Kerala man wins Rs 25 crore Onam bumper lottery in first-ever ticket purchase

Kerala: In a life-changing stroke of luck, a man working at a Nippon Paints outlet in Nettur, Alappuzha district, has won the Rs 25 crore first prize in the 2025 Onam Bumper Lottery — and astonishingly, it was the first time he had ever purchased a bumper ticket.

The winner, Sharath S. Nair, a native of Thuravoor in Alappuzha, bought the ticket numbered TH 577825, which turned out to be the lucky one. Sharath, a B.Com graduate, has been working at the Nippon Paints store for the past 12 years and lives with his parents, wife, and six-month-old child.

According to officials, Sharath had bought the ticket along with a few colleagues while returning home from work. When the draw results were announced, he could not believe his luck and rechecked multiple times before confirming the win. Later, he submitted the winning ticket at the State Bank of India branch in Thaikattussery, Thuravoor.

“I used to buy small lottery tickets occasionally, but this was my first bumper purchase,” said Sharath. “When I saw that my number had won the first prize, I couldn’t believe it. I informed only my wife and brother initially. I had never expected to win. This has completely changed my life,” he added with joy.

Though the official prize amount is Rs 25 crore, Sharath will receive around Rs 15.75 crore after deductions for income tax (30%) and agency commission (12%). The ticket agent who sold the winning ticket will get a commission of about Rs 2.5 crore.

The Onam Bumper Lottery draw, originally scheduled for September 27, was postponed to October 4 due to heavy rains and GST-related revisions following requests from agents and sellers.

This year, the Kerala State Lotteries department sold 7.5 million (75 lakh) bumper tickets. The highest number of tickets were sold in Palakkad district (14.07 lakh), followed by Thrissur (9.37 lakh) and Thiruvananthapuram (8.75 lakh).

Lottery officials clarified that only prizes above Rs 25,000 are taxable, with mandatory deductions for both agency commission and income tax. For Sharath, however, the numbers mean far more than money they mark the beginning of a new chapter of fortune and stability for his young family.

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