When most five-year-olds are just beginning to explore the world around them, Neelakantha Bhanu was fighting a battle for recovery after a life-threatening accident left him with cognitive challenges. Amidst years of rehabilitation, it was a simple act—his mother introducing him to math puzzles—that ignited a spark. Math quickly became more than just numbers and equations; it became a lifeline, a way to regain focus, discipline, and confidence.
From these early struggles emerged a deep and transformative relationship with mathematics, one that later fueled a world record-breaking journey and a revolutionary vision for math education. Through his initiative, Bhanzu, he is on a mission to reshape the way the world learns math—making it joyful, accessible, and anxiety-free for millions. In this conversation, Mr. Neelakantha Bhanu shares how his personal experiences evolved into a global movement to redefine the future of math learning.
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You’ve shared that a life-threatening accident at age 5 led to years of cognitive rehabilitation. How did that experience shape your relationship with math, and why did you see it as a tool for recovery?
My mother introduced me to math puzzles, and I was immediately hooked. At a time when I was grappling with memory, focus, and processing speed during rehabilitation, math became my lifeline. The puzzles she gave me provided structure when everything else felt uncertain. There’s a unique clarity in math—every problem has an answer, and every step forward is measurable. This gave me something tangible to hold onto amid the chaos.
What began as a way to engage my mind turned into something far more profound. With every puzzle I solved, I gained more than just answers—I regained confidence, discipline, and a sense of control over my mind. Math wasn’t just a subject for me; it became a tool for recovery, each number and equation helping to rebuild my cognitive abilities, one step at a time.
You’ve called math a ‘sport’ and even hold world records for mental calculation. What sparked this unique perspective, and how did it evolve from a personal passion into a mission to help others?
Calling math a ‘sport’ isn’t just a metaphor for me, it’s a lived truth. There’s adrenaline in competition, beauty in precision, and a relentless drive to push boundaries. When I broke my first world record, it wasn’t just about speed, it was about proving that the human mind can train itself like an athlete trains their body. But the spark? That came from my journey.
I went around the world, teaching students math and inspiring them to love the subject. But I realised that three out of every four students struggle with basic math, leading to a widespread fear of the subject. I wanted to solve this widespread problem, so I transformed my passion for math into a mission to help children worldwide overcome math fear and anxiety.
To make math fun and engaging, I initiated a program called ‘Exploring Infinities.’ This initiative, now known as Bhanzu, engages students through online classes and teaches math through games and puzzles. I am revolutionising the way math is taught globally.
What moment or realization made you think, ‘Math education needs a revolution,’ and how did that lead to founding Bhanzu?
While pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in mathematics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, I performed in over 500 stage shows and conducted over 1000 classes. During this time, I realized that many students struggled with basic mathematics like simple addition, and 3 out of 4 students were afraid of math, a feeling I couldn’t relate to. This realization hit me hard, math wasn’t being taught in the engaging, fun way I had experienced.
This insight inspired me to start Bhanzu, I initiated a program called ‘Exploring Infinities.’ This initiative, now known as Bhanzu, focuses on engaging students through online classes and teaching math through games and puzzles. I am revolutionising the way math is taught globally, where we approach math learning differently.
At Bhanzu, we use games, puzzles, and interactive activities in our curriculum. We make math enjoyable and exciting, capturing students’ interest and eliminating the fear often associated with traditional math teaching. When I teach a child to solve a problem they thought was impossible, I see that same fire I felt during my recovery. That’s the evolution, from using math to save myself, to using it to help others unlock their potential. Records fade, but changing how the world sees learning? That’s legacy.
Bhanzu tackles ‘math anxiety’ head-on. Can you share a story of a student or community where you saw this fear transform into confidence, and how that drives your work?
One of our international success stories is a talented student from Thailand who joined Bhanzu to further sharpen his natural aptitude for math. Through our innovative techniques and his dedication, he advanced to the GMEC finals in Singapore, where his confidence and skills helped him win the championship. His journey exemplifies Bhanzu’s mission to empower students, nurture their love for math, and enable them to achieve international success and excel beyond academics.
