Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash (born on 13th October 1999) is an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

Mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

and

Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...

known for holding the title of the World’s Fastest Human Calculator (WFHC). He is an Indian mind sports athlete, entrepreneur, and advocate for mathematics education. Bhanu gained international recognition for his

mental calculation Mental calculation (also known as mental computation) consists of arithmetical calculations made by the mind, within the brain, with no help from any supplies (such as pencil and paper) or devices such as a calculator. People may use menta ...

skills, breaking speed calculation records previously held by Shakuntala Devi and Scott Flansburg. In 2020, he won the Mental Calculation World Championship at the Mind Sports Olympiad in London, becoming the first non-European and first Asian to secure the title. Bhanu is also the founder of Bhanzu, an ed-tech platform aimed at addressing

math anxiety Mathematical anxiety, also known as math phobia, is a feeling of tension and anxiety that interferes with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in daily life and academic situations. Math anxiety Mark H. Ashcraft de ...

and making mathematics more accessible. His approach to teaching emphasizes understanding concepts over

rote memorization Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition (rhetorical device), repetition. The method rests on the premise that the recollection, recall of repeated material becomes faster the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to ...

, aiming to create a more intuitive learning process. He has been acknowledged by the

President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...

, included in

Forbes 30 Under 30 ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 is a set of lists published annually by ''Forbes'' magazine since 2011 consisting of 30 notable people under 30 years old in various industries. The American list consists of 600 people, with 30 selected in each of 20 sect ...

, and received recognition as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year by Entrepreneur India. Bhanu has used his platform to influence both students and educators globally, promoting the importance of mathematical literacy.

Early life

Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash was born in Hyderabad, India, to Jonnalagadda Srinivas and Hema Siva Parvati Jonnalagadda. His early childhood was marked by a significant event when, at the age of five, he suffered a severe head injury, resulting in a fractured skull. During his recovery, Bhanu was advised by his doctors to engage in mentally stimulating activities, which led him to solve puzzles and mental math problems. This sparked his interest in mathematics. Bhanu completed his schooling at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Public School (Vidyashram) in Hyderabad. He then pursued a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Mathematics at

St. Stephen’s College, Delhi St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of Delhi University. It awards both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Established in 1881, it is one of the oldest liberal arts and sciences colleges in India. The college has an acceptance r ...

, where he further developed his

abilities.

Awards and Recognition

* 2020: First Indian (Asian) to win the Gold Medal at the Mental Calculation World Championship at the Mind Sports Olympiad, London. * 2020: Awarded 'India’s Youth Icon 2020' by the National Youth Council of India. * 2022: Featured in Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 in the Consumer Technology category. * 2014-2016: Broke 4

World Records A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

and 50 Limca Book Records in various speed arithmetic categories, surpassing records held by Scott Flansburg and Shakuntala Devi. * 2015: Received the 'Math Genius Award' from Genius Mind. * 2015: Titled “Usain Bolt of Mathematics” by BBC News. * 2017, 2018, 2022: Invited to speak at

TEDx Talks TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "Ideas Change Everything" (previously "Ideas Worth Sprea ...

about his journey and approach to learning math. * 2023: Featured in Hurun India's Top 100 Under 30 Entrepreneurs Watchlist. * 2025: Recognized in Forbes India 30 Under 30 for contributions to the education sector. 2025 creator of bhanzu * 2025: Awarded Young Entrepreneur of the Year by Entrepreneur India. * Ongoing: Collaborated with the Telangana government and international NGOs to impact 2 million children through numeracy programs. 2025: Invited to the ASU+GSV Summit to discuss the future of math education and his work with Bhanzu.

References

Mental calculators Living people 1999 births St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumni 1996 births Delhi University alumni {{India-mathematician-stub