Introduction
Srikanth Bolla is an Indian industrialist and the founder of Bollant Industries. He is the first international blind student in Brain and Cognitive Science and Business at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Early life and education
Bolla was born visually impaired at childbirth in Seetharamapuram of Machilipatnam, a city in Andhra Pradesh in 1992. His family was mainly dependent on farming After his matriculation, he pursued science in his 10+2, but was not permitted to do so. Bolla filed a case, and after a six-month wait, he was allowed to pursue science at his own risk. Bolla topped his class with a 98% on his XII board exams. Bolla was denied admission to coaching institutes for Indian Institute of Technology, where he wanted to study engineering, because he is blind. He attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was the first international blind student. He was given corporate opportunities in America, but he was looking for some innovative idea in India.
He was a youth leader since 2005 and went onto become a member of Lead India 2020: The Second National Youth Movement. Started by former President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Lead India 2020 is helping India reach the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2020 by eradicating poverty, illiteracy and unemployment.
Career
Bolla co-founded Samanvai Center for Children with Multiple Disabilities in 2011 in which he started a Braille printing press, providing educational, vocational, financial, rehabilitation services to students with multiple disabilities for an economically independent and self-sustainable life.
In 2012, Bolla started Bollant Industries, which manufactures Areca based products and provides employment to several hundred people with disabilities, with funding from Ratan Tata. Addressing a combination of issues – employment, economic and environment – Bollant produces eco-friendly 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 in to usable products. Bollant has shown exceptional growth averaging 20% a month since inception and a turnover of ₹ 150 cr in 2018.
Srikanth is the director of Surge Impact Foundation, founded in September 2016. The organisation aims to enable individuals & institutions in India to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
In April 2017, Bolla was named by Forbes magazine in its list of 30 under 30 across all of Asia, one of only three Indians in that list.
Achievements
- Distinguished Youth Service Award
- Youth Excellence Award by the Telugu Fine Arts Society of New Jersey
- Entrepreneur of the Year at NDTV Indian of the Year Award 2015
- Emerging Winner in SME - Pride of Telegana Awards 2018
- Business Line Young Change Maker Award 2018
- Emerging Leadership Award by ECLIF Malaysia - 2016
- Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year by CII - 2016
- 2nd Place at the 93rd India Science Congress
- Entrepreneur of the Year by One Young World - 2019
- Nava Nakshatra Sanmanam Award by TV9 - 2019