What challenges have you encountered in the process of establishing Bhanzu, and how have you overcome them?
We wanted learning at Bhanzu to be engaging, but also ensure that students build a strong foundation in maths. The solution was to incorporate fun elements like games and storytelling, but make sure that these were aligned with specific learning outcomes.
This was quite challenging given that every child learns differently. To cater to the diverse individual learning approaches, we have developed a variety of content formats that include live sessions, self-paced video lessons, in-class practice assessments, offline interactive practice exercises, and quizzes. Building a sense of community can also be tricky in the digital space.
We implemented features like discussion forums, student leaderboards, and even live chat sessions where students can interact with each other and Bhanzu educators. This fosters a sense of connection and allows students to learn from their peers.
Every challenge has been a learning experience, and it’s all part of the ongoing process of making Bhanzu the best platform it can be. We’re constantly innovating and looking for ways to improve the user experience and make math a truly positive experience for everyone.
Bhanzu uses gamification and AI to make math engaging. How do you balance ‘fun’ with rigor to ensure students actually learn, not just play?
At Bhanzu, we start with a simple truth where fun is the gateway, but rigor is the journey. Gamification isn’t about slapping points and badges onto equations. It’s about tapping into the innate human love for challenges, stories, and progress.
It is all about personalizing the game. If a student breezes through algebra puzzles, the system doesn’t just reward them with points; it quietly ramps up complexity, introducing tougher problems disguised as new levels. If someone stumbles, the AI doesn’t let them fail dramatically; it breaks concepts into bite-sized quests, turning struggle into strategic goals.
We also measure everything, not just completion rates, but how students approach problems. Are they guessing? Persisting? Using creative shortcuts? This lets us tweak the ‘fun’ elements to serve the rigor. For example, a timed leaderboard isn’t just about competition; it’s about building fluency under pressure, mirroring real-world problem-solving. This is when fun and challenge need to coexist; math stops feeling like a tremendous task and starts feeling like a superpower.
Math is the ‘most misunderstood subject.’ Where do you see math education in 10 years, and what role will tools like AI play in that shift?
In 10 years, I see math education shedding its image as a gatekeeper and becoming a bridge-builder, transforming how students approach the subject. The shift will move away from “How do I pass this test?” to “How does this help me think deeper and apply it to real-world scenarios?
AI will play a pivotal role in personalizing learning by adapting lessons to each student’s needs, pace, and interests. This flexibility will cater to diverse learning styles, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed. But the future of education won’t just be about AI’s capabilities, it’s about how AI enhances, not replaces, the role of teachers.
The true power of AI in education lies in its ability to complement what educators do best to inspire, empathize, and nurture creativity. Our goal will be to innovate relentlessly, not only to improve how we teach and learn but to ignite a passion for STEM, which is the foundation for continuous growth and innovation.
AI’s greatest strength isn’t just personalization; it’s democratization. In a decade, a student in a remote village will have access to the same quality of adaptive learning as one in a top-tier school. These tools will break down barriers, making math fluency as attainable as literacy.
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Your goal is to impact 100 million learners globally. How do you plan to achieve them?
Our long-term goal is to positively impact the math education landscape and create a more math-literate society that can thrive in an increasingly data-driven world.
Our vision is vital to help conquer math fear worldwide. We aim to revolutionize how students globally learn mathematics, making it fun and relatable instead of a dreaded subject.
Our mission is to positively impact the learning trajectories of over 100 million students within the next 5 years, establishing ourselves as the world’s largest and most innovative math education entity.
A key part of our evolution is our goal to disrupt the market and challenge established players. We are working towards building a strong presence in the USA, aiming to capture a significant market share and create a strong brand recall in this competitive market. By offering superior, engaging, and personalized math education, we aspire to become the preferred choice for parents and students in the US market and set a new benchmark for math learning.
Additionally, we also aim to establish strategic partnerships with academic institutions, educators, and organizations that share our vision and values, and motivate more students to overcome their fear of math and transform it into a subject that is approachable and engaging.
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