Ritesh Agarwal

Founder and Group CEO, PRISM

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

It's not just me; before investing, most investors want to understand whether the business becomes stronger as it grows or simply more expensive to operate.

The right numbers help them see beyond the headline growth. They reveal the quality of the business, the discipline of the founder, and whether the company has the foundations to build something enduring

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

A glamorous idea does not automatically make a strong company, and an ordinary idea does not limit how large a company can become.

Give me a founder who understands the customer deeply, executes with discipline, and can improve a familiar industry year after year. That may sound “boring” in a pitch, but it can become a remarkably valuable business.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

When I meet a founder, I am not looking for someone who has never failed, changed direction, or been caught without an answer.

I look for self-awareness. Are they learning from failure? Are they willing to follow the customer rather than defend their ego? Can they admit what they still need to figure out?

The signal matters, but the thinking behind it matters more.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

I want more people to travel, see new places, experience different cultures, and discover parts of the world they may have only heard about. But if tourism is going to keep growing, we have to prepare for that growth too.

That means better infrastructure, more skilled talent, thoughtful city policies, and hotels that are ready for the next generation of travellers. The future of tourism is not just about getting more people to travel. It is about making sure destinations are ready to welcome them well.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

Tourism is a huge positive for cities. It creates jobs, supports local businesses, and brings people and cultures closer. But when tourism grows rapidly, cities also have to deal with the pressure that comes with it. I don't think the answer is less tourism.

The answer is better-managed tourism, with clear rules around what works for visitors, residents, and the industry. The best outcomes will come when all three have a seat at the table.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

Education can open many doors. Sometimes, so can an unconventional opportunity.

The Thiel Fellowship was one of those moments for me. $100,000 to pursue an idea, a move to the Bay Area, and exposure to a world I had only seen from a distance before.

I would never say everyone should leave university to build a company. But when you deeply believe in what you're building, there are moments when taking a calculated leap of faith can change the direction of your life. That fellowship was one such moment in mine.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

I have often walked into rooms where I was made to feel that I did not quite belong. Perhaps that is why The Outsider resonated with me.

@thevirdas is an Emmy-winning comedian who has built a global career by embracing a voice that is unmistakably his own.

He writes about turning that feeling of being a misfit into an advantage. Regardless of whether you agree with all his views, there is something powerful in the journey of someone who found his own place in the world without waiting for permission.

A deeply personal and interesting read.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

We often recommend books because we agree with them. I am recommending this one despite disagreeing with its central thesis.

The Richest Man in Babylon offers a philosophy of wealth that has worked remarkably well for many people. My own journey has been shaped by a very different approach: investing heavily in the things I want to build.

Both perspectives deserve to be heard. Strong opinions are not formed by avoiding opposing ideas, but by engaging with them thoughtfully.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

I often call it the Indian dream.

A young person from a small town, with no special access or resources, gets an opportunity and goes on to build a global business.

Perhaps that is why so many young Indians relate to my journey. They do not just see where I am today. They see where I started and recognise a little bit of themselves in that story.

Knowing that this gives someone the courage to start is one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

It is no coincidence that we are seeing more and more people consistently sharing their travel stories.

Travel is becoming a bigger part of how people spend their time, create memories, and experience the world. From weekend getaways to international holidays, the desire to explore is only growing.

And honestly, there is very little to suggest that this trend will slow down. Tourism is going to become a much bigger and more important industry globally.

The real question is whether we are preparing fast enough, with the right talent, hotels, infrastructure, and policies to support that growth.

[FII Institute @FII_Institute1]

AI is beginning to influence where people travel, while cities face growing pressure to manage tourism more effectively.

Ritesh Agarwal (@riteshagar), Founder and CEO of @oyorooms, explains why the future of tourism will depend on better planning, clearer regulation, and stronger cooperation between governments and industry.

Watch the interview here: https://t.co/fdl3TrcWCr

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

We spend a lot of time celebrating the mechanics of building a company. The funding. The growth. The wins.

We spend far less time on the people we build them with.

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" sits with that quieter truth. At its heart is a relationship that resists a single label, shaped over years by friendship, creativity, competition, and the strange intimacy of making something together.

It reminded me that the people we create with often become as important to the journey as the thing we are creating.

Sometimes more.

What's a book that changed how you think about the work you do?

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

Ten years ago, building and launching a private orbital rocket from India may have felt almost impossible. Orbital launch was the domain of governments alone, until Elon Musk and SpaceX proved a private company could get there too.

