Indian CEOs Who Took Huge Loans & Built Billion-Dollar Companies

Geet stared at the loan agreement—₹100 crore. The number felt heavy. Just 10 years ago, her family struggled to arrange ₹10,000 for her school fees. Five years ago, she started GeetClaws with just ₹1 lakh in savings, determined to bring luxury nail art and care to every corner of India.

She wanted to borrow enough money to establish 500 luxurious nail salons or provide quality training opportunities to 50,000 nail professionals.

During the first three years of operation, her company achieved substantial business growth, from generating Rs. 5 crore to Rs. 50 crore annually. GeetClaws has expanded to existing locations in 30 cities across various markets, serving its premium nail services and designs, along with gel extensions. 

The success of her brand earned her a strong customer following featuring well-known figures along with social media stars for the first nail care membership option in India. Her business requires this loan to expand her brand by establishing 300 new locations and introducing plant-based nail products with virtual try-on technologies.

Investors were hesitant, competitors were raising ₹200-₹500 crore rounds, and without funds, growth would stall. 

She thought of bold CEOs who had taken loans of ₹500 crore, ₹1,000 crore, and even ₹5,000 crore and built 

billion-dollar brands. With a deep breath, she smirked, whispered, "Risk hai toh ishq hai," and signed.

And just like that, she joined the League of India’s boldest entrepreneurs.

Now, let’s take a look at the Indian CEOs who bet big, borrowed bigger, and built billion-dollar companies—because if there's one thing to learn from them, it's this: playing it safe never made history.

“Paisa Bolta Hai!” - Why Loans Matter In Business

FUEL FOR GROWTH

Business loans allow organisations to increase capacity efficiently, including new locations and speeding up their overall expansion;

• GeetClaws started with just ₹1 lakh, but scaling to 500 studios across India needed ₹100 crore in funding.

SMOOTH CASH FLOW

Ensures salaries, inventory, and daily operations run without disruptions.

• Managing 200+ existing studios, staff salaries, and inventory required a steady cash flow—loans ensured operations ran without disruption.

TECH AND INNOVATION

The company uses tech and innovation funds to lead market position development.

• She planned to invest ₹20 crore in AI-powered virtual nail try-ons and launch India’s first vegan nail product line.

MARKETING POWER

Strong marketing strength allows us to launch aggressive branding, advertising and celebrity endorsements. 

• Competing with global brands meant big spending on branding. ₹15 crore was allocated for influencer marketing and celebrity endorsements.

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Lending turns companies into faster-growing industry leaders by beating their competitors.

• Rival brands had raised ₹200-₹500 crore; without loans, GeetClaws risked being left behind in a booming industry.

OWNERSHIP EDGE

Business owners who borrow capital keep full control of their company, while investors surrender ownership in return for funds.

• Instead of selling equity and losing control, Geet chose a loan—keeping 100% ownership while still expanding.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND SCALE

The presence of basic facilities and operational size helps businesses run factories and networks effectively.

• Expanding into 100+ more cities required major investments in real estate, training centres, and product R&D.

"JIO Ne Khela Bada Game!" - Mukesh Ambani's Million-Dollar Bet

Mukesh Ambani started Reliance Industries in 2016 as Jio, using ₹150,000 crore ($20 billion at launch) to reshape Indian telecom with data at lower prices.

Despite industry doubts, Jio grew quickly and now leads all Indian mobile network providers with 463 million subscribers.

Key Takeaways:

• To create its 4G network, Reliance Industries started with a comprehensive investment of ₹150 billion or about $20 billion.
  
  
• People signed up for Jio in large numbers because it started with free voice and data plans during its opening period.
  
  
• Despite aggressive moves, Jio disrupted the wireless sector and made Reliance Industries the most valuable business in India.
  
  
• Through Jio, Mukesh Ambani proves that major investments combined with groundbreaking approaches can drive exceptional business achievement in markets today.

"Adani Ka Badshah Move!" -  The Debt-Fueled Rise Of An Empire

Gautam Adani expertly managed debt to help his organisation control multiple industry segments, especially infrastructure, power, and renewable energy. The group enlarged its market presence by borrowing large amounts of money to fund multiple significant developments.

Key Takeaways:

• In September 2024, the Adani Group used ₹2.58 trillion in borrowed funds, which increased from ₹2.41 trillion at the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The increased debt enabled the group to buy Ambuja Cements and ACC for $10.5 billion in 2022, which made the group the second-largest cement producer in India.
  
  
• The corporate giant puts its funds into various market segments. The company handled 420 million metric tonnes of cargo in FY24, achieving a 24% growth and controlling 44% of all of India's containerisable seaborne cargo.

"Paytm Karo, Loan Se Grow!" - Vijay Shekhar Sharma's Bold Play

Vijay Shekhar Sharma obtained significant financial support in 2016 to grow Paytm after India demonetised paper money. Major foreign investors, SoftBank and Alibaba, supported Paytm's development to make it one of the biggest digital payment companies in India.

