Oyo's Ritesh Agarwal, Cred's Kunal Shah and 3 other startup founders who are school or college dropouts; a look at their entrepreneurial journey

In the startup space, some founders like Ritesh Agarwal, and Kunal Shah have also proved that practical knowledge is more important than degrees. 

Several founders in India have used their experiences of dropping out of formal schooling to inspire others to succeed and innovate. 

Here are five people whose transformations from dropouts to disruptors act as great motivators.

Rajat Jadhav, a college dropout turned venture entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of Bold Care, set out to solve unmet men's health needs. This prompted him to launch Bold Care, a platform dedicated to men's wellness, including sexual health, hair care, and overall fitness.

Jadhav, who had a strong entrepreneurial drive at a young age, founded his first firm while still in school. This initial foray into the business world, notably in the e-pharmacy industry, marked the start of his ambitious professional path. 

Sandeep Aggarwal dropped out of his MBA school in the United States owing to his strong business ambition and desire to make an impact. 

He started ShopClues, an online marketplace that became one of India's top e-commerce platforms. Building on his success and business knowledge, Aggarwal spotted a need in the vehicle industry. In 2014, he established Droom, an online marketplace for purchasing and selling new and used vechicles. 

Ritesh Agarwal is the founder and Group CEO of OYO. He dropped out of college at 19.

He started Oravel Travels which evolved into OYO Rooms after being inspired by Airbnb. He understood that the problem with affordable hotels extended beyond their supply. In May 2013, he founded OYO to address these extra issues and deliver better solutions in the inexpensive hospitality business.

Kailash Katkar, the former CEO of Quick Heal, dropped out of school after failing the ninth grade and giving up on his studies after facing difficult situations. He began working as a radio and calculator repair technician to support his family. 

Despite his little formal education, his passion for technology and entrepreneurship drove him to start Quick Heal in 1993. 

Kunal Shah, a college dropout from Mumbai's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, established FreeCharge and sold it to Snapdeal in 2015. 

Later, in 2018, he founded CRED, a fintech startup with a members-only feature that rewards consumers for paying their credit card bills on time by providing access to exclusive bargains and premium experiences.