NEW DELHI: Industrialist Srikanth Bolla is set to make his debut as a ‘shark’ on Shark Tank India Season 4. The visually-impaired entrepreneur and founder of Bollant Industries shared his excitement about joining the show.
“To survive a pool of sharks, you need to become one yourself,” Bolla wrote on social media. He shared photos from the show’s set, marking his entry as one of the judges on the reality TV series.
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Srikanth Bolla’s journey has been filled with challenges. Born visually impaired in Andhra Pradesh, he excelled academically despite numerous obstacles. After scoring 98% in Class 12, Bolla was denied admission by multiple Indian engineering colleges, including IITs.
Undeterred, Bolla applied abroad and secured admission to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becoming the first international blind student there.
While at MIT, he designed a Braille library in Hyderabad and set up a computer training centre for visually impaired students. After returning to India in 2005, he joined the Lead India program, training over 800,000 youth in leadership, human values, and employability skills.
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In 2012, Bolla co-founded Bollant Industries with an initial investment of $19,000. The company now boasts an annual turnover exceeding $150 million and employs over 500 individuals, many of whom are disabled. The company achieved a 107% compounded annual growth rate between 2015 and 2019.
Bolla’s remarkable story has inspired many. His achievements have earned him a place in Forbes 30 Under 30, and he has represented India in various sports, including blind cricket, international chess, baseball, and swimming.
His life was also adapted into a Bollywood biopic titled Srikanth, featuring actor Rajkummar Rao. The film highlights his journey and achievements.
He said, “To be honest, entrepreneurship in India has taken a very heartwarming boost because of Shark Tank. People at the show seemed poised to solve some age-old problems and some modern issues in society while being visionary.”
Bolla encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to take action. “I’ll just say one thing to all my fellow citizens: Don’t just think your idea, act on it, or someone else will! Thank you for having me, Shark Tank India – this is just the beginning!”
In another post, Bolla praised Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal, his fellow Shark Tank judge. “One of the privileges of being on Shark Tank is the invigorating presence of Anupam Mittal,” he wrote. “His appreciation of our efforts at Bollant means a lot to me personally as I found him to be a man of profound knowledge in building businesses successfully.”
He added, “It is so easy to communicate with him because he understands that we are all on the same ship of creating opportunities, supporting groundbreaking ideas, and driving change from India to a global stage. Thank you Anupam ji, I thoroughly enjoyed your fun, loving, and wise company.”
Bolla’s entry into Shark Tank India adds an inspiring touch to the show’s latest season. His journey of resilience, leadership, and success is sure to motivate budding entrepreneurs across the country.
