Kailash Nadh

Kailash Nadh serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Zerodha, India's largest stock brokerage firm. He has held this position since July 2013, playing a pivotal role in establishing the company's technology and product stack for capital markets. Under his leadership, Zerodha Tech was founded to innovate and digitize financial services, significantly transforming the brokerage landscape in India.

Background and Education

Kailash Nadh is a hobbyist software developer with over two decades of experience in coding and open-source software development. He holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Computational Linguistics from Middlesex University, which underpins his technical expertise in developing advanced technological solutions.13

Professional Experience

• CTO at Zerodha (2013 - Present): Nadh co-founded Zerodha Tech, focusing on building technology for capital markets from the ground up. His approach has been to digitize internal processes before launching consumer-facing products, leading to the development of Zerodha's investment platform in 2015.14
• Co-Founder of FOSS United (2020 - Present): This initiative supports Free and Open Source Software projects and communities in India.13
• Co-Founder of Rainmatter Foundation (2020 - Present): This foundation focuses on climate change and ecological sustainability, channeling resources from Zerodha to support various initiatives.13
• Previous Roles: Nadh has also worked as a technical advisor and consultant for various organizations, including Lumean and Middlesex University, where he contributed to software development and academic outreach programs.13

Philosophy and Approach

Nadh emphasizes a culture of sustainability and collaboration at Zerodha, stating that the company values long-term relationships over transient talent acquisition. The tech team has remained small, with only five new hires in the past four years, reflecting a selective hiring philosophy that prioritizes cultural fit over sheer numbers.5 His commitment to open-source technologies is evident in Zerodha's infrastructure, which relies heavily on free tools and frameworks.

In discussions about the future of technology at Zerodha, Nadh frequently addresses topics such as AI integration and the importance of maintaining a lean operational model while fostering innovation within a small team.25