He once taught Zerodha's Nithin and Nikhil Kamath chess when they were kids, Today, he is a senior executive

Long before Zerodha’s Nithin and Nikhil Kamath became two of India’s most recognisable startup founders, their evenings were spent learning chess at home. The teacher who patiently guided those early moves was not a grandmaster or celebrity mentor, but a young MCA student named Niranjan Sarja. Years later, that quiet chapter from the Kamath brothers’ childhood has resurfaced, offering a glimpse into the people and parenting choices that helped shape their journey.

Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath and his younger brother Nikhil Kamath’s mother, Revathi Kamath, recently shared a memory from their early years on social media. She spoke about Niranjan Sarja, who used to regularly visit their home to teach chess to her sons when Nithin was around 10 years old and Nikhil was just three. At the time, Sarja was pursuing his Master of Computer Applications, and Revathi encouraged him to teach her children. She recalled that he would come consistently, motivated by both his fondness for her cooking and her determination to expose her sons to learning opportunities.

Kamath brothers and chess

Revathi Kamath has often spoken about how intentional she was while raising her children. Born into a culturally rich household, she grew up surrounded by music, learning, and discipline. Her father, N. Krishnamurthy, was a lawyer who later became a veena teacher, and he encouraged intellectual curiosity and creative pursuits at home. Chess was one such influence that stayed with her and later became part of how she nurtured her sons’ minds.




In an earlier interview with RJ Rapid Rashmi, Revathi Kamath opened up about a difficult phase when Nithin and Nikhil struggled academically. While other children in the family were excelling and moving toward conventional careers like medicine and engineering, her sons were falling behind in school. She admitted that it disturbed her deeply, but she made a conscious decision not to let that disappointment affect how she treated them. Instead of pressure or comparison, Revathi chose exploration. She enrolled her sons in multiple activities, ranging from chess and cricket to football, hoping that something would resonate with them. Chess became one of the many skills she encouraged while searching for their natural strengths. Even as relatives criticised her parenting choices and blamed her for the boys’ academic performance, she remained focused on supporting them without judgment.

Years later, she continues to express gratitude to the people who played small but meaningful roles in her sons’ upbringing. Niranjan Sarja, she said, was one of those individuals who took the time to contribute, and she never misses a chance to thank those who supported her children during their formative years.

Who is Niranjan Sarja?

Today, Niranjan Sarja has carved his own professional path. He is the founder of a Bengaluru-based company and holds a master’s degree in Computer Science and Applications from the University of Mysore. According to his professional bio, he is also a certified coach and corporate life skills trainer, with a strong focus on leadership development.