Key Takeaways:

• Paytm gained $1.4 billion in investment funds from SoftBank in May 2017, which increased their market value to over $8 billion.
  
  
• In 2015, Alibaba's Ant Financial bought 25% of One97 Communications to help Paytm expand its business operations.
  
  
• Paytm's customer count reached 185 million just three months after the demonetisation event made their platform incredibly popular among users.
  
  
• Sharma achieved leadership in India's digital payment sector through his smart investments and robust partnerships with investors.

"Infosys Ka Naya Mantra!" - How Narayana Murthy Played It Smart

In 1981 Narayana Murthy started Infosys together with six colleagues when his wife Sudha Murthy gave the startup its initial investment of ₹10,000. By starting small and managing money well while taking little outside debt, Infosys grew to be a successful worldwide IT player.

"OLA UBER Pe Bhari!" - Bhavish Aggarwal's High-Stake Rides

Ola's co-founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal, employed both debt and equity financing to turn his company into a strong rival to Uber in India's market. Aggarwal uses money from both EVs and mobility expansion to develop new solutions that boost business growth.

“Byju’s Ka Loan Formula!” – Betting Big on EdTech

Byju's gained its position as India's premier edtech company through multiple business acquisitions, which they funded mostly with loans. Their large debt load created both business and money problems.

Key Takeaways:

• The business acquired Aakash Educational Services and multiple worldwide edtech companies through purchases marked by aggressive conduct.

   

• The company struggled to repay its $1.2 billion Term Loan B after taking the funds for growth.

   

• The company received $250 million in 2023 from lenders as the business faced money problems.

   

• When we speak of valuation loss and bank insolvency, the value of Byju's on the stock market dropped to zero USD, while this company declared bankruptcy in 2024.

“OYO Ka Asli Game” – Ritesh Agarwal’s Global Expansion

Through high-risk borrowing, Ritesh Agarwal transformed OYO into a global hotel leader. However, as the business expanded too rapidly, OYO encountered financial difficulties that prompted a shift back toward stronger sales performance.

Key Takeaways:

• The company purchased Motel 6 in 2024 for $525 million to improve its business operations across the United States.

   

• OYO received one billion dollars in December 2024 to refinance and expand its portfolio.

   

• Whenever interest expenses reached $101 million in the financial year 2024, the company needed to reorganise its operations.

   

• The business reported a profit of ₹229 crore during FY24 while changing its focus towards making money.

“EMI Ka Bhoj” – The Hidden Dangers of Too Much Debt

Business growth needs proper debt use, yet high amounts of borrowing can harm what started as a dream.

Geet’s Bold Gamble – A ₹100 Crore Decision

Geet, through her startup, GeetClaws, took ₹1 lakh in savings to build a ₹50 crore business that operates in 30 cities across India. To scale further, she planned:

• 300 new locations for luxury nail salons.
• Plant-based nail products with virtual try-on technology.
• Training programmes for 50,000 nail professionals.

Despite competitors' successful funding ranges of ₹200-₹500 crore, she took a risk by borrowing ₹100 crore.

The Hidden Risks of Too Much Debt

• High-interest costs: Loan repayments could slash profits and limit reinvestment.

   

• Market Uncertainty: A slowdown in premium beauty services might stall expansion plans.

   

• Debt Dependency: Relying on loans instead of organic growth can lead to a financial trap.

“Aapke Liye Seekh” – Lessons for Future Entrepreneurs

Geet's choice to borrow ₹100 crore offers valuable directions for new startup owners. Our analysis reveals the following strategic takeaway from her experience.

Conclusion

The successful Indian entrepreneurs Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, and Vijay Shekhar Sharma use debt strategically to boost their businesses rapidly and create billion-dollar firms. Geet shows us how easy it is to confound planned risk-taking with financial trouble. Loans help businesses grow but too much debt along with wrong market entry times and excessive growth may destroy their progress.

The key takeaway?  Debt should help businesses grow when used wisely. New business owners should blend their drive with responsible practices by using borrowed money to build lasting success and profitability.

FAQs

• What makes companies want to take on large amounts of debt?

Companies need to build their infrastructure through borrowing as part of their fast-growth strategy to achieve market dominance.

• When a company cannot pay back its debts, what consequences arise?

The organisation might face financial trouble, lose investor confidence or stop being able to operate.

• What is the Indian company with the largest loan amount?

Reliance Industries and Adani Group have the highest levels of loans in India.

• How do top executives track that loan funds are being used appropriately?

A CEO can drive growth by putting loan money into promising investments while improving how funds get in and out of the business.

• Is borrowing large sums always a good idea?

Not always. Large debt amounts create risk for people who have no payment strategy.

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LoansJagat Team

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