Shark Tank India, the popular business reality show, has just added a new face to its panel of sharks which is none other than Srikanth Bolla. Srikanth Bolla, a visionary entrepreneur and founder of the Bollant Industries, has joined the show as a judge in its fourth season.
‘To survive a pool of sharks, you need to become one yourself’
Srikanth Bolla made a powerful statement in his recent Instagram post about joining the panel of judges on Shark Tank India. In a sneak peek from the next episode, Srikanth Bolla was seen sitting alongside the existing Sharks, making his debut on the show. He shared his excitement with his followers with a caption that said, “To survive a pool of sharks, you need to become one yourself.” He continued by expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the show, stating, “So yes, I got an opportunity to become a shark on Shark Tank India.”
Srikanth Bolla Reveals How IIT Rejected Him
Srikanth Bolla is an inspiring entrepreneur who has made remarkable progress in both business and social entrepreneurship. Born in a small village in the Telangana region of India, Srikanth Bolla was visually impaired from birth. Despite facing many obstacles due to his disability, he defied the odds and became an inspiration of thousands of other aspirants like him. His journey is an example of how perseverance and a strong vision can turn seemingly impossible circumstances into a path of success.
In an interview with Raj Shamani Srikanth Bolla shared his experience as a student. He said, “IIT People Didn’t let me in for coaching saying, ‘we don’t know how to teach you, and the second thing is you are not fit to study this kind of engineering subject’, so I said it’s okay if I don’t fit here then there are other places for me where I can excel better. And this is how I applied to the foreign universities with the help of my mentors…that was also a destiny. If you lose somewhere you are poised to win elsewhere”.
The institution cited concerns about his disability, stating they didn’t know how to accommodate his needs and questioning his ability to handle the rigorous demands of an engineering program. Rather than being discouraged, Srikanth Bolla chose to apply to international universities, seeking an environment that could support his aspirations.
With the help of his mentors and a scholarship, Srikanth Bolla applied to multiple global institutions, ultimately gaining admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the most prestigious universities in the world. In a historic moment, Srikanth Bolla became the first blind international student to be admitted to MIT.