Early Life and Childhood
When you hear about people who “make it against all odds,” it can sound like a cliché. But then you look at Srikanth Bolla’s life and realize, wait, this is the real deal. He was born blind in a poor farming family in Andhra Pradesh. A family that barely had enough to live on. Most kids born into that kind of setup stay stuck there. Not because they are not smart, but because the system has already decided their place. Srikanth didn’t accept that place.
He was born on July 7, 1991, in a small village called Seetharamapuram near Machilipatnam. His parents were uneducated farmers. He was the first-born child of the family and was visually impaired. Srikanth grew up in an environment full of hardship and struggle.
Education and Determination
Inspite of the struggles, he showed a great interest in his education. He consistently performed good in school. He achieved a score of 98 percent in class X. Despite scoring 98 percent, Srikanth’s disability led to rejection. He fought back by filing a case in court. After six months, the ruling was in his favor. This made him the first visually impaired student in Andra Pradesh allowed to study science.
After his schooling, Srikanth was determined to pursue engineering. However, admission was denied by coaching institutes that prepared students for the entrance exams held by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). This rejection was again based on his blindness. Because of his circumstances, he chose to apply to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US and got accepted. At MIT, he became the first visually impaired student in the Management Science program at the Sloan School of Management.
At MIT, he picked up not just knowledge but also a sense of mission. He saw how people in the US created systems to make life accessible. How they built companies that included everyone. He wanted to do that back home.
Founding Bollant Industries
In 2012, Srikanth Bolla came back to India and co-founded Bollant Industries with Ravi Mantha. The idea was to solve three problems at once. First, India’s struggle with waste management. Second, the lack of eco-friendly alternatives to plastic. Third, unemployment for people with disabilities. Within a few years, the company grew at nearly 20 percent every month. By 2018, the company’s turnover had crossed 150 crore rupees. Big names backed it, including Ratan Tata, who believed in Srikanth’s vision.
Srikanth didn’t stop with Bollant. He co-founded the Samanvai Center for Children with Multiple Disabilities in 2011. There he started a Braille printing press and provided support services for kids who needed more than just classrooms. Later, he also became the director of the Surge Impact Foundation in 2016, pushing for India’s progress on sustainable development goals.
Recognition and Achievements
In 2017, Forbes included him in its list of Asia’s 30 Under 30. For a man who once had to fight in court to be allowed into a science class, being named on that list was validation, not just for him but for every kid who hears “no” and chooses to push anyway. The success of Bollant Industries has made Srikanth Bolla one of the notable entrepreneurs of his generation. His net worth is estimated at ₹50–100 crore. Investors continue to back him, and the company is recognized for both profit and purpose.
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