From Dropouts to Disruptors: 5 Founders with Inspiring Journeys

1. Rajat Jadhav, Co-Founder & CEO of Bold Care:

A college dropout-turned venture capitalist Rajat Jadhav, Co-founder & CEO of Bold Care had an aim to address the unmet needs in men's health. This led him to establish Bold Care, a platform focusing on men's wellness, including sexual health, hair care, and overall wellness. 

With a strong entrepreneurial spirit from an early age, Rajat started his first company during his school days. This early venture into the business world, particularly within the e-pharmacy sector, marked the beginning of his ambitious career path. Jadhav leveraged his technical expertise and understanding of the market to create a comprehensive, accessible, and discreet solution for men's health issues. 

At Bold Care, Rajat's role is multifaceted, spanning the development of business strategies and marketing initiatives, and overseeing distribution channels. Through innovative products and personalised care, Bold Care has become a significant player in the health and wellness industry. 

2. Kailash Katkar- Former CEO of Quick Heal:

Kailash Katkar, Former CEO of Quick Heal, dropped out of school after failing the 9th grade and gave up on his education after struggling through difficult circumstances. He started working as a radio and calculator repair technician to support his family.

Despite his limited formal education, his keen interest in technology and entrepreneurship led him to establish Quick Heal in 1993. He initially developed antivirus solutions to protect computers from malware. Through perseverance, innovation, and a deep understanding of customer needs, Katkar grew Quick Heal into a leading cybersecurity company in India.

The company is a master of cloud-based security and advanced machine learning-enabled solutions to stop threats, attacks, and malicious traffic before it strikes. 

3. Kunal Shah, Founder of Cred:

Kunal Shah, a college dropout from Mumbai's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, is a renowned Indian entrepreneur. He initially founded FreeCharge, which he sold to Snapdeal in 2015.

Later, he launched CRED in 2018, a fintech company, with a members-only feature that rewards people for paying their credit card bills on time by giving them access to special deals and premium experiences. 

Shah's vision and innovative approach have rapidly scaled CRED, attracting millions of users and significant investment, making it one of India's most notable startups. His success story highlights his ability to leverage consumer behaviour and technology to create impactful financial solutions. 

4. Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder & CEO of Droom:

Sandeep Aggarwal became a dropout when he left his MBA program in the USA due to his strong entrepreneurial drive and desire to create something impactful.

He initially founded ShopClues, an online marketplace, which became one of India's largest e-commerce platforms. Building on his success and understanding of the market, Aggarwal identified a gap in the automobile sector.

In 2014, he founded Droom, an online marketplace for buying and selling new and used vehicles. Leveraging technology, transparency, and trust, Droom quickly became a leading platform, revolutionising the automotive industry in India. 

5. Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO of OYO:

Ritesh Agarwal is the Founder and Group CEO of OYO, the world's most affordable hotel company and his journey  from a dropout to the youngest billionaire is one for the books. Ritesh Agarwal, a traveller who travelled extensively across India, noticed a significant issue with affordable motels during his journeys.

At 17, he founded Oravel Travels, inspired by Airbnb, which later became OYO Rooms. He realised that the problem with budget hotels went beyond mere availability. In May 2013, he launched OYO to tackle these additional challenges, aiming to provide better solutions in the affordable hospitality sector. He was nominated for the Thiel fellowship the same year he established Oravel trips.

The fellowship was created by Peter Thiel, the founder of PayPal, and awarded a $100,000 grant to a college dropout under the age of 22 to pursue a start-up idea. He is, without a doubt, the only Indian to receive it.