Sonia Dhawan joins early Paytm backer

BENGALURU: Sonia Dhawan, who joined back Paytm in June last year after being accused of data theft and blackmail along with others, has left Paytm to work at venture capital firm SAIF Partners, people aware of the matter said. She has joined the venture capital firm as advisor--corporate communications where she will be working on communications and marketing for SAIF's portfolio companies--which includes Paytm besides food delivery startup Swiggy, logistics venture Rivigo, and home services company UrbanClap.


SAIF Partners confirmed the development to TOI. Dhawan also confirmed to TOI that she joined SAIF earlier this year and that she left Paytm late last year. SAIF Partners has been an early backer of Paytm since 2007 and are currently holds about a 20% stake in the company.

After getting bail in the case of extortion of Paytm founder

Vijay Shekhar Sharma

last year, she had joined the Noida-based company's gaming business unit--Paytm First Games--as its head of corporate communications and marketing. Though Sharma had filed the case in 2018, he had told The Economic Times that she might have been a pawn in someone else’s plan.

Dhawan was also allotted

employee stock option

plans (ESOP) of Paytm in June. She is out on bail right now as the case continues in court.

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