"Where there is a will, there's a way" - the journey of Ashutosh Pratihast is a testament to this saying. Pratihast, who once earned merely Rs 4,000 per month, went on to establish a company worth Rs 100 crores.
Hailing from a small village of Bihar's Sitamarhi district, Ashutosh Pratihast was born in a destitute household. He was raised in a joint family. His father did not have a job but his three uncles had government jobs.
Pratihast was quite a mischievous child, who constantly spent his day playing with other kids and landing in trouble. Every second day, neighbours complained his parents about his behavior, which made his mother distressed.
Ashutosh's mothern struggled with Depression
Overwhelmed by frequent complaints, Ashutosh's mother suffered depression. When she was taken to a psychiatrist, he suggested a change in environment for her recovery. In 2005, the family moved to Delhi, where his father got a job with Rs 5,000 monthly salary.
Due to Ashutosh's stubborn mischievous nature, his father enrolled him in Kendriya Vidyalaya in Guwahati, Assam. Ashutosh, who was merely six years old at that time, encountered problems with the Assamese language. Due to the language barrier, he was left stressed and isolated. Soon, he met a harsh realisation that good education and financial capability were keys to earning respect.
Driven by this realisation, he shifted his focus towards studies. While he was pursuing matriculation, his father lost his job, leading to a financial crisis in the family. Ashutosh then decided to assist his impoverished family. Leveraging his guitar skills, he began coaching and earning Rs 4,000 per month. He even secured an impressive 92% in his intermediate. Soon, he got a job at a call centre for Rs 6,000 per month.
Beginning of a new journey
Tables turned when a caller dug Ashutosh's voice and offered him a job in his startup company with two times higher salary. He immediately accepted the offer. At just 19 years old, Ashutosh joined the company, earning Rs 14,000 per month. Soon, he discovered that the startup founder, aged between 22 and 24, earned crores each month.
Inspired by his experiences, Ashutosh decided to start his own business. He immersed himself in self-development books, which were conducive to transforming his mindset and lifestyle. He then approached his college principal with a proposal for coaching sessions focused on skill development. The programme was successful which fuelled his confidence.
Following this, he founded 'Evolution', aiming to provide coachings on skill development across schools and universities. He began getting invitations from various colleges. After this, he started his own YouTube channel, which saw a massive viewership during the pandemic.
Ashutosh Pratihast, later, founded a digital tech-ed copmany named iDigitalPreneur, which is today valued at around Rs 100 crores.
