Bhavish Aggarwal was a young entrepreneur 12 years ago.
But, the 37-year-old is still as enthusiastic as he was at 24, after the success of Ola Electric and Ola Cabs.
Bhavish has been broadening his commercial activities from a young age. The IITian-turned-entrepreneur has built electric vehicles, cells, and an AI firm after linking customers with taxis and delivering finance services. He plans two IPOs next year.
August 15 or Independence day is round the corner and Bhavish says it’s a great time to be young in India.
He says it’s India’s moment and he is glad to be young in India when we may shape the future.
Bhavish states that convincingly. His trip showcases his courage and India’s possibilities. Today, a young Ludhiana guy can succeed nationally. Despite a tiny town, middle-class origins, and no familial riches, he has used his digital talent and ingenuity to redefine what a successful entrepreneur looks like. He no longer compares to other industrialists.
The admired, scrutinized entrepreneur always planned to build big technology. “I want to make something for India in India,” Bhavish wrote in his IIT-Bombay class scrapbook. He thinks his generation must do this. Our fate, opportunity, and task. Who will fix the problems if we don’t?
Bhavish always uses “Tapasya.” He quickly builds around an ambitious goal.
Bhavish’s IIT entrance exam wake-up call sparked this determination. First attempt failed. He loved being away from home more than studying in Kota for the test. He studied for a year at Ludhiana. IIT-Bombay accepted him when he scored 23. That was one of my greatest learning experiences. He claims it showed him that hard effort and fundamental principles can get you anywhere.
“Well-to-do friends from industrialist families” raised Bhavish in Ludhiana. Although Ludhiana was a business city, Bhavish’s parents were physicians. Though poor, they gave him money for books and schooling. His father Naresh, an orthopaedic doctor, came to Kabul to assist Soviet-Afghan war casualties. Bhavish spent two years there.
The boy aspired to stand out. He startled his parents by abandoning a PhD to become an entrepreneur and digitize India’s chaotic taxi industry. According to May 2023 estimates, Ola Cabs is worth $4.8 billion and Ola Electric, founded in 2017, is $6 billion.
“I wanted to do my own thing from a young age,” he says. “How do I become relevant and part of India’s renaissance?”
Bhavish’s narrative is about patriotism. The Future Factory’s 25m pole displays an Indian flag. He visits Nalanda every quarter to boost his entrepreneurial ambition.
I realized I didn’t know our history. Knowing our history helps us develop a better future.”
The West shaped his youth. He thinks young people now seek internally for inspiration. I didn’t become an entrepreneur for my share worth. I became an entrepreneur to develop institutions, size, and scalable institutions.”
His foresighted parents named him. Bhavish signifies future.
Bhavish has had as many brickbats as flowers. “People often attribute motive or caricature you. I hurt a lot five-six years ago. I’ve toughened up,” he says. Ola Cabs was predicted to collapse when Uber entered India. For business control, he had to reject investors. Ola Electric’s woman-only manufacturing was criticized as a PR trick when several of its early electric scooters caught fire.
Bhavish thinks Ola’s fast-paced strategy may have drawn notice. The Future Factory took six months to build. “You must move faster without compromising your vision.”
He’s also a harsh taskmaster. Is that accurate? “That narrative has built up,” he adds. “I am direct, which may seem harsh.” He adds others share his enthusiasm and prefer working under pressure. His wife Rajalakshmi supported him through criticism.
He prioritizes work-life harmony above balance. Although his workplaces provide two-day weekends, he feels it is vital to work longer during key company growing seasons. Rest later.
“Today’s exciting. I never tire because I love what I do.”
Managing dreams
Bhavish pursues many tech prospects with a clear goal. His firms’ engineering and design teams get most of his time, while finance and marketing get the rest. He claims his job is instigation.
He wants his firms to submit 10% of all US patents. Bhavish co-authored 20 patents last year. He believes India can create first, fast, and for the world. “Many Indian entrepreneurs are original thinkers. But since these firms on the surface could appear like another—Ola Electric is compared to Tesla—you miss the subtlety and uniqueness when you make that superficial analogy.”
Bhavish is building a silicon-based infrastructure firm for indigenous AI models. Elon Musk’s xAI was also compared. “But I founded my company first,” Bhavish says. “He copied me!”
Conclusion:-
Bhavish Aggarwal, a 37-year-old Indian entrepreneur, has gone from linking passengers with taxis to creating electric vehicles, producing cells, and starting an AI firm. He thinks his generation should develop something for India in India. After failing the IIT-Bombay test, Bhavish’s adventure began. His industrialist friends reared him in Ludhiana.
Bhavish quit his PhD to become an entrepreneur and digitize India’s chaotic taxi industry. Ola Cabs is worth $4.8 billion and Ola Electric $6 billion. He visited Nalanda to study about India’s history out of patriotism.
Bhavish has had as many brickbats as flowers. He’s thick-skinned. His hasty and furious attitude has resulted in unfavorable headlines and early electric scooter rejections.
Bhavish favors work-life balance and working longer during business growth. He has a clear vision for each IT opportunity he pursues. His time is split between finance, marketing, and engineering and design. He wants his firms to submit 10% of all US patents.
Bhavish’s business will provide silicon-based infrastructure for running indigenous AI models, similar to Elon Musk’s xAI. He thinks India can build first, swiftly, and globally.
