For millions of Indian students, getting into an IIT is considered the ultimate achievement. It is a dream that promises a secure career, social recognition, and countless opportunities. Very few people would dare to walk away from that dream after earning it. Ankit Prasad did exactly that, not because he disliked IIT, but because he believed he could build something even bigger.
Ankit grew up in Chaibasa, a small town in Jharkhand, where dreams often seemed much larger than the opportunities available. His father worked as a laboratory in-charge at Tata College before later being transferred to IIT Jamshedpur. Unlike many children of his age who spent their free time playing outdoors, Ankit was fascinated by computers. In 1995, when his father gifted him a computer, six-year-old Ankit began exploring programming on his own. What started as childhood curiosity slowly turned into an obsession with technology.
As he grew older, his interest became a practical skill. Along with his elder brother Rahul Prasad, Ankit started learning web design and software development. While most teenagers focused only on school, the two brothers were already building websites for local hotels, restaurants, and small businesses. By 2005, they were earning money from their technical skills even before completing college. It wasn't just about making extra income, it was the first taste of entrepreneurship and the realization that technology could solve real-world problems while creating value.
Academically, Ankit was equally brilliant. He consistently ranked among the top students in school and, like thousands of ambitious students across India, dreamed of studying at an IIT. His first attempt at the IIT entrance examination earned him a rank above 5,000, which secured admission to NIT Jamshedpur. But Ankit wasn't ready to settle. He believed he could do better. Instead of accepting the seat, he spent another year preparing. His determination paid off when he secured an impressive AIR 400 in 2008, earning admission to IIT Delhi, one of India's most prestigious engineering institutions.
For many, getting into IIT would have been the finish line. For Ankit, it became the starting point. The IIT Delhi campus exposed him to a world of innovation, ambitious founders, and disruptive startups. Companies like Flipkart and Zomato were beginning to reshape India's startup ecosystem, and their stories inspired him far more than the idea of landing a high-paying corporate job. While pursuing mathematics and computer science, Ankit spent his time experimenting with ideas, working on projects, and collaborating with people who wanted to build businesses instead of simply building careers.
By the time he reached his final year, Ankit faced a difficult decision. He could complete his degree and follow the conventional path, or he could take a leap into entrepreneurship while the opportunity was still fresh. In 2012, after spending four years at IIT Delhi, he chose the riskier road. He walked away from the campus and dedicated himself completely to building a startup. It was a decision that surprised many people. Leaving IIT without taking the traditional route seemed irrational to some, but Ankit believed that the biggest opportunities often required the biggest risks.
After several years of experimentation and learning, Ankit and Rahul founded Bobble AI in 2015. Their vision was simple yet ambitious, to make digital communication more personalized and accessible, especially for Indian language users. At a time when most technology products were designed primarily for English-speaking audiences, Bobble AI focused on India's linguistic diversity. The company developed the Bobble Indic Keyboard, an AI-powered keyboard supporting more than 120 languages, including 37 Indian languages. By combining artificial intelligence with regional language support, Bobble AI transformed the way millions of people communicated on their smartphones.
The product quickly gained popularity, not only because of its technology but because it solved a problem that millions of Indian users faced every day. As smartphone adoption accelerated across the country, Bobble AI became one of India's leading AI-driven consumer technology platforms. Partnerships with smartphone manufacturers and telecom companies further expanded its reach, allowing the company to scale rapidly in both domestic and international markets.
Today, Bobble AI has evolved into a successful artificial intelligence company with an estimated Rs 750 crore revenue, serving millions of users worldwide. What began as two brothers designing websites from a small town in Jharkhand has grown into a global AI business. Yet, the foundation of this success remains unchanged: a deep curiosity for technology, a willingness to keep learning, and the courage to take unconventional decisions.
Ankit Prasad's journey proves that entrepreneurship isn't about rejecting education; it's about knowing when to apply what you've learned in the real world. He chased the IIT dream, achieved it, and then chose to walk away, not because the dream had failed, but because he had discovered an even bigger one. His story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the safest path leads to an ordinary life, while the road filled with uncertainty becomes the one that creates extraordinary entrepreneurs.
