Meet Srikanth Bolla, Shark Tank India’s new judge, who is visually impaired – know his inspirational success story
‘Shark Tank India‘ has a new addition to its panel – Srikanth Bolla, who serves as the founder and chairman of Bollant Industries. Bolla announced this through his social media handles. He posted several photographs from the programme’s set on Instagram with the caption, “To survive a pool of sharks, you need to become one yourself.”
One photograph captured Srikanth Bolla alongside Jeet Adani, whose father is the prominent industrialist Gautam Adani. Jeet currently oversees various segments within the Adani Group, including their operations in Airports, Petrochemicals, Digital ventures, Kutch Copper, and Defence & Aerospace sectors.
On Instagram, Shrikanth Bolla expressed his views about entrepreneurship in India, noting, “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 visionaries.”
He further addressed his fellow citizens, stating, “I will just say one thing to all my fellow citizens: Don’t just think about your idea; act on it, or someone else will! Thank you for having me, Shark Tank India. This is just the beginning!”
Srikanth Bolla on Shark Tank India
Describing how he received the opportunity, Bolla shared, “So yes, I got an opportunity to become a shark on Shark Tank India. Being on the set made me realize that dreams aren’t just for thinkers— they’re for the doers! It was a blast meeting all these accomplished entrepreneurs on the panel and the pitches made were very inspiring — smelled innovation in the air.”
Who is Srikanth Bolla?
Srikanth Bolla stands as a prominent Indian business leader who currently heads Bollant Industries Private Limited as its CEO, co-founder and Chairman.
Although visually challenged from birth, he has established himself as a successful businessman and humanitarian. According to an ET report, his achievements include becoming the first sight-impaired student accepted into MIT’s Sloan School of Management. His enterprise, Bollant Industries, now boasts annual revenues surpassing $150 million and provides employment to more than 500 people.
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Born July 7, 1991, in the town of Seetharamapuram, Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, he comes from a Telugu-speaking agricultural household. His parents, who worked as farmers without formal schooling, experienced considerable financial difficulties. His visual impairment presented significant educational challenges, particularly due to the lack of proper facilities for disabled learners. Even after achieving 98% in his Class XII examinations, he encountered resistance in advancing his education, the ET report said.
Determined to pursue his studies, he initiated legal proceedings to defend his educational rights. Following a six-month court process, he succeeded in gaining college admission. When engineering coaching centres denied him entry for IIT preparation, he sought opportunities abroad, applying to prestigious institutions including Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. His acceptance at MIT proved a crucial educational breakthrough.
His accomplishments extend beyond academics into athletics. He competed nationally in blind cricket and international chess, while also engaging in baseball and swimming. During his MIT tenure, he established a digital learning facility specifically designed for visually impaired students.
After finishing his education, he returned to India in 2005 and joined the Lead India Program as a Youth Leader. His work there focused on addressing poverty and unemployment, helping develop leadership qualities and employability skills among 800,000 young people.
He established the Samanvai Center for Children with Multiple Disabilities in 2011. This initiative included launching a Braille printing facility to support educational needs of differently-abled students.
His remarkable journey earned him recognition in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” Asia list in April 2017, where he was among three Indians selected that year.
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Srikanth Bolla’s Business Venture
Bolla and Ravi Mantha jointly founded Bollant Industries in 2012. The organisation, which received investment from the distinguished businessman Ratan Tata, produces areca-based items whilst creating job prospects for people with disabilities.
The company prioritises environmental sustainability by converting municipal waste and soiled paper into environmentally conscious recycled Kraft paper. The firm also manufactures packaging items from reprocessed paper, creates disposable products from natural leaves, and transforms plastic waste into useful items.
The inspiring life story of Srikanth Bolla has touched numerous lives. His biographical narrative was adapted into a Hindi cinema production titled “Srikanth”, starring the celebrated performer Rajkummar Rao in the lead role.
