When Peyush Bansal, a young student from Delhi, failed to crack the IIT entrance exam, most would have considered it the end of a dream. For him, it became the beginning of an extraordinary journey — one that would take him from rejection to Microsoft, and ultimately, to building one of India’s most iconic eyewear brands — Lenskart.
From Rejection to Reinvention
Peyush’s story is not of privilege, but of perseverance. His IIT setback could have been a full stop — instead, it became a comma. With his parents’ reluctant approval, he left India to study engineering in Canada. Life there wasn’t glamorous — he had no home, limited funds, and juggled long work hours as a receptionist just to survive.
But amidst the grind, a spark ignited. Watching a senior code one evening in the college lab, Peyush was captivated. He borrowed a thick book on Visual Basic Plus, and night after night, after work and classes, he taught himself to code. Within months, he had replaced his receptionist job with a coding role. Passion, not circumstance, became his compass.
A Door Opens at Microsoft
Determined to apply his newfound skills, Peyush aimed for an internship at Microsoft. His first attempt ended in rejection — a familiar word by now. But, as always, he came back stronger. The next year, he cracked it.
His internship in Seattle was life-changing. Working with some of the world’s brightest engineers, he learned that true innovation begins with empathy — solving real human problems, not just technical ones. Meeting Bill Gates during this period only reinforced his desire to make a difference.
When Microsoft offered him a full-time position, he accepted. But deep down, Peyush knew his calling wasn’t to build products for someone else — it was to build something for India.
The Leap of Faith
In 2008, at the peak of his corporate comfort, Peyush quit Microsoft and returned home. His parents were proud but anxious. He had savings, a laptop, and a garage that would soon turn into his first office. His first venture aimed to solve housing challenges for students — not a massive success, but a crucial lesson.
Then, one day, a statistic changed everything — over 50% of Indians needed vision correction, yet only a fraction wore glasses. That problem became his purpose. Along with co-founders Amit Chaudhary and Sumit Kapahi, he founded Lenskart in 2011.
Building Lenskart: Vision for All
What began as a small startup soon disrupted India’s eyewear industry. From affordable glasses and home eye-checkups to stylish designs and AI-based fittings, Lenskart redefined how Indians saw eyewear. Investors didn’t need convincing — they saw in Peyush the same clarity he wanted to give his customers.
Today, Lenskart stands as one of India’s biggest D2C success stories, expanding to Singapore, UAE, and beyond, with a vision to reach 4.3 billion people worldwide who still need glasses.
A Lesson in Vision
Through every success and stumble, Peyush Bansal’s mantra stayed constant:
“If you solve a real problem with honesty, the business will build itself.”
From rejection at IIT to the boardrooms of global tech and entrepreneurship, Bansal’s journey is not just inspiring — it’s proof that clarity of vision begins in the mind before it reaches the eyes.
