World’s fastest Human Calculator of India

Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash, a 23-yearold math magician from Hyderabad (India), is titled as the “World’s fastest Human Calculator of India” for his ability to solve multifaceted mathematical tasks at breakneck speeds. For his mathematical calculations, he holds 50 Limca records. He also won gold in the Mental Calculation World Championship at the Mind Sports Olympiad in 2020. He founded Bhanzu with the intention of overcoming math phobia. Bhanu Prakash was recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2022. He has also spoken at several TED talks, with the goal of inspiring young people with his story and drive to succeed.

Bhanu was born in Eluru, India, on October 13, 1999, to parents Srinivas Jonnalagadda and Hema Siva Parvathi. When he was five, he suffered a head injury that required him to be bedridden for an entire year; this was the first time he learned math and calculations, and he began competing in various competitions at that age. He was also a mathematical child from a young age. His education was completed at Hyderabad’s Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Public School. In 2020, he graduated with honors from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi with a BSc in mathematics. Neelkanth Bhanu’s name appears on numerous records. He holds several world records for arithmetic calculations.

In 2015, Neelkanth was named International Speed Math Champion ’13,’ National Speed Math Champion ’11,’ and Math Genius Award. He has numerous gold medals. Bhanu broke Shakuntala Devi’s record (adding a two-digit number to itself as many times as possible in 15 seconds) and was dubbed the “World’s Fastest Human Calculator.” “Speed is not the only criterion for appreciating numbers,” he says. Bhanu’s goal is to eliminate math phobias and make numbers easier to understand and analyze. He believes that proper Math knowledge can prepare students to succeed in any profession.

Making Math Easier Through ‘Bhanzu’

“As a math lover, I had two options: be the face of maths or the face of math’s phobia,” Bhanu said. “I chose to be the face of mathematics because I want to inspire people to love numbers through their various interests. Math phobia affects three out of every four students worldwide. This is primarily due to students’ perceptions that math is the most difficult subject and that they do not find it relatable or interesting,” said the math wizard. Bhanu founded “Bhanzu” to make math learning easier and more enjoyable (a math educational startup to overcome the fear of maths).

After winning the Olympic Gold Medal in Mind Sports at the Mind Sports Olympics in the United Kingdom in 2020, the BBC stated, “Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash is to math (mental calculation) what Usain Bolt is to running.” When he suffered a head injury, his father gave him a puzzle, and that puzzle brought Bhanu closer to numbers, making him the fastest Human Calculator. Many international companies and leading political parties have offered him high-paying jobs, but he has turned them down. He is excelling in education, particularly in math. His works are admirable, and we hope to see more of him in the future.