About
Srikanth Bolla is an Indian entrepreneur whose story proves that limitation and possibility often share the same address. Born totally blind in 1991 in the farming village of Seetharamapuram, Andhra Pradesh, he refused to let circumstance dictate ambition. After winning a legal battle that let him study science in high school, he earned a place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and became the first international blind student in the Sloan School of Management. Returning to India, he founded Bollant Industries, a company that turns agricultural and industrial waste into eco‑friendly packaging while hiring large numbers of employees with disabilities. Today Bollant’s turnover runs into the hundreds of crores, and Srikanth’s vision—both literal and metaphorical—continues to widen horizons for others like him.
Before Fame
Life’s opening chapters were anything but easy. Electricity was sporadic in Srikanth’s village and books in Braille were scarce. His parents—small‑scale farmers who had never attended school—worried their son might never earn a living. Yet young Srikanth loved numbers and problem‑solving. Barred from the science stream after Grade 10 because of his blindness, he filed a landmark case with the Andhra Pradesh education board; six months later the court ruled in his favor, allowing visually impaired students across the state to choose science. He scored 98 percent in his XII exams, but coaching centers for India’s elite IIT colleges still turned him away. Undeterred, he applied overseas, gained admission to MIT with a full scholarship, and spent his undergraduate years researching assistive technologies while polishing the business idea that would later blossom into Bollant Industries.
Trivia
- Eco driven from day one: Bollant began in 2012 with just one machine that pressed disposable plates from fallen areca‑nut leaves; today it also recycles plastic and produces Kraft paper from soiled waste, hitting double‑digit monthly growth in the early years.
- Backed by icons: Ratan Tata was an early investor, impressed by the twin social and environmental goals baked into the business model.
- Forbes spotlight: In 2017, Srikanth appeared on Forbes Asia’s “30 under 30” list—a rare honour for a founder under the age of 26 at the time.
- On‑screen inspiration: Bollywood released a biopic titled Srikanth in May 2024, starring Rajkummar Rao. The film traces his journey from rural Andhra Pradesh to boardrooms and innovation labs.
- Television shark: In March 2025 he joined the panel of investors on Shark Tank India, becoming the show’s first visually impaired “shark” and reinforcing his message that entrepreneurship should leave no one behind.
Family Life
Srikanth’s personal life mirrors his professional ethos of patience and perseverance. After a decade‑long friendship, he married Veera Swathi in 2022. The couple welcomed their daughter, Nayana, in 2024—a name that poetically translates to “eyes,” honoring both her father’s challenges and his hopes for a clearer world. Despite the demands of scaling a fast‑growing company, Srikanth schedules time every evening to tell Nayana stories in Telugu and English, insisting that leadership is hollow if it costs the relationships closest to the heart.
Associated With
- Ravi Mantha – angel investor turned co‑founder who helped turn Bollant from concept to corporation in 2012.
- Ratan Tata – veteran industrialist whose funding and mentorship accelerated Bollant’s early expansion.
- Rajkummar Rao – acclaimed actor who portrayed Srikanth on the big screen, drawing fresh attention to disability inclusion.
- A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s Lead India 2020 – youth movement where Srikanth served as a student leader, shaping his lifelong advocacy for accessible education.
- Shark Tank India co‑panelists Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Anupam Mittal, and others – fellow investors with whom he now evaluates and funds startups on prime‑time television.
From litigating for his classroom rights to investing in the dreams of budding founders, Srikanth Bolla’s journey reminds us that vision has little to do with sight and everything to do with insight.
