Vijay Shekhar Sharma Declares “Jo Hai Thama Sa, Chal Niklega” at Paytm AGM

At Paytm’s Annual General Meeting today, Vijay Shekhar Sharma began not with financial charts or numbers, but with a Hindi poem he discovered online, penned by Anand Ji from Varanasi.

The poem, a stirring ode to perseverance, urges readers to “keep trying, a solution will emerge. If not today, then surely tomorrow.” It emphasizes focus, “like Arjun’s arrow,” and resilience, reminding that even barren land will bear fruit if nurtured. Its striking closing line—“Jo hai thama-thama sa, chal niklega” (what feels stuck will move forward)—captured Sharma’s message about Paytm’s journey over the past year.

“Hope is a powerful thing. The commitment to build, to keep going, we embraced it. And the headline we gave to this poem was ‘Stay Charged,’ or in Hindi, ‘Lage Raho,’” Sharma told shareholders, blending poetry with pragmatism.

He highlighted how Paytm continued to grow, keeping small shopkeepers and micro-businesses at its core. Paytm’s devices evolved too, with better screens, solar charging, and AI integration. “Even the desert will yield water,” Sharma noted, connecting the poem’s imagery to the company’s innovations made in India that are gaining global recognition.

The past year brought challenges, but also milestones. The Reserve Bank of India granted in-principle approval for Paytm’s Payment Aggregator licence, which Sharma described as both a privilege and a responsibility. “Compliance-first, strong governance, and a strong commitment to small business growth will take us far,” he said.

Looking ahead, Sharma said artificial intelligence would define Paytm’s next chapter. “AI is the most defining technology of this decade. The opportunities it opens will dwarf even smartphones and cloud computing. Soon, you will see AI-first products from Paytm that bring new capabilities for merchants and consumers alike,” he said.

Closing on an optimistic note, Sharma reflected both the wartime CEO and warm-time CEO within him: “What we are building today will seem small compared to what you will see in the next three to four years. AI will define Paytm’s next chapter, and together, we will move forward.”