Policybazaar vs Zerodha: Founders, CEOs and History
Policybazaar was founded in 2008 by Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal, Avaneesh Nirjar and is led by Yashish Dahiya. Zerodha was founded in 2010 by Nithin Kamath, Nikhil Kamath and is led by Nithin Kamath.
Company facts
Policybazaar
- Founded
- 2008
- Headquarters
- Gurugram, Haryana, India
- Current CEO
- Yashish Dahiya
- Employees
- 22,329
Zerodha
- Founded
- 2010
- Headquarters
- Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Current CEO
- Nithin Kamath
- Employees
- 1,100
Founders
Policybazaar
Yashish Dahiya
Yashish Dahiya co-founded Policybazaar in 2008 with Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar and is Chairman and Group CEO of PB Fintech. He held 3.86% of the company as of March 31, 2026.
Alok Bansal
Alok Bansal is an absolutely brilliant financial executive, highly strategic technology operator, and the profoundly influential co-founder fundamentally responsible for the incredibly robust operational and financial architecture of the massive Policybazaar e…
Avaneesh Nirjar
Avaneesh Nirjar is a highly visionary software engineer, fiercely skilled digital architect, and the profoundly influential technical co-founder fundamentally responsible for programming the absolute earliest structural bedrock of the massive Policybazaar aggr…
Zerodha
Nithin Kamath
Nithin Kamath co-founded Zerodha in 2010 and has been its CEO since. He introduced the flat-fee model, made delivery trades free in 2015 and has kept the company self-funded.
Nikhil Kamath
Nikhil Kamath co-founded Zerodha and later co-founded True Beacon and Gruhas. He signed The Giving Pledge in 2023.
CEOs and their tenures
Policybazaar
- Sarbvir Singh
Joint Group CEO
Joint Group CEO of PB Fintech alongside Yashish Dahiya.
Source - Yashish Dahiya2008–present
Co-founder, Chairman & Group CEO
An engineering graduate from IIT Delhi, MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, and MBA from INSEAD, Dahiya's ironclad focus on consumer advocacy transformed how Indians purchase financial protection.
Source - Alok Bansal2008–present
Co-founder & Executive Vice Chairman
Orchestrated the financial structuring and critical insurance carrier partnerships necessary to build India's largest digital insurance aggregation platform.
Source
Zerodha
- Nithin Kamath2010–present
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Has led Zerodha since founding and publishes regular updates on its finances and risks.
Source - Nikhil Kamath2010–present
Co-Founder
Co-founded Zerodha and is also a co-founder of True Beacon and Gruhas.
Source - Kailash Nadh2013–present
Chief Technology Officer
Leads the in-house technology team behind Kite and Zerodha's other platforms.
Source
Timeline: Policybazaar and Zerodha side by side
2008Policybazaar
Policybazaar founded in Gurugram by Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar; Info Edge invests early.
2010Zerodha
Zerodha founded in Bengaluru
Nithin and Nikhil Kamath started operations on 15 August 2010.
2014Policybazaar
Paisabazaar launched for credit scores, loans and credit cards.
2015Zerodha
Free equity delivery and Kite
Zerodha dropped brokerage on delivery trades and moved clients to its own Kite platform.
2021Policybazaar
PB Fintech lists on NSE and BSE after a ~$662 million (₹5,710 crore) IPO priced at ₹980 per share.
2023Zerodha
Zerodha Fund House launches its first funds
After announcing a mutual fund joint venture with smallcase in April 2023, Zerodha Fund House opened its first two passive index funds, with the offer period running to November 3, 2023.
2024Policybazaar
First full-year profit: ~$7.77 million (₹67 crore) PAT for FY2024.
2024Zerodha
Margin trading facility launched
Zerodha began offering margin trading funding in December 2024.
2026Policybazaar
FY2026 PAT of ~$77.7 million (₹670 crore) on ~$788 million (₹6,794 crore) revenue (May); Tencent exits and founders sell 0.8% (May); Temasek entity sells about 2.37% (July).
2026Policybazaar
September: IRDAI draft on commission and expense caps triggers a roughly 39% two-day share fall.
2026Zerodha
FY26 profit of ~$497 million (₹4,283 crore)
Profit rose about 1.2% while revenue stayed roughly flat.
2026Zerodha
Merchant banking registration
Zerodha Corporate Advisors received a Category-I merchant banking registration from SEBI.
Acquisitions
Zerodha
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Policybazaar vs Zerodha
Who is the CEO of Policybazaar and Zerodha?
Policybazaar is led by Yashish Dahiya and Zerodha is led by Nithin Kamath. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Policybazaar founded vs Zerodha?
Policybazaar was founded in 2008 — 2 years before Zerodha, which was founded in 2010. Policybazaar's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Zerodha.
How many employees does Policybazaar have compared to Zerodha?
Policybazaar employs approximately 22,329 people, while Zerodha employs approximately 1,100. Policybazaar has the larger workforce at 22,329 employees, compared to Zerodha's 1,100. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Policybazaar and Zerodha headquartered?
Both Policybazaar and Zerodha are headquartered in India, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Policybazaar and Zerodha?
Policybazaar was founded by Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal, Avaneesh Nirjar. Zerodha was founded by Nithin Kamath, Nikhil Kamath.
Which company has a longer operating history — Policybazaar or Zerodha?
Policybazaar has been operating for approximately 18 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Zerodha has been in operation for around 16 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Policybazaar vs Zerodha overview