Anoushka Jolly has become the youngest participant to present her entrepreneurial idea to the country’s top investors at Shark Tank India. She’s gotten the spotlight with her idea of helping kids her age fight bullying in schools and colleges.
Jolly, an 8th grade student of Pathways School Gurugram, appeared on the Indian reality TV show Shark Tank to pitch the idea of an app called ‘KAVACH’.
Anti-bullying team
However, this isn’t her first step in fighting bullying, as Jolly addressed the issue through another app. “I was motivated by an urgent need to do something about the problem when I heard people’s stories about the impact of bullying on them, making them feel powerless and less about themselves. It made me more sensitive to the cause. I decided to take action to eradicate bullying by raising awareness, as no one deserves to be in that mental state. This led to the birth of Anti-Bullying Squad (ABS),” she told biharengineering.in.
The Anti-Bullying Team is a social initiative that aims to minimize bullying in the field by raising awareness. This digital platform acts as a community where specialists come together to organize one-on-one anti-bullying sessions in schools. The platform was set up with the aim of significantly reducing the number of cases of the problem, and Jolly claims that with the help of schools, NGOs and professionals, more than 2,000 students from more than 100 schools and universities have been positively impacted by ABS.
As ABS became a success and fulfilled its purpose, Jolly soon realized that anonymity played an important role in reporting such cases. Many victims are hesitant to report such cases for fear of further bullying, embarrassment and fear.
KAVACH
“After the establishment of ABS, I realized that if the problem or an incident is reported, it is often solved. But anonymity is an important element that allows the victim to share their side of the story without feeling threatened. Since KAVACH allows anyone – student or parent – to report bullying anonymously, schools and their counselors can act tactfully and take appropriate action to prevent these incidents from happening,” she said.
The 13-year-old now wants to build a strong network of anti-bullying ambassadors, who can get downloads and track progress on the number of people and lives they directly or indirectly affect.
shark cage
To achieve her goal, Jolly pitched her idea for the ‘sharks’ on Shark Tank and received funding of Rs. 50 lakh from Anupam Mittal, the founder and CEO of People Group (shaadi.com), and Aman Gupta, the co-founder of the consumer electronics brand boAt. “They understood the magnitude of the problem and the impact KAVACH is having on the youth of the country. At first I thought I wouldn’t get a deal that day. But then Mr. Anupam made me an offer and gave me exactly what I asked for and before I could handle the magnificence of that situation, Mr. Aman jumped in and agreed to a deal with two sharks,” she recalled.
Jolly now wants to learn about brand building from Aman Gupta and learn ‘idea formation and execution’ as well as brand prediction from Anupam Mittal.
‘International Day of Women and Girls in Science’
On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Jolly sends a message of hope to all her fellow dreamers. “It is time to recognize and celebrate the critical role women play in science and technology. So to all the girls and women interested in or working in STEM, you are recognized and appreciated, let’s make a difference.”
Jolly also received support from her school faculty and her classmates. “We are immensely proud of the spirit and passion of Anoushka Jolly whose work to eradicate bullying in schools and campuses not only teaches many about the problem, but also empowers young and old to stand up for themselves and others,” said Capt. Rohit Sen Bajaj, Principal, Pathways School.
“She began her journey with us at Pathways School Gurgaon and as a Pathwaysian we wish her remarkable success in this and all her future endeavours. We truly believe in her exceptional abilities and will continue to support her in every way we can.”
