Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath showered praise on his brother, Nithin Kamath, after he was named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024. Acknowledging his resilience through several hardships, Nikhil shared a heartfelt Instagram post, saying Nithin and his wife, Seema Patil, deserved "another kind of award altogether."
"Congratulations brother, you deserve this and every other award there is," Nikhil wrote. "To both you and seems, one year after losing our father, surviving cancer and a brain stroke, for never complaining and always smiling, you deserve another kind of award altogether."
He added, "In a world filled with glass half empty folk we need more glass half full."
Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of Zerodha, was selected by a 10-member jury for his low-margin, high-volume strategy, which transformed India's brokerage industry. He will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year event in Monte Carlo in June 2025.
Zerodha was founded in August 2010 by Nithin and Nikhil Kamath. While leading Zerodha to success, Nithin Kamath faced a series of challenges. In 2021, his wife, Seema Patil, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Declared cancer-free a year later, she shared the challenges her family faced, the cost of treatment, and how the experience transformed her outlook on life. In a podcast appearance, she said cancer changed her perspective, pushing her to find her passion and become more involved in Zerodha.
In December 2023, the Kamath brothers lost their father. On his first death anniversary, Nithin Kamath honoured his memory with a donation to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. The contribution was to help establish the "Zerodha General Surgery Wing" at IISc's upcoming medical facility.
Then, in February 2024, Nithin Kamath suffered a mild stroke, which he attributed to stress and exhaustion. The 38-year-old, who initially struggled with reading and writing after the stroke, said at the time that he was recovering steadily and expected to regain full abilities in three to six months.
