In India, several founders have transformed their stories of dropping out of formal education into inspiring tales of success and innovation. Here are five such individuals whose journeys from dropouts to disruptors serve as powerful motivators.
- Rajat Jadhav, Co-Founder & CEO of Bold Care:
Rajat Jadhav, a college dropout turned venture capitalist, co-founded Bold Care to address unmet needs in men’s health. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Rajat launched his first company during his school days, marking the start of his ambitious career. At Bold Care, he leads the development of strategies, marketing, and distribution, turning the platform into a significant player in the health and wellness industry.
- Kailash Katkar, Former CEO of Quick Heal:
Kailash Katkar, who dropped out of school after failing the 9th grade, started working as a radio and calculator repair technician to support his family. Despite his limited formal education, his interest in technology led him to establish Quick Heal in 1993. Under his leadership, Quick Heal grew into one of India’s leading cybersecurity companies, known for its advanced cloud-based and machine learning-enabled solutions.
- Kunal Shah, Founder of CRED:
Kunal Shah, a college dropout from Mumbai’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, initially founded FreeCharge, which he later sold to Snapdeal in 2015. In 2018, he launched CRED, a fintech company that rewards users for timely credit card payments. Shah’s innovative approach quickly scaled CRED, making it one of India’s most prominent startups.
- Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder & CEO of Droom:
Sandeep Aggarwal left his MBA program in the USA to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. He first founded ShopClues, one of India’s largest e-commerce platforms, before launching Droom in 2014. Droom, an online marketplace for buying and selling vehicles, revolutionized the automotive industry in India with its focus on technology, transparency, and trust.
- Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO of OYO:
Ritesh Agarwal, the founder of OYO, turned his struggles with finding affordable motels during his travels into a billion-dollar business. At 17, he launched Oravel Travels, which later became OYO Rooms. Agarwal’s vision to improve budget hospitality led to his success as one of the youngest billionaires and the only Indian recipient of the prestigious Thiel Fellowship.