Srikanth Bolla is an Indian entrepreneur who runs Bollant Industries, a Hyderabad firm that turns areca leaves and waste paper into packaging. He has been blind since birth and became the first international blind student to study at the Sloan School of Management at MIT.
The company began in 2012 inside a small rented house and now employs more than 500 people, most of whom have a disability. His wife’s name is Veera Swathi, they married in 2022 after a long courtship, and their daughter arrived in 2024.
A Hindi film on his life reached theatres in 2024. He joined the investor panel of Shark Tank India in 2025.
Srikanth Bolla Quick Facts
DetailInformationFull NameSrikanth BollaDate of Birth7 July 1991Age35 years (as of August 2026)BirthplaceSeetharamapuram, Machilipatnam, Andhra PradeshNationalityIndianProfessionEntrepreneur and industrialistHeightapprox 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm)Weightapprox 70 kgSchoolDevnar School for the Blind, HyderabadEducationManagement science, MIT Sloan School of ManagementCompanyBollant Industries Pvt. Ltd.RoleFounder, chairman and CEOCompany Founded2012Co-founderRavi ManthaCompany Valuationapprox ₹500 crore (as of 2025)EmployeesMore than 500MentorSwarnalatha TakkilapatiFatherDamodar Rao BollaMotherVenkatamma BollaSiblingOne younger brotherMarital StatusMarriedWifeVeera Swathi Duggirala (m. 2022)DaughterNayana (b. 2024)Major AwardForbes Asia 30 Under 30 (2017)Net Worthapprox ₹50 crore (as of 2026)
Srikanth Bolla Date of Birth, Age and Early Life
Srikanth Bolla was born on 7 July 1991 in Seetharamapuram, a village near Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, which makes him 35 years old in 2026. His parents grew rice on a small holding and had never been to school. Relatives told them to give up the blind newborn, and the couple kept him.
He walked several kilometres to reach his first classroom and later joined Devnar School for the Blind in Hyderabad, where he scored 90 percent in class 10.
The state board then refused to let him take science, so Bolla went to court with support from his teachers and won the case in six months. A score of 98 percent in class 12 followed, and Indian engineering colleges still turned him away.
Srikanth Bolla Teacher Devika in Real Life
Devika Malvade, the teacher in the film Srikanth, is drawn from Swarnalatha Takkilapati, who taught English at Devnar School for the Blind. She met Bolla when he was in the fourth grade and pushed him towards public speaking. Jyotika played the screen version of her.
Swarnalatha and a group of her friends paid for part of his schooling when his family could not. She has worked as an educator since the 1980s and later joined Bollant Industries as a director and chief operating officer. The two also set up a learning centre for children with disabilities.
Srikanth Bolla Wife and Daughter
Veera Swathi Duggirala is the wife of Srikanth Bolla, and the two married in April 2022 after a courtship that ran close to ten years. Swathi first reached out to him on Facebook, and they stayed in touch for years before the wedding. She has kept out of public life and takes no media work.
Their daughter was born in 2024, and the parents named her Nayana, a Telugu word for eyes. Swathi comes from Andhra Pradesh and lives with him in Hyderabad, where Bollant Industries has its registered office.
Srikanth Bolla Company Bollant Industries
Bollant Industries is the manufacturing firm Srikanth Bolla founded in 2012 in Hyderabad with Ravi Mantha. Its plants turn areca leaves, recycled paper and municipal waste into disposable plates, cups, and packaging for soaps, detergents, and cosmetics. Most of the people on the shop floor have a disability.
Production started inside a small rented house, and the group is now valued at around ₹500 crore with a payroll of over 500. Three dates mark the climb: the first unit in 2012, a place on the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list in 2017, and a seat on the Shark Tank India panel in 2025. The plants also recycle the company’s own waste and pharmaceutical effluent from nearby units.
Srikanth Bolla Movie and Cast
Srikanth, the Hindi film on his life, reached theatres on 10 May 2024 with Rajkummar Rao in the lead role. Tushar Hiranandani directed it, and the story runs through the court case over the science stream, the MIT admission, and the first years of the company. Netflix began streaming it on 5 July 2024.
Jyotika appears as the teacher, Alaya F plays Veera Swathi, and Sharad Kelkar plays Ravi Mantha. Jameel Khan takes the role of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, whom Bolla met through the Lead India youth programme.
Srikanth Bolla Net Worth
Srikanth Bolla has an estimated net worth of ₹50 crore. Most of it sits in his holding in Bollant Industries, the packaging group he controls as chairman and chief executive. Salary from that role forms the steady part of his income.
Paid speaking work adds to it, and Bolla takes fees for appearances at colleges and corporate events. Television brought a second stream when he joined Shark Tank India, where the investors on the panel back businesses with their own money. His stakes in early-stage startups sit outside the packaging business.
Srikanth Bolla Parents and Family Background
Damodar Rao Bolla and Venkatamma Bolla are the parents of Srikanth Bolla, and both farmed rice in Seetharamapuram without any formal schooling. The village had no electricity through his childhood, and the household income left little room for school fees. He is the eldest child in the family.
A younger brother grew up in the same home, and his details are not public. Both parents appear as characters in the 2024 film, played by Srinivas Beesetty and Anusha Nuthula.
Srikanth Bolla Height and Weight
Srikanth Bolla stands approx 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm). His weight is reported as approx 70 kg.
Neither figure has been confirmed by him or by his company, so both carry the approx mark. The same two numbers run through media profiles published since the film was released.
FAQs
What did Srikanth Bolla study at MIT?
Srikanth Bolla studied management science at the Sloan School of Management. He was the first international blind student admitted to the programme, and he finished the degree on a full scholarship before returning to India to build a business.
Who invested in Bollant Industries in its early years?
Bolla built the company with Ravi Mantha, who came in as co-founder and investor. Ratan Tata later put money into the business, and that funding allowed him to add manufacturing units. Fellowships from the MIT Public Service Centre paid for the pilot.
Which awards has Srikanth Bolla won?
Srikanth was named in the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list in 2017, in the industry, manufacturing and energy category. He also received the Pride of Telangana award in the emerging business entrepreneur category in 2018.
Which television show did Srikanth Bolla join as an investor?
Bolla joined Shark Tank India in 2025, sitting with the panel of investors during the fourth season. He took part in an episode built around pitches from founders with disabilities. The seat followed the release of the film on his life.
Conclusion
Srikanth Bolla runs Bollant Industries from Hyderabad, where most of the workforce has a disability. His seat on Shark Tank India puts him in front of founders looking for money rather than only on factory floors. The company he opened in a rented house is now valued in the hundreds of crores.
