From Failure to Founder: The Grit and Glory of Neeraj Krishna.

In the crowded lanes of Delhi University’s Ramjas College, a young Neeraj Krishna once sat staring at a mark sheet that spelled academic failure. A failed BSc (Hons) in Physics—not quite the launchpad society expects from a future entrepreneur. But sometimes, the most remarkable stories begin when the world writes you off.

Neeraj wasn’t built for mediocrity. His heart beat not for Newton’s equations but for lines of code and boardroom visions. “I was studying Physics, but my soul was always writing software or building business plans,” he later said with a smile.

As a child, Neeraj once told his father and his father’s friends that he wanted to become a businessman. The room burst into laughter. "Go for a government job," they said, half-mocking, half-advising. That moment burned into his memory. Hurt and humiliated, he left home—physically and mentally—and began carving a life on his own terms.
His fascination with coding ignited during his college years, right after writing his first C++ program. It wasn’t just about syntax; it was about creation, about control, about impact.

After college, Neeraj had no Plan B—only one dream: to build something valuable. With a few like-minded students, he pitched a powerful idea to give retired top Indian professors a platform to share their wisdom and interact with students through practical sessions. But when they approached the college’s incubation cell and then the Dean of DU, funding never came through. The team broke apart. The dream stalled. And so did Neeraj’s life—for a while.

For 1.5 years, he remained jobless at home. His parents’ taunts grew louder by the day. “What will you do with your life?” “You’ve wasted your degree.” Thoughts of giving up even crept in. But Neeraj wasn’t wasting time—he was sharpening his sword.

He began building a new platform, one that allowed manufacturers and dealers to connect directly, with a built-in quality control mechanism based on a 15-point checklist. After convincing his family to fund this new venture, he built a team and launched. Within 4 months, it became profitable.

Then came the pandemic—and with it, disaster.
The business collapsed under the weight of lockdowns and logistical nightmares. Neeraj suffered a ₹30 lakh loss. The ₹5 lakh he had in his account dwindled to ₹45,000. Loans mounted. Monthly EMIs loomed. Depression crept in quietly, almost invisibly. “My family didn’t even understand words like ‘passion’ or ‘startup’—to them, failure was final,” Neeraj recalls.

In search of peace, he took a break and disappeared into the mountains for a few days. When he returned, he accepted a ₹15,000 job—only to quit 15 days later. “That job couldn’t fund my dreams, let alone my debts,” he says.

Neeraj then turned to the one thing he still had—his skills. He began freelancing. Slowly, clients returned. Trust was rebuilt. Some clients he worked with during freelancing later became his first customers when he decided to launch again.

In 2023, with a five-member team and no office, he registered InfotechZone—an IT firm with just ₹500 in starting costs.

From there, everything changed.

The team hustled day and night. Six months in, they had a fully operational office. Today, InfotechZone.in employs 30 people and stands as one of Bareilly’s top IT agencies. With over 230+ success stories, the company owns and operates multiple products including IndikaERP, which caters to schools, hotels, and billing solutions. It also offers services like IT Consultancy, App/Website Development, Software Solutions, and AI-powered SEO (AIO+SEO).

“We’ve never seen InfotechZone as just a company. It’s a rebellion. A statement. A second chance,” Neeraj explains.
He leads with a modern, client-first approach, and ensures every solution is not just functional, but meaningful. His secret? “Don’t just build a product. Solve a pain.”

His journey has made him more than a founder—he’s a symbol of resilience.

“Sometimes, success isn’t about being brilliant,” he says. “It’s about refusing to quit when the world gives you every reason to.”

From a failed Physics student to a rising IT entrepreneur, Neeraj Krishna’s story is one that proves: your marks don’t define your future—your mindset does.