Popular business reality show ‘Shark Tank India’ is set to welcome its new judge Srikanth Bolla, the founder and chairman of Bollant Industries Pvt. Limited. Bolla recently joined sharks Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Anupam Mittal, and Piyush Bansalin in the show’s fourth season. The industrialist disclosed the news on social media. He shared a series of images on his Instagram from Shark Tank India’s set which included his picture with Billionaire business tycoon Gautam Adani’s son, Jeet Adani. Bolla wrote, “To survive a pool of sharks, you need to become one yourself.”
“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 doers! It was a blast meeting all these accomplished entrepreneurs in the panel, and the pitches made were very inspiring — smelled innovation in the air!” Bolla wrote on Instagram.
Who Is Srikanth Bolla?
The director, CEO, and co-founder of Bollant Industries, Srikanth Bolla, is a distinguished Indian entrepreneur who has not only imprinted his name in the corporate world but also made significant contributions as a philanthropist. He was the first international blind student ever to get admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US.
Born on July 7, 1991, in Seetharamapuram, a village in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district, Bolla comes from a very humble background. He was born to Telugu-speaking parents, who were farmers by profession and faced a lot of hardships due to a lack of formal education.
Challenges And Accomplishments
According to the company’s website, Srikanth faced immense opposition and challenges during his childhood. Despite the top coaching institutes for engineering refusing to take him in for enrollment, he cleared his tenth and twelfth standard exams with flying colors. Apart from academics, he also excelled at national level blind cricket, international chess, and other sporting events, like baseball and swimming.
He displayed exceptional talent after becoming a Youth Leader in the Lead India Program in 2005 to combat poverty and unemployment. Additionally, in 2011, Srikanth co-founded the Samanvai Center for Children with Multiple Disabilities in Hyderabad.
One year later, in 2012, Srikanth co-founded Bollant Industries, a fast-growing, eco-friendly paper product manufacturing company. At present, the company is valued at approximately Rs 500 crore, with an annual turnover of over Rs 100 crore and more than 500 employees.
Recognition, Awards And Accolades
Bolla’s remarkable achievements have earned him a coveted recognition. In 2017, he was featured on Forbes’ 20 Under 30 list for Asia. Additionally, he has been honored with numerous awards and accolades for his distinguished talent, such as the Pratibha Excellence Awards, presented by the Andhra CM for academic excellence, and Young Change Maker of the Year by Hindu Business Line (2018), etc.
Srikanth Bolla’s remarkable entrepreneurial journey has resonated with a lot of people. His life story even became the subject of the Indian Hindi-language biographical film ‘Srikanth‘.
