent funding secured by WeRize reflects growing investor confidence in platforms that are expanding access to financial products such as credit, insurance, and other services for customers who have traditionally remained outside the reach of formal financial institutions. As digital adoption deepens across the country, fintech companies are finding significant opportunities beyond metro markets.
What makes this trend notable is the industry’s transition from simply enabling digital payments to building broader financial ecosystems. Rather than focusing on a single service, fintech firms are expanding their product portfolios to meet multiple customer needs under one platform. This approach not only strengthens customer relationships but also creates more sustainable business models by increasing engagement and lifetime value.
The larger implication is that India’s next fintech growth story may be driven by financial inclusion rather than convenience alone. Investors are increasingly backing companies that combine technology, data-driven underwriting, and localized distribution to serve emerging consumer segments. As competition intensifies, the ability to build trust, offer relevant products, and address the financial needs of Bharat could become a key differentiator for the next generation of fintech leaders.
OpenAI’s introduction of trusted contact safeguards for potential self-harm cases reflects a major evolution in AI responsibility.
Beyond Moderation
AI safety is shifting from simply blocking harmful content to actively supporting user wellbeing through:
- early risk detection
- human-centered intervention
- stronger emotional safety frameworks
This positions AI as more than an information tool—it becomes part of broader digital support systems.
Key Industry Impact
Trusted contact models could influence future safety standards across:
- AI assistants
- mental health platforms
- social media
- digital health services
The Bigger Challenge
While promising, success depends on balancing:
- privacy
- consent
- ethical intervention
- user trust
Final Take
This move signals that the future of AI safety may rely not just on preventing harmful responses, but on building more responsible, human-connected support systems.
