Srikanth Bolla: Bollywood celebrates a visually-impaired visionary
In 2011, when I lived in Silicon Valley, I met Ravishankar Gundlapalli, founder of MentorCloud, who told me how he had been mentoring an ambitious young Indian named Srikanth Bolla.
Visually impaired since birth, Srikanth had a clear vision: he aspired to become the first visually challenged President of India.
Despite topping his class in the 12th board exam with 98%, Srikanth was denied admission for IIT-JEE coaching.
This setback led Srikanth to aim higher and go study abroad.
As a mentor, Ravi encouraged and helped Srikanth apply for MIT.
Srikanth became the 1st international blind student in Management Science (MS) at MIT Sloan School of Management.
Read what MIT had to say about Srikanth: https://lnkd.in/eHyaGczA and https://lnkd.in/eR6ppvQv
After graduating from MIT Sloan, Srikanth got several corporate offers in the US.
He turned them down to return to India as he was eager to contribute to his home country’s sustainable and inclusive development
In 2012, Bolla started Bollant Industries, which employs people with disabilities to “produce ecofriendly recycled Kraft paper from municipal waste or soiled paper, packaging products from recycled paper, disposable products from natural leaf and recycled paper and recycles waste plastic into usable products.” (Source: https://lnkd.in/eiA4xep8)
Bollant Industries is a pioneer of the circular economy (up-cycling of waste to make new products) in India.
But it is more.
Bollant Industries is a regenerative business that goes beyond sustainability and revitalizes people, communities, and the planet altogether synergistically (Read my Forbes article on regenerative businesses).
Bollant Industries has grown tremendously since its inception and is worth today over £48 million
Today — 10 May 2024 — will be released the Bollywood biopic on Srikanth Bolla with talented actor Rajkummar Rao playing the main character.
I can’t wait to watch this film 🎥
Watch trailer here: https://lnkd.in/eBZS5Gw4
Thank you Srikanth for inspiring all of us !