Today, a young Indian team has done it successfully on its first attempt, and India now joins that rare club.

I enjoyed speaking with Pawan about the years of work behind Vikram-1, the fear of failure before the launch, and the support Skyroot received from the government, IN-SPACe, and the wider ecosystem.

What excites me most is what this signals to the world: India can build high-precision, highly reliable, deep-technology products for global customers.

Neil Armstrong once described a single step as a giant leap for mankind. For India's private space journey, this is exactly that kind of leap. A historic beginning for Skyroot and an important moment for every Indian entrepreneur building for the world.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

My team asked me what love bombing means. I heard the word love and immediately assumed the best. Big gestures, generous attention, someone going all in. Honestly, it sounded like a strong opening offer.

Turns out it is the opening offer that should worry you. Love bombing is exactly that level of intensity, deployed early, designed to win you over before you have had time to think. I have seen this strategy before. I just never knew it had a romantic rebrand.

Lesson learned. The most generous-looking terms often deserve the most scrutiny. Were you ahead of me on this one, or did you also fall for the name?

Full video on YT - https://t.co/klsN2uUQ40

#GenZSlang #GenZ #SlangCheck #SlangExplained #MillennialsVsGenZ

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

I never looked at business as a way to simply save every cent or chase wealth.

For me, it has always been about belief.

When I started OYO, now part of PRISM, I kept putting whatever resources I had back into the company because I believed in what we were building.

That same mindset has stayed with me, whether it is building PRISM, investing in startups on Shark Tank, or backing ideas in technology and innovation.

Wealth is an outcome. Belief is what keeps you building.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

A World Cup is never really about the stadiums.

Yes, people come for the matches. But while they're here, something else happens. They wander into the cities. They try the food. They meet the people. They check into the hotels. They start to feel what a place is actually like.

That builds revenue. It also builds memory.

And memory is the thing that quietly pulls people back, long after the final whistle.

Qatar understood this, and it paid off. With the World Cup now under way across the US, I expect the same story to play out.

#worldcup #fifaworldcup2026 #fifa #america #USA

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

This World Cup feels so difficult to predict, doesn't it?

There are so many teams that are more or less on the same level. I guess that's what makes it even more exciting. Let alone the World Cup itself brings a lot of thrill and excitement.

Which team are you supporting?

#worldcup2026 #fifa #fifaworldcup #football #FootballCommunity

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

Namaste from Nice, France.

You can sense it in my tone how exciting it is to see Indian innovation on a global stage.

What has stood out to me at @BharatInnov2026 has been the range of Indian founders working across deep-tech, space-tech, defence, AI, and other areas that can shape the future.

Many of these companies may look small today, but the problems they are solving can have a significant global impact.

And the moment carries real weight, Prime Minister @narendramodi and President @EmmanuelMacron came together to launch this platform as part of the India-France Year of Innovation, with PM Narendra Modi in France around the G7. When two leaders stand on the same stage for young founders, it tells you something. Our countries have just elevated their ties to a special global strategic partnership, and markets tend to follow where leadership leads.

For Indian startups, platforms like this create access to global partners, investors, and markets. More importantly, they show that India is not only consuming innovation, but exporting it.

Make in India, but for the world.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

A historic milestone for Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji as he becomes India’s longest continuously serving elected Prime Minister.

For many founders of my generation, the last decade has meant something very important: stability, confidence, and the belief that a company built from India can serve the world.

The startup ecosystem has grown with a new sense of ambition. The question is no longer just, “Can we build for India?” It is, “Can we build global champions from India?”

That shift in mindset matters.

My heartfelt congratulations to Modi ji on this remarkable milestone. His hunger, energy, and belief in India’s potential continue to inspire millions of entrepreneurs to think bigger, build stronger, and contribute to the journey of a developed India.

@PMOIndia

[India in New York @IndiainNewYork]

Here’s what Mr. Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar , Founder of PRISM and owner of hospitality brands including Motel 6, Studio 6, Sunday Hotels and OYO, had to say about the growing India–U.S. partnership:

From creating tens of thousands of jobs in the U.S. to investing over $1B, he highlighted how Indian innovation, engineering talent and entrepreneurship are helping deepen economic collaboration between the two nations.

He also encouraged American entrepreneurs and investors to explore India’s vibrant startup ecosystem.

@PMOIndia @MEAIndia @IndianEmbassyUS @IndianDiplomacy @DDNewslive @PTI_News @PIB_India @MIB_India @ANI @oyorooms @AmbVMKwatra @binaysrikant76