Who is Serial CAT Topper Maruti Konduri? A Journey of Resilience, Love, and Reinvention in MBA Coaching Industry
In the hyper competitive world of MBA coaching, Maruti Konduri, co-founder of Cracku, stands out -- not just for his entrepreneurial success, but also for his topsy-turvy inspirational journey. He flunked in his IIT exams, CAT first attempt, and was even fired from his investment banking job! But that was a long while back…today MBA aspirants revere him. In a short span of 10 years, Maruti Konduri is one of the most sought-after figures in CAT coaching – much like Gautam Puri of Career Launcher or best-selling Author Arun Sharma. MBAUniverse.com reveals who is Maruti Konduri, and how did he become a darling of MBA aspirants. Latest Update: Maruti Konduri has scored 100% in CAT 2024. Now he has scored CAT 100 Percentile 5 times in a row. Read details below.
“Which Slot is Maruti Sir in”, social media goes a buzz
Before we trace the life of Maruti Konduri from IIT Bombay to IIM Ahmedabad to his start up in 2013, here is a snapshot of his recent fame. A few days before CAT 2024 exam when Admit Cards were released, social media was abuzz with an unusual message - Which Slot is Maruti Sir in? Intrigued, MBAUniverse.com decided to check up. We soon found out that Maruti Sir was Maruti Konduri, founder of Cracku, and students were worried that he should NOT be the same CAT exam slot as theirs. Why, because Maruti Konduri had scored CAT 100% four times, and as a CAT Topper, his marks can jack up the normalization process, students feared.
Latest Update: Maruti Konduri has scored 100% in CAT 2024 as well! Now he has scored CAT 100 Percentile 5 times in a row. Check his scorecard below.
As this instance shows, Maruti Konduri and Cracku command high salience amongst CAT aspirants. Cracku completed 10-year in July 2024 and is regarded as one of the top sources of CAT coaching, with candidates swearing by their free YouTube channel and a lot of free content. Infact, more than 80,000 students have used his “CAT Percentile Predictor” in a few weeks. We’ll return to the Cracku success story soon.
Early Life, Journey to IIT and IIM
Growing up in a small town in Andhra Pradesh, Maruti Konduri was a bright student with a knack for problem-solving. His love for chess honed his strategic thinking, which would later become one of his strengths in business. Konduri went on to study Computer Science at IIT Bombay.
In a recent YouTube video, Maruti Konduri recounted how he was lost in IIT and did poorly in the course. “I was lost at IIT. I thought everyone was smarter than me there. I lost confidence in myself.” To redeem himself, Maruti thought of cracking CAT, only to do poorly. In his first attempt at CAT exam in 2027, he did poorly in VARC section scoring just 78%! He was shattered, but didn’t give up. He cracked CAT 2009, and got into everyone’s his dream B-school – IIM Ahmedabad. That’s when life took a positive turn for him…
Love at IIM Ahmedabad: “Two States” Style
During his MBA at IIM Ahmedabad, Maruti met Sayali Kale, who would not only become his life partner but also his co-founder. Their story, reminiscent of the Bollywood movie Two States, combined academics, love, and dreams.
After IIMA, Maruti worked at Barclays bank and ended up becoming Associate Vice President in just a few years. But he was not satisfied with his job, which he found boring. In a linked post Maruti wrote, “The pay cheque was good, but the work was fairly clerical. I knew that any smart tenth-standard student could do the work I was doing. There was very little finance or quant involved in my work, which also ensured that I was easily replaceable.”
He added, “Investment Banks involve many firings, and regularly seeing your colleagues and friends get fired is pretty demotivating.” Soon his world was to come crushing down…
Turning Point: Losing Job, Finding Purpose
In July 2013, Maruti’s life took an unexpected turn when he was fired from his investment banking job in Hong Kong. Recalling that day, he shared in a LinkedIn post: "I was in a coffee shop downstairs when my boss called me to talk. I was fired in the meeting..."
To make matters worse, the firing came just 45 days before Maruti’s wedding! The couple shifted base back to India, and got married. At the marriage reception, answering questions like, "What do you do?" with a new bride beside him. However, Maruti saw the setback as an opportunity to reassess his goals.
Cracku was born in 2014
After months of introspection, brief stints as a research assistant with a professor in Hong Kong to evaluate PhD, he chose to start a business. Cracku, an MBA coaching institute, was born in 2014 in Delhi.
Maruti recalls, “After discussing with Sayali, we returned to India in March 2014 and started Cracku along with Srikanth. After starting up, I was insistent that we release the website before 11th July 2014 (which would mark one year of unemployment) and we released it three days early on 8th July 2014.”
Cracku Founders: Maruti, Sayali, Sreekant
From the outset, Cracku aimed to address the challenges students face during CAT coaching —stress, lack of guidance, and expensive resources. Their mobile-first approach, rigorous mock tests, and personal touch quickly gained traction. The platform’s focus on affordability ensured that even students from modest backgrounds could access high-quality content.
Disrupting Giants: TIME, IMS, Career Launcher…
In the crowded MBA coaching space dominated by stalwarts like TIME, IMS and Career Launcher, Cracku has carved its niche. Maruti’s vision was simple: to create a platform that genuinely cared about student success.
When asked the reason for his success in an overcrowded CAT prep market, Maruti told MBAUniverse.com, “I think we really enjoy what we do. I like to teach and our tech team likes to code and build a user-friendly interface. As we continue to put our passion and students' welfare before everything, it shows in everything. The results automatically follow.”
Big Dream Ahead: 2025, Here I Come!
Having tasted success, Maruti has big plans for future. When MBAUniverse.com asked him about his plans for next year, he said, “We want to help as many students as possible to do well in CAT 2025. In this aspect, we want to create the best possible mocks with the lowest possible price for CAT 2025.” He further added, “we put a lot of effort into making our mocks and trying to make them as close as possible to the actual exam. This year we will work on increasing the number of people who attempt our mocks.”
So, the big boys of MBA prep industry, you better watch out!
Parting Message for MBA Aspirants
What makes Maruti so relatable to his audience is his willingness to share personal struggles, including his own early failures in the CAT exam. "I’ve been in your shoes," he often tells aspirants. His empathy stems from experience, and his approach to test preparation reflects his deep understanding of the pressures students face.
When asked, for his parting message for MBA aspirants who are dejected with their CAT performance, Maruti told MBAUniverse, “Like I mentioned in a video, even I failed in my first attempt at CAT. But it worked out very well for me. So, try to look at this result as an opportunity to grow.”
Maruti Konduri’s life is a masterclass in turning adversity into opportunity. From losing a job to building an educational empire, his journey inspires students and entrepreneurs alike.
MBAUniverse.com extends warm wishes to Cracku cofounders - Maruti, Sayali, Sreekant and their entire team. Afterall, what is good for MBA Aspirants is great for the entire MBA education ecosystem!