Srikant Bolla : Inspiration for life

Srikanth Bolla is an Entrepreneur from Hyderabad.When he was born, neighbours in the village suggested that his parents smother him. It was better than the pain they would have to go through their lifetime, some said. He is a “useless” baby without eyes… being born blind is a sin, others added.

Pic Credits:https://www.industriesstory.com by Jagadeesh Kashyap

 He considers himself the luckiest man alive, not because he is now a millionaire, but because his uneducated parents, who earned Rs 20,000 a year, did not heed any of the ‘advice’ they received and raised him with love and affection. “They are the richest people I know,” says Srikanth.

Despite getting 90% in class 10th, At the Intermediate level, when he wanted to opt for Science, the Andhra Pradesh Education Board refused to grant permission. It said that Arts was what the only stream the blind could take up. Srikanth filed a case and, after a six-month wait, the Board agreed to let him pursue Science. Srikanth topped his Class 12, securing a 98%.

When IITs and NITs didn’t give him hall ticket for writing competitive exams, he applied overseas and got selected in 4 of the best colleges ever created on Earth: MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon.

 He went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, received a scholarship, and was MIT’s first International blind student.

After returning from the US in 2012, he started Bollant Industries, where 60% of employees were physically challenged. With 450 employees, the company is now worth Rs 50 crore, and even Ratan Tata invested in him.

Today, Srikanth has four production plants, one each in Hubli (Karnataka) and Nizamabad (Telangana), and two in Hyderabad (Telangana). Another plant, which will be one hundred percent solar operated, is coming up in Sri City, an integrated business city in Andhra Pradesh, 55 kms from Chennai.

Angel investor Ravi Mantha, who met Srikanth about two years ago, was so impressed with his business acumen and vision for his company that he not only decided to mentor him but also invested in Srikanth’s company.

They are raising $2-million (around Rs 13 crores) in funding and have already raised Rs 9 crores. According to Ravi, his personal goal is to “take the company to IPO.” A vision to build a sustainable company with a workforce comprising 70 percent people with disability is no mean task. “Srikanth’s vision is inbuilt in the company. It is not just a lip service to CSR,” adds Ravi.

Lastly, I Would Say

If you don’t give up on your dreams today or tomorrow you will be successful, all you have to do is just focus on your goals. People(s) have only one thing to do, “Talk” even when you get successful, So let just them do their work, and you do your work.

Mr. Srikanth Bolla is one of the Inspiring people you have faced hell amount of problems, but he don’t give up, and now we can see the result. HATS OFF!