Early Life
Bhavish Aggarwal was born on August 28, 1985, in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. He grew up in a Punjabi family that emphasized the importance of education and hard work. Aggarwal's early life was marked by his academic pursuits, eventually leading him to the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), where he earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering in 2008. During his time at IIT Bombay, he met his future business partner, Ankit Bhati.
Rise to Success
After graduating, Aggarwal started his career at Microsoft Research India as a research intern, later becoming an assistant researcher. He spent two years at Microsoft, where he filed two patents and published three papers in international journals. However, in 2010, he left Microsoft to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. In January 2011, he co-founded Ola Cabs with Ankit Bhati in Bengaluru. Under Aggarwal's leadership, Ola transformed urban transportation in India, expanding to over 250 cities and entering international markets like Australia, the UK, and New Zealand. In 2017, Aggarwal founded Ola Electric, launching electric scooters and promoting sustainable transportation. In 2023, he founded Krutrim, an AI startup, which became India's first AI unicorn.
Key Business Strategies
Aggarwal's success is built on a foundation of technological innovation and a deep understanding of the Indian market. He has consistently applied technology to solve real-world problems, from simplifying ride-hailing to promoting electric vehicles and AI solutions. His approach has been characterized by a willingness to challenge the status quo and a focus on building for the future. He has expanded Ola beyond ride-hailing into various sectors: Ola Electric: Manufacturing electric scooters and working on electric cars for Indian markets. Ola Maps: Competing with Google Maps by offering free API access to Indian developers. Krutrim: A technology initiative focusing on AI solutions tailored for Indian users.
Philanthropy
In 2016, Aggarwal's wife, Rajalakshmi Aggarwal, joined the Ola Foundation, contributing to the company's philanthropic efforts.
