Paytm boss got trolled for donating Rs 10K. Now that's over Rs 30 crore

Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma had tweeted about donating Rs 10,000 to the Kerala flood relief fund.

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Paytm boss got trolled for donating Rs 10K. Now that's over Rs 30 crore
Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma was trolled for tweeting about donating Rs 10,000 for Kerala relief fund. (Photo: PTI)

In Short

  • Twitterati criticised billionaire Vijay Shekhar Sharma for donating only Rs 10,000
  • It has managed to raise more than Rs 30 crore through 12 lakh users
  • You too can contribute. Every rupee counts.

They say little drops make the mighty ocean. That is what Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma was likely trying to do when he tweeted that he had donated Rs 10,000 to the Kerala Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund through his transaction app.

Vijay Shekhar's original tweet which he deleted later. (Photo: Twitter/swamv)

But he didn't know that Twitter delivers judgement quicker than god. Criticism rained down on the billionaire from Twitterati for donating such a small amount. Many called his donation a publicity stunt meant to promote his app and chided him for being a miser.

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However, many also saw Shekhar's tweet as an example of how easy it was to donate money to the Kerala Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund. And, the sum was Rs 10,000 because most Paytm users cannot transact for amounts more than Rs 10,000.

Shekhar's tweet, which he later deleted, was on August 17. In the days since, Paytm has managed to collect Rs 30 crore from 12 lakh users.

There was also a side controversy -- many people on social media accused Paytm of profiting off the contributions for Kerala via transaction fees.

However, Paytm clarified that all donations made via the app are exempt from transaction fees -- whether it is for the user or the government.

Paytm has also said that it will match contributions up to Rs 1 crore.

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Kerala is facing a monumental rehabilitation and reconstruction task as the state struggles to get back on its feet after massive flooding that killed more than 300. India needs to contribute to that effort and one way you can do that is by donating to the Care Today Foundation.

You can donate by cheque or DD in the name of Care Today A/C Kerala SOS and send it to Care Today, India Today Mediaplex, FC-8, Sector 16-A, Noida- 201301.

READ| How the Kerala floods showed humanity still rocks

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