Varun Agarwal

2021-02-21T09:42:05Z

2405:204:548F:A493:DAE6:3BB3:3B32:7BBE:

{{Infobox writer
|name = Varun Agarwal
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|12|06|df=y}}
| image = Varun agarwal.jpg
| caption = Varun Agarwal
| birth_place = [[Bangalore]], [[India]]
| occupation = [[Author]], [[Entrepreneur]], [[Film Maker]] and [[Investor]]
| nationality = [[India]]n
| notableworks = [[How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-Founded A Million Dollar Company]]
| website = {{URL|https://varunagarwal.in}}}}

'''Varun Agarwal''' (born December 6, 1986) is an [[India]]n [[entrepreneur]], [[film maker]] and [[author]]. He has co-founded three companies and authored a national bestseller, ''[[How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-Founded a Million Dollar Company]]''.<ref name="London Speaker Bureau">{{cite web|title=Varun Agarwal - Keynote speaker|url=https://londonspeakerbureau.com/speaker-profile/varun-agarwal/|website=London Speaker Bureau|publisher=London Speaker Bureau|access-date=13 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="Team Metroplus">{{cite news|title=Being independent|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/young-india-looks-towards-entrepreneurship/article7540558.ece|access-date=13 November 2017|agency=Metroplus|work=The Hindu|date=March 29, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Braving Anu Aunty">{{cite news|title=Braving Anu Aunty|url=http://www.thehindu.com/books/braving-anu-aunty/article4501046.ece|access-date=13 November 2017|agency=The Hindu|work=The Hindu|date=March 12, 2013}}</ref>

==Early life==

Brought up in [[Bangalore]], Varun did his schooling from [[Bishop Cotton Boys' School]] and studied engineering at [[CMR Institute of Technology]].<ref name="London Speaker Bureau"/>

==Entrepreneur==

Varun has co-founded three startups, Alma Mater, an online store for merchandise especially for students of colleges and schools which was started in 2009, Reticular, a social media marketing company started in 2010, and Last minute Films, a production company for online video content which was started in 2005.<ref name="Koramangala">{{cite web|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-12-09/news/44988958_1_indian-angel-network-rashi-varshney-koramangala|title=Koramangala is a convenient location for entrepreneurs: Varun Agarwal|publisher=indiatimes.com|date=2013-12-09 |access-date=2014-07-29}}</ref><ref name="Neeti Sarkar, Hindu">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/article3430488.ece?css=print|title=Notes to Myself|date=May 18, 2012|work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref name="N. Satyendran, Hindu">{{cite news|last1=Satyendran|first1=Nita|title=Making a statement|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/making-a-statement/article5489600.ece|access-date=26 December 2014|agency=The Hindu|work=The Hindu|date=December 22, 2013}}</ref>

===Alma Mater===

Varun says that the current aim of the company is to become profitable as well as more responsible.<ref name="MediaNama">{{cite web|url=https://www.medianama.com/2012/11/223-indian-angel-network-invests-in-almamaterstore-in/|title=Indian Angel Network Invests In Almamaterstore.in|last1=Chaudhary|first1=Apurva|website=MediaNama|access-date=13 November 2017}}</ref>

Alma Mater has also launched a customised online Do-It-Yourself (DIY) online T-shirt maker tool called PLAY. The user can join or create a group, make custom T-shirts with an online editing tool, share it with friends and group members and invite others to join.<ref name="India Today">{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/commercial-entrepreneurship-biz-kids-india/1/166310.html |title=Young Guns Of India |work=India Today |date=Dec 29, 2011}}</ref><ref name="The Hindu">{{cite news|last1=SARKAR|first1=NEEI|title=PLAY on your own|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/play-on-your-own/article4905068.ece|access-date=13 November 2017|agency=The Hindu|work=The Hindu}}</ref>

=== Mento ===
<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mento|url=https://www.mento.co.in/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Mento|language=en}}</ref>Varun Agarwal also founded an online e-learning platform name [https://www.mento.co.in/ Mento]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mento|title=Mento|url=https://www.mento.co.in/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Mento|language=en}}</ref> which is also India’s first Ed-tech platform<ref>{{Cite web|title=An Education Startup With A Clear Philosophy: Grades Don't Matter|url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/edtech-special/an-education-startup-with-a-clear-philosophy-grades-don039t-matter/57823/1|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Forbes India|language=en}}</ref> for creative courses.

==Author==

[[How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-Founded a Million Dollar Company]] was rolled out in 2012 by Rupa publishers and is a national bestseller. ‘How I Braved Anu Aunty & Co-founded A Million Dollar Company’ had already hit the number 5 spot on the Amazon India bestsellers list.<ref name="N. Satyendran, Hindu"/><ref name="London Speaker Bureau"/>

===Music Video===

He has teamed up with a Bangalore-based stand-up comedian Sanjay Manaktala to make a music video called ‘Anu Aunty, Engineering Anthem’ based on his book.<ref name="EAR">{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/engineering-a-revolution/|title=Engineering a Revolution|last1=Rai|first1=Saritha|date=January 12, 2015|access-date=13 November 2017|publisher=The Indian Express|agency=The Indian Express}}</ref> This video, which went viral, was featured on The Enthu Cutlets, a channel promoted by Varun in 2014 to showcase Bengaluru's comedians.<ref name="Myrtle Lazarus">{{cite news|last1=Myrtle Lazarus|first1=Susanna|title=One up on Anu Aunty|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/anu-aunty-engineering-anthem-varun-agarwal/article6760688.ece|access-date=13 November 2017|agency=The Hindu|publisher=MetroPlus}}</ref><ref name="City's best tubes tickle">{{cite news|title=City's best tubes tickle|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2016/aug/18/Citys-best-tubes-tickle-1510364.html|access-date=13 November 2017|agency=Express News Service|publisher=The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Watch Varun Agarwal's Anu Aunty video go viral|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/watch-varun-agarwals-anu-aunty-engineering-anthem-music-video-goes-viral-618813|website=IBN Times|publisher=IBN Times|access-date=13 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="Anu Aunty"/>

===The Movie===

Siddarth Roy Kapur and [[Ronnie Screwvala]] will be making a movie which is an adaptation of Varun's book ‘How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-founded A Million Dollar Company’. [[Nitesh Tiwari]], who directed the Bollywood movie ''[[Dangal (film)|Dangal]]'', is working on this new film.<ref name="Mumbai Mirror">{{cite news|last1=Bhattacharya|first1=Roshmila|title=DANGAL DIRECTOR NITESH TIWARI GEARING UP TO TAKE A NOVEL ROUTE NOW|url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/dangal-director-nitesh-tiwari-gearing-up-to-take-a-novel-route-now/articleshow/58679290.cms|access-date=13 November 2017|agency=Mumbai Mirror|publisher=The Times Group}}</ref><ref name="Dangal">{{cite news|title='Dangal' director wants Varun Dhawan for his next|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/dangal-director-wants-varun-dhawan-for-his-next/articleshow/59674376.cms|access-date=13 November 2017|agency=PTI|work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref name="Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier">{{cite news|last1=Mid-Day|first1=Team|title=When aunties make books happen|url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-diary-tuesday-dossier-mumbai-news-events-activities/18252153|access-date=13 November 2017|agency=Mid-Day|publisher=Mid-Day}}</ref><ref name="Anu Aunty">{{cite news|last1=Agarwal|first1=Stuti|title=Anu Aunty goes to Bollywood|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/anu-aunty-goes-to-bollywood/articleshow/58713209.cms|access-date=13 November 2017|agency=TNN|publisher=Times of India|date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>

==Motivational Speaker==

Varun is one of the prominent storytellers and [https://varunagarwal.in/talks motivational speakers in India]. Varun has also given INK talks, the Indian version of [[TED (conference)|TED]], where he shares his story. His first INKTalk's speech has marked more than 7,50,000 views on YouTube and is constantly increasing. He has given talks to executives at [[Unilever]] in [[London]], college students in [[Pune]] and to employees of tobacco firm [[Philip Morris International|Philip Morris]] in [[Macau]].<ref name="EAR"/><ref name="Braving Anu Aunty"/><ref name="MensXP">{{cite journal|last1=Sharma|first1=Piyush|date=Jul 6, 2017|title=From Running A YouTube Channel To Bollywood, This Is The Inspirational Tale Of Varun Agarwal.|url=https://www.mensxp.com/work-life/entrepreneurship/38032-from-running-a-youtube-channel-to-bollywood-this-is-the-inspirational-tale-of-varun-agarwal.html|journal=MensXP|access-date=13 November 2017}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.tell-a-tale.com/braved-anu-aunty-co-founded-million-dollar-company-perspective-review-book-review/ Book Review: How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-founded a Million Dollar Company]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agarwal, Varun}}
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Bishop Cotton Boys' School alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian filmmakers]]

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Varun Agarwal