When an 18-year-old girl from Ujjain, MP, cleared the JEE entrance in her second attempt, she wasn't the only one who was jubilant. Far away, an office in namma Bengaluru also celebrated her success.After all, it was the psychologists and career counsellors at this startup in HSR Layout who had helped her bounce back from depression. The teenager had turned to YOURDOST, an online emotional support platform, when she was in the doldrums -she had failed to clear the test in the first attempt. The counselling worked wonders, boosting her confidence. The startup is a brainchild of Richa Singh, an IIT Guwahati alumni and her former colleague Puneet Manuja, a graduate of IIT Calicut.

Social Stigma

"I f a person can't easily strike a conversation or mingle with friends, there is a problem that needs to be addressed. If you have a stomach ache, don't you go to the doctor? Then why not when you can't do something as simple as talking to people. Social stigma is to blame," said Richa.

Success stories are regularly uploaded on the YOURDOST website, so that those dealing with similar issues can relate to them and seek help, she added. Richa is one of the three INK2015 fellows chosen from Bengaluru for her work.