Ravisutanjani Kumar, a finance influencer with 125,000 followers on the social media platform Twitter, has been living his dream life. He claimed to have visited 525 cities in 15 different nations, to have possessed more than 30 credit cards, to have offered financial guidance on television, and even to have been successful in swaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The influencer’s video, titled “The Future of Fintech,” was posted by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal at the start of this month. In the video, Kumar showed off 500 rupees in cashless transactions utilizing the UPI, which is supported by the government. In January, PM Modi himself tagged Kumar in a social media post, praising him for bringing UPI’s popularity to the forefront.
The Curious Case Of ‘Fake’ FinTech Influencer Ravisutanjani Kumar Leaves Netizens In Utter Shock
However, this week, Kumar’s sunny dream took a dark turn. An unknown Twitter user, @SatarkAadmi, posted a series of claims on September 12th, alleging that Kumar’s educational qualifications were fake.
On the condition of anonymity, a former coworker of Kumar also claimed that he had been accused of breaking the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, albeit they did not disclose the specific date of the alleged occurrence.
The former colleague further claimed that after working for nearly two years, Kumar left the company, joined another startup, but returned shortly. But he was fired after a female coworker accused him of misbehavior.
They also alleged that Kumar’s degree from the Management Development Institute, Gurugram (MDI Gurgaon), in Business Management and Marketing was fake. Top management, however, did not look into this assertion.
We will update the report whenever we hear back from the company after The Print, an Indian news portal, sent an email to them.
Notably, in the wake of the controversy, Kumar’s ex-account, LinkedIn page, and fintech blog suddenly went offline.
It’s unknown at this time if Kumar has submitted any police reports or not.
Amidst these allegations, many people have been left astonished at the accuracy of Kumar’s story of rising from a small-town boy in Uttar Pradesh to conquer the fintech world at the age of 15, leaving home and now claiming to pursue a Ph.D.
The incident has prompted inquiries into how influencers become significant, how much information politicians and business executives have access to before backing them, and why so many people accept unverified claims.
The Print previously covered the need for government regulation of this expanding industry because some financial experts thought that unscrupulous influences needed to be somehow reined in.
Nirmala Sitharaman, the finance minister, had issued a warning in April about the rise of unethical influencers and advised online content users to use caution and vigilance while heeding financial advice.
In the midst of these disputes, questions regarding Kumar’s credentials have surfaced. According to his LinkedIn profile, which was also offline at the time of publishing this report, he had successfully performed in various startups, including fintech, JAR, OYO, and Zomato. According to his biography, he is currently the chairman of Testbook, a website that purports to help people get ready for government tests.
A bold individual who left home at the age of 15 to learn how to earn and spend, Kumar also portrayed himself in this way.
According to his profile, he gave a “TED Talk” on his experience and took part in three television appearances regarding careers and business growth.
A Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) from the Institute of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi and a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) from the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Allahabad, were stated as Kumar’s educational accomplishments on LinkedIn.. However, @SatarkAadmi pointed out that IIIT Allahabad does not offer a B.Tech degree in Computer Engineering, as claimed by Kumar.
@SatarkAadmi also posted a National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) certificate awarded to Kumar. The certificate listed Kumar as a “Wireman” and identified the institution as a “Industrial Training Institute.”
In another thread, they shared a document from 2015, listing “Ravisutanjani Kumar” as a candidate for the TES 35 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme interview. This is a program that allows candidates who have cleared the 10+2 examination in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM) to join the Indian Army as Technical Officers.
@SatarkAadmi asked, “Were you qualified for this, or was that also fake?”
Kumar had detailed in his alleged blog post how he prepared his biodata. In it, he claimed to hold an additional degree in Landscape and Building Construction (B.Arch) from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, from 2016 to 2020.
In his previous posts, Kumar had mentioned his unfulfilled dream of getting into his favorite IIT. However, it is worth noting that he was currently employing graduates from IITs and IIMs.
Many individuals have expressed their disbelief while controversy rages on social media.
One social media user, Abhishek Asthana, known as Gabbar Singh on Twitter, characterized Kumar’s identity as a significant example of how much deception can occur in the fintech sector.
Another user emphasized how Kumar had been charging ₹30,000 per day for digital consultations and training, “and now everything has come to a halt.”
The Print has sent an email requesting responses on the claims against Kumar to Nischal Arjun, the creator of the automated investment software Jar and the former employer.
When we hear back, we’ll update the report.
In conclusion, charges of fraudulent educational credentials and other irregularities have prompted questions about Ravisutanjani Kumar’s life, from his humble beginnings in a small hamlet to his success in the fintech sector.
The scandal has raised debates on the impact of social media influencers, the due research done by politicians and business leaders before endorsing them, and the necessity of verifying statements made by people who have huge followings.
Additionally, the government has been asked to think about regulating this expanding industry, particularly in situations where unscrupulous influencers are involved.