By Rishabh Naudiyal Last Updated:
Bhavish Aggarwal is one of the biggest names in the ride-hailing sector. He is the co-founder and CEO of Ola Cabs. In December 2010, Bhavish laid the foundation of Ola Cabs with Ankit Bhati. Fast-forward to 2024, and Ola Cabs is among the leading names in India's ride-hailing space. In 2018, Time Magazine included Bhavish in their 100 Most Influential People list. The entrepreneur has an estimated net worth of Rs. 21,000 crore.
In recent years, Ola has also started making a lot of noise in the EV and battery manufacturing sector. According to multiple reports, Bhavish Aggarwal is working predominantly on strengthening Ola Electric's distribution network by expanding service centres. Not only this, Bhavish and his team are also planning to increase the production capacity of Ola Electric's Li-ion cell to the mark of 100 GWh in a period of just 10 years. The billionaire broke the headlines with his statement, "Tesla is for the west, Ola is for the rest".
advertisement
Apart from achieving huge success with Ola Cabs, Bhavish Aggarwal is also associated with an artificial intelligence (AI) venture, Krutrim, which he founded in 2023. For the uninitiated, after making their mark in the Indian market, Bhavish has taken Ola Cabs to Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Moving on to Bhavish's personal life, he was born on August 28, 1985, in Punjab's Ludhiana. Regarding his educational qualifications, Bhavish went to IIT Bombay (Indian Institute of Technology), where he attained a bachelor's degree in computer science and engineering.
After graduating from IIT Bombay, Bhavish Aggarwal worked with Microsoft India. During his time at Microsoft, he once went to Bengaluru, where he faced a lot of difficulty booking a cab. Bhavish was travelling with his friend, Ankit Bhati, and they were charged extra by a cab driver. Not only this, the driver left the duo mid-way to their destination, and the unpleasant experience gave them the idea to start their carpooling service. After a series of discussions, Bhavish and Ankit founded Ola Cabs in 2010, and the rest is history.
Bhavish Aggarwal co-founded Ola Cabs with his close friend, Ankit Bhati, but there was also a person who played a crucial role in the success of their business venture. Yes! We are talking about Bhavish's wife, Rajalakshmi, whose contribution to Ola's success has not been celebrated enough in the media. For the uninitiated, Rajalakshmi and Bhavish got married in 2014 after dating each other for six years.
However, not everyone is aware that Rajalakshmi Aggarwal financially supported her husband, Bhavish Aggarwal, as his business venture was in its initial stages. From getting major financial support from his wife to borrowing Rajalakshmi's car, Bhavish has credited her for the success of Ola Cabs time and again. Once, in an old interview with a media publication, Bhavish shared how his wife used to pay all the bills whenever they went out on dates. The billionaire once penned a sweet note on Twitter a few years back in which he lauded his wife for her contribution and helping him achieve his goal. He penned:
"Who made everything seem possible and achievable, with so much grace."
For the uninitiated, Bhavish Aggarwal met the love of his life, Rajalakshmi, at IIT Bombay when he was pursuing his graduation degree. According to multiple reports, Rajalakshmi was also studying in the same institution. They quickly formed a bond and started dating after meeting because of their mutual friends. Right from his college days, Bhavish was focused on his studies and dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. It was his spark of doing something in life that made Rajalakshmi fall in love with him even more.
Rajalakshmi Aggarwal supported Bhavish Aggarwal when he thought about starting a ride-sharing company, and she always believed in his idea. After dating each other for a period of six years, Bhavish and Rajalakshmi tied the marital knot in 2014. While on one side, Bhavish was working on his business venture, Rajalakshmi was working as an analyst and marketing manager at the multinational company, Ernst & Young. However, in 2016, Rajalakshmi joined the Ola Foundation and helped her husband take the company's philanthropic wing to a notch higher.
Continue reading below
Bhavish and Rajalakshmi Aggarwal are parents of two children, a boy and a girl. The billionaire lives happily with his wife and kids in Mumbai. We hope he continues to achieve more success in the future.
Also Read: Meet Zomato CEO, Deepinder Goyal's Mexican Wife, Grecia: Changed Her Name For Love And Left Country