Ankita Ananda Kandalkar comes from a small village called Nigave Khalsa in Taluka Karveer, District Kolhapur, Maharashtra. She was born in Kolhapur at Savitribai Phule Hospital. From a very young age, Ankita showed confidence, energy, and a strong desire to participate in everything around her. Whether it was school speeches, dance programs, cultural events, or celebrations like 15th August or Ganpati festivals, she was always ready to stand on stage and give her best.
Ankita spent her early childhood in a small mud house where nine family members lived together in a joint family. Life was not easy. One year, due to very heavy rainfall, the house was completely flooded with water. Those days were frightening and stressful, especially for a young child. Nights were difficult, and fear became a part of daily life.
At one point, Ankita’s father had a shop, and the family’s financial condition was stable. However, some decisions changed everything. The shop was given to relatives, and a fruit business was started, which failed badly. This led to heavy financial loss. The joint family separated, and tensions increased. Ankita’s father also developed a habit of taking financial risks and borrowing money with interest. Many times, people came to their house demanding money, creating fear, stress, and emotional pressure for the entire family.
Despite all this, Ankita was a determined and dream-driven child. She believed that one day she would change her life and stop the suffering her family was facing. She loved learning and joined music classes like tabla and harmonium, but had to leave them halfway due to financial problems. Still, she never lost her interest in growth.
In school, Ankita was known for her love for speeches and competitions. She participated in almost every event and often won first or second prizes. Her house walls were filled with trophies, certificates, and drawings. She loved drawing and decorated her home walls with colorful characters, which gave her happiness during difficult times.
During 8th standard, she joined extra classes where she gained knowledge, confidence, and strong support from teachers. One major achievement was an English speech competition where she spoke continuously for 13 minutes, despite English not being her strong language. Her determination helped her win first prize, earning appreciation from teachers and peers.
However, financial struggles continued. In 9th standard, Ankita had to miss a school trip because of money problems. While her friends went on the trip, she stayed back and cried. Still, she found joy in simple things—playing outdoor games, celebrating Diwali, building forts, and spending time with relatives.
In 10th standard, Ankita became fully focused on studies. Her life was disciplined and simple—school, study, and sleep. After completing 10th, she faced a major turning point. Her family was under heavy debt, and emotional stress at home was increasing. Ankita made a strong decision: she would repay her father’s loans as soon as possible.
To achieve this, she chose a Diploma in Civil Engineering because it was a three-year course and allowed her to start working early. She joined KPIT College. During this time, her mother also started working in MIDC, leaving home early in the morning and returning late at night. Ankita supported her mother by managing household work before going to college. Life was hard, but discipline kept her going.
After completing her diploma, Ankita planned to start working immediately, but the Covid pandemic delayed everything. She spent almost a year at home, trying to stay productive. She learned new skills, even tried acting in short films and web series, and worked extremely hard during shoots.
Unfortunately, despite long hours and physical exhaustion, she was not paid. This experience was painful but taught her important life lessons.
Realizing that staying at home would not change anything, Ankita decided to move to Pune to search for a job with her friends. With very limited money and high uncertainty, they struggled a lot. After many rejections and emotional moments, Ankita finally got selected for a job after a long and stressful interview day. That moment marked the beginning of her life transformation.
After joining Pride, Ankita’s life changed completely. Her salary improved, her confidence grew, and she started achieving targets consistently. She became one of the top performers in the company, earning recognition, rewards, and respect. Most importantly, she fulfilled her biggest promise—she repaid her father’s entire debt within just one year.
With her earnings, Ankita supported her family fully. She bought gold and mobile phones for her parents and gave them experiences they had never imagined. She made her parents travel by flight for the first time and later took them on their first international trip to Dubai.
Through her company, Ankita also traveled internationally to countries like Dubai, Singapore, Maldives, Malaysia, and enjoyed a cruise experience. Today, she is working in Dubai, living a life that once felt like a distant dream.
From a small village girl to a confident professional working internationally, Ankita Ananda Kandalkar’s journey is a story of courage, discipline, sacrifice, and determination. Her life proves that background does not define destiny. This is not the end of her journey it is just the beginning.

