Let’s look at how
Let’s begin with the most inspiring story of a blind man, ShrikanthBolla. He says, “I can see the world with my mind, vision, willpower, and resilience.” Despite so many challenges, like no one wanted to talk with him and declined to pursue science, even in college, IIT rejected him, but he never lost hope and built an empire worth Rs 500 crore.
About ShrikanthBolla:
Meet this 1st international blind student, ShrikanthBolla, who has incredible enthusiasm to achieve great things in life. In 1991, Bolla was born visually handicapped in the city of Seetharamapuram in the Andhra Pradesh state. Farming was the main source of income for his family, where his father, DamodarRao, and mother, Venkatamma, worked hard.
ShrikanthBolla’s inspiring story:
Shrikanth’sstory began at birth when his parents faced pressure to abandon him due to his blindness. Despite the challenges, his parents remained unwavering in their love and commitment. They consulted numerous doctors, but everyone said the same: Shikanth would never be able to see.
Shrikanth says, “I can see the world with my mind, vision, willpower, and resilience.” Despite facing significant challenges, he never lost hope and attended school. However, he often found himself isolated, as no one expressed interest in playing, eating, or spending time with him. He sat alone on the last bench. This time, he felt extreme loneliness.
Today, he says that at that time, he often thought about why people do like this with me, why people do not include me, why people are not happy with me, and why only me? Despite facing numerous challenges, he never gave up.
When Shrikanth’s father learned about his struggles, he enrolled him in a school 250 kilometers away. However, Shrikanth was unhappy there and returned home. This time, he realised that he had to work hard to change his life. He did hard work and became a top student at the school.
After completing his 10th grade, Shrikanth decided to pursue science. However, the Indian education system did not allow visually impaired students to enroll in science courses. This presented a challenge for Shrikanth, but he was determined to overcome it. With the support of his teacher, he fought against this discrimination in the education system. After a six-month period, the court granted him permission to continue his studies in science. Shrikanth worked diligently and achieved an outstanding score of 98% in the 12th grade.
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ShrikanthBolla’s college life
Due to his blindness, many IIT institutions denied Shrikanth’s admission, saying that he was not fit for engineering. Undeterred, he began applying to universities abroad and ultimately received a scholarship from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
He traveled to the United States for further studies. In this college life, he encountered various challenges, but his strong willpower ensured that nothing could stop him. However, he left all the foreign offers and came back to India. Furthermore, he started his business.
Why he didn’t accept foreign job offers?
Shrikanth received well-paying job offers but one thing was clear in his mind since childhood that he wanted to be a leader and didn’t want to work under anyone. He says, that “I want to create my own stuff, I want to create my own rules and I want to follow my own rules.”
Inspired Behind his Rs 500 Cr. business:
While studying in the US, Shrikanth engaged in several projects funded by US grants. During this time, he also established a computer lab in Hyderabad to assist disabled individuals, providing educational support and other forms of assistance with the help of friends and partners. Despite these efforts, employment opportunities for people with disabilities remained uncertain. Corporations didn’t want to hire them due to perceived qualification gaps, challenges related to office accessibility, and a corporate culture that often lacked the necessary inclusivity and willingness to accommodate their needs.
After observing this problem, Shrikanth thought that he had to do something and decided to build a company for normal people, impaired people, and underprivileged people. But now the question was, which company?
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Sidhanth identified a gap in the disposable products market. He observed that in the US, they make good-quality disposables and eco-friendly, sustainable disposable products. Whereas in India, it is all made up of flimsy plastic and reused plastics, which are unfriendly and unhealthy materials. Furthermore, Sidhanth was determined to change this sector in India. This is how Bollant Industries was born.
What is BOLLANT Industries?
In 2012, Bolla, along with co-founder Ravi Mantha, founded Bollant Industries in Hyderabad.
BOLLANT Industries provides environmentally sustainable solutions to its customers through the production of eco-friendly disposable products and packaging solutions made from natural leaves and recycled paper. The company has over 600 employees, and 60% of them are impaired individuals. Today, the company’s valuation is Rs 500 crore.
A normal person sees a problem as a difficulty; a successful person sees it as an opportunity.
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