Bangalore Tech Startup Appli Launches A Mobile App That Enables Gen Z Students To Apply To Multiple Colleges In Just A Few Minutes

For decades, Indian students applying to college have faced a tedious and outdated process.

Every year, over 15.5 million 12th-grade students scramble to navigate a labyrinth of individual college applications, submitting the same details repeatedly and manually verifying documents at different institutions.

Each college has its own separate system, different requirements, and a unique application fee, making the process exhausting.

Nanjunda Prasad Ramesh, a seasoned corporate veteran turned entrepreneur, experienced this frustration firsthand when his daughter began her college search in the summer of 2024.

He encountered a chaotic, complex system that forced students and parents to jump through unnecessary bureaucratic hoops.

“There’s a flood of information available online about colleges, but students are still left struggling with the actual application process. They waste weeks filling out forms, uploading the same documents multiple times, and paying separate application fees for each college. Why should something so basic be so difficult in a digital India?” shares Nanjunda Prasad Ramesh, the founder & CEO of Appli, during an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia.

Instead of merely complaining about the problem, Nanjunda decided to fix it. He stepped away from his first startup and founded Appli, in May 2024, a Bangalore-based tech startup aiming to revolutionise the Indian college admission process.

Also Read: Bengaluru Entrepreneur Launches Pet-Tech Platform To Bring Rs 25,000 Cr Worth Pet Industry Under One Roof

THE EARLY CHALLENGES:

Building a disruptive tech product in an entrenched system was never going to be easy. Nanjunda and his team faced several key challenges in getting Appli off the ground.

> Convincing Colleges to Join the Platform: Many Indian colleges were sceptical about shifting from their existing admission processes to a tech-driven approach. Some were resistant to change, while others were unsure about trusting a tech platform over their own enrollment strategies.

“We had to prove that Appli isn’t here to promote one college over another. We don’t show ads, we don’t push students toward specific institutions. We just offer them a fair, neutral, and transparent system,” Nanjunda shares with Startup Pedia.

Through one-on-one meetings, product demos, and continuous engagement, Appli successfully onboarded over 250 Bangalore-based colleges within months of launching.

> Educating Students About a New System: While the mobile app (available in both Android and iOS versions) has been designed to be intuitive, getting students to switch from the conventional college admission process requires extensive awareness campaigns.

To tackle this, Appli is:-

>> Engaging with student and education influencers to drive organic adoption.
>> Collaborating with schools to introduce students and parents to Appli’s benefits.
>> Running digital marketing campaigns on platforms like Instagram & YouTube, where Gen Z students are most active.

As Nanjunda puts it, “For Gen Z students, everything from shopping to socializing happens on their phones. Why should applying to colleges be any different?”

> Overcoming Financial Constraints: Bootstrapping a tech startup comes with its own set of challenges. To fund Appli, Nanjunda invested his personal savings, with some support from friends and family.

Despite being pre-revenue, he remains committed to keeping Appli affordable and accessible.

Looking ahead, he is open to seeking external funding from institutions and like-minded investors who share his vision of making Indian higher education more student-friendly.

Also Read: Pune-Based Repos Energy Delivers Over 1 Crore Liters of Fuel Monthly, Revolutionizing On-Demand Fuel Delivery in India

WHAT IS APPLI AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

Appli is a mobile-based common application platform that allows students to apply to multiple colleges simultaneously, reducing an otherwise weeks-long process to just a few minutes.

With Appli, students can:

> Search and Shortlist Colleges: Students can search and shortlist colleges based on their preferences like programme type, course, specialisation, and location. College search for students is completely simplified with information being provided directly by colleges. 

> Create a One-Time Profile: No more re-entering the same details over and over. Students fill out their academic and personal information once and use it for multiple applications.

> Submit Documents Automatically: Appli integrates with the Government of India’s DigiLocker to fetch student records directly from CBSE, ICSE, and state boards, ensuring authenticity and reducing administrative headaches & in-person document verification. 

> Apply to Multiple Colleges at Once: Instead of filling out different application forms for each institution, students can choose multiple colleges in a single go.

> Track Application Status in Real Time: No need to check multiple portals. Students receive instant mobile notifications regarding their application status.

> Save Money with a Consolidated Fee: Appli charges a student a nominal fee of ₹20 per college application, significantly lowering costs compared to the conventional process.

“Appli is not just an app for college applications. It’s a digital bridge between students and colleges, removing complications, reducing costs, and making life easier for both sides,” explains Nanjunda Prasad.

Also Read: “4 Failed Businesses, ₹50 Lakh Lost,” Says The Ludhiana Couple Who Now Leads A Premium D2C Beauty Brand; Clocked ₹4 Cr Revenue Last Year

WHY IS APPLI A GAME-CHANGER FOR INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION?

> For students, Appli eliminates the most frustrating parts of college applications: repetitive data entry of records, expensive fees, and inconsistent processes.

> For colleges, Appli simplifies the admission workflow, reducing paperwork and minimising administrative overhead.

> For parents, Appli provides peace of mind, ensuring that their children’s applications are submitted correctly and on time.

Unlike existing college listing portals, which often push students toward partner institutions for commissions, Appli is completely neutral. It lists colleges based on:

• Year of Establishment

• NAAC Accreditation Rating

• NIRF Ranking

This ensures that the students get a transparent view of their admission options without any bias.

“Education-related decisions should be based on choice. Appli exists to empower students, not to influence their decision-making,” says Nanjunda Prasad.

A PROMISING FUTURE:

With its official app launch in early 2025, Appli is focusing on Bangalore-based colleges as a pilot market before expanding across India.

The goal is to onboard 65,000 students in its first admission cycle, representing just 10% of Bangalore’s total undergrad seats.

Looking further ahead, Nanjunda envisions scaling Appli beyond college admissions.

His long-term ambition is to build a common application platform for various sectors, helping individuals apply for everything from jobs to government-provided welfare services with the same ease that Appli brings to college admissions.

“Wherever there’s an application process that frustrates people, Appli would aim to fix it,” Nanjunda Prasad shares with a confident smile.

Appli’s timing couldn’t be better. India’s Gen Z population—estimated at over 377 million—is increasingly embracing mobile-first solutions.

With edtech booming and students demanding greater ease, Appli is well-positioned to become an essential digital tool in the Indian higher education ecosystem.

While it’s still early days for the Bangalore-based company, Appli’s impact is already being felt in the Indian startup ecosystem.

For students tired of navigating outdated bureaucratic processes, this easy-to-use mobile app is the breath of fresh air they’ve been waiting for.

As college application season approaches, thousands of students are about to experience what applying to multiple colleges in just a few minutes really feels like.

Also Read: Rajasthan Entrepreneur Drops Out of US Studies and Build ₹2.6 Crore Turnover Healthy Oil & Spice Brand with His Health-Conscious Cousin