ANKUSH SINGH | Bhopal
At a small but steadily growing mobile repair shop in Semra, 26-year-old Shubham Prajapati bends over a microscope, coaxing life back into a phone most technicians would have declared beyond repair.
Soldering tools hum softly around him, spare parts lie neatly arranged, and concentration settles over the counter. In the neighbourhood, he is simply known as the “MBA Mobile Wala”, a young entrepreneur whose journey blends education, skill and persistence into a Bhopal story.
Prajapati lives in Kailash Nagar, about two kilometres from the railway station. He has been repairing mobile phones for nearly a decade, having started at the age of 15, long before he owned a phone himself. Over the past five years, he has expanded his shop from a modest space into a larger outlet.
“I didn’t plan to become a mobile repair technician,” he said. “But I was always interested in electronics. I liked opening things, fixing them and understanding how they worked.”
That curiosity gradually turned into a profession. While still studying, he began learning mobile repair part time. What started as a way to earn some extra money soon became a calling.
“I thought I would do this only alongside my studies,” he said. “But slowly, I realised I enjoyed this more than anything else.”
His academic path is unconventional. Prajapati completed a BSc in Biotechnology, followed by an MBA in Marketing, while sharpening his technical skills in parallel.
In 2019, he also completed an ITI course in computer hardware and electronics from Government ITI, Govindpura. YouTube tutorials, hands-on experience and help from friends filled in the gaps that classrooms could not.
“My father is a carpenter,” he said. “From him, I learned the value of working with your hands and respecting skill.” His mother