SHASHWAT GUPTA RAY
Born with good eyesight and a brilliant mind, Ankur Kankonkar from Fa torda was riding high on success when his life came to a screeching halt at the age of 21. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa during his college years, Ankur suddenly lost his vision. Living seemed like an up hill task. But he did not give up. Instead, he mas tered assistive technologies and went on to graduate as Goa University topper.
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To day, he is the founder of AnklyticX Tech nologies, a technology and strategic con sulting firm operating in India and Dubai, as well as Incluseer, an enterprise acces sibility observability platform designed to make digital software accessible to people with disabilities. Reflecting on his life, Ankur said: “I was raised in a middle-class family with strong values. As an academically bright and multi-talented child, I experienced signif icant internal pressure to maintain high standards, as success was always expect ed. But losing my eyesight completely at the age of 21 was a profound, life-altering event that led to an incredibly challenging period, during which I also faced clinical depression.” Overcoming this mental and physical setback was possible because of two crit ical factors: a strong support system of family and friends, and a deep passion for reading, audiobooks and sports. “Furthermore, I taught myself how to use computers and mobile devices in dependently using screen readers and audio technology. Inspired by the story of Karthik Sawhney, the first blind stu dent to study science in senior secondary school in India who went on to gradu ate from Stanford University, I realised that computer science was a viable path.
I re-entered formal education at the age of 25, completed my Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Com puter Science from Parvatibai Chowgule College and graduated with 94.5%,” the visually impaired tech entrepreneur said. Following an internship, he realised that entrepreneurship was his preferred path and co-founded a web and software development company in 2019.
Despite early challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the departure of his co-founders, the company achieved a significant breakthrough by developing a platform for the United Nations. “Today, my role focuses primarily on business development and client rela tions, supported by a dedicated team. My primary message to others facing signifi cant challenges is to remain resilient and never abandon your goals. Life presents major obstacles, but it is essential to adapt and pursue what brings purpose,” Ankur said.
Success does not require everyone to become an entrepreneur, he added. Rather, it is about performing to the best of one’s abilities in one’s chosen field, embracing the hardships that come with the journey, and maintaining an inner sense of purpose to keep moving forward.
