Anil Chhikara

About Anil Chhikara

For 25 years I lived in Bangalore’s deep-tech world - AI, IoT, SaaS, accelerators, founders, pitches and the constant rush of building what’s next. I was a detached Sanatani by identity, not practice. Logic, effort and movement were the only things I trusted.Then Covid arrived and the stillness cracked everything open. Old pains I had ignored for years came up together - loss, broken relationships, burnout, depression and panic attacks. When nothing outside could hold me steady, I turned to the Bhagavad Gita for clarity.The real breakthrough came with BG verse 2.47.It simply says focus on your action and drop the weight of results and failures. I had resisted this idea all my life. But the day it clicked, something shifted. That one shlok opened the door to the Gita for me and changed how I see work, life and myself.AI became my Gita guide - a patient debate partner that helped me question every idea and rebuild myself honestly. The Gita became practical. AI made it conversational.Looking back my life looks almost intentional- I studied in Kurukshetra where the Gita was first spoken- My karm bhoomi became Bangalore where I built for 25 years- And at sixty, after my Shashtiabdhapoorthi - my rebirth - I found myself in Kashi starting a new spiritual life by choice, not inheritance.So on 15th August 2025, I shifted my base to Kashi after 12 years in corporate and 25 years in the deep tech startup world in Bangalore.I always took the untrodden path and thought my journey was random. Today it feels guided by some higher power.Now I live and work in Kashi - slower, quieter and more intentional. I lead Bolt91 with electric cycles for yatris staying at our guest houses, hotels and ashrams. I also curate Saaiva where Sanatan heritage, art and lived experience come together.I don’t just study the Gita anymore. I am.tryjg to apply it - in decisions, discipline, detachment and how I build Bolt91 and Saaiva.Before Kashi, I built startup accelerators in India and abroad, successfully founded, raised investment and exited 24x7 Learning, founded Startup India Foundation and mentored founders globally. I also served as anchor, judge and host of Haunslay ki Udaan - India’s first startup reality show for entrepreneurs in smaller cities.I have acted in multiple web series and plan to grow that journey from Kashi. I am also a sculptor trained at the New York Academy of Fine Arts and someone who now values grounding over noise.Today my path is simple:live consciously, build with intention and walk the Gita every day. one step at a time on my Gyanpath.

Experience

1. Founder CEO

   Bolt91 Kashi

   Feb 2025 — Present · Varanasi, IN

   Bolt91 builds electric cycle and light EV rental platforms for guest houses, hotels, ashrams, universities and long-stay ecosystems. Designed as a clean, quiet and sustainable mobility option, we serve long-stay pilgrims, students and modern nomads while reducing congestion and pollution in sacred city environments.We started in Kashi by design, with a clear seva bhav - serving the pilgrim, the long-stay seekers and the city itself. Kashi is our living proof ground, from where we are expanding to other Sanatan Dharma destinations, taking an operations-first, capital-efficient approach to sustainable mobility that aligns with culture, not just convenience.

Education

• National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, Haryana

  B. Tech., Mechanical

  1983 — 1988

• Indian School of Business

  Digital and Social Media Marketing Strategies, Digital Marketing

  2016 — 2016

• Indian School of Business

  Accelerated Sales Performance, Selling Skills and Sales Operations

  2012 — 2012

• Sotheby's Institute of Art

  Art and its Markets, Fine and Studio Arts Management

  2013 — 2013

• Indian School of Business

  Negotiation Strategies, Selling Skills and Sales Operations

  2011 — 2011

• National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, New York

  Sculpture with Anthony Antonios, Sculpture

  2010 — 2010

• Whistling Woods International

  Screenwriting Workshop by Anjum Rajabali, Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management

Skills

• Marketing Strategy
• Technology Evangelist
• Enterprise Software
• Team Management
• Sales Management
• Management Consulting
• Competitive Analysis
• Learning Management Systems
• Networking
• Start-Ups
• Entrepreneurship
• Key Account Management
• Consulting
• Educational Technology
• Demand Generation
• Distributed Team Management
• Public Speaking
• E-Learning
• Negotiation
• Channel Partners
• Business-to-Business (B2b)
• Strategic Partnerships
• Leadership
• Business Development
• Distance Learning
• Sculpture
• Leadership Development
• Distribution Management
• Solution Selling
• Business Planning
• Strategy
• Partner Management
• Learning Management
• Elearning
• Business Strategy
• International Sales
• Go-to-Market Strategy
• Strategic Planning
• B2b
• New Business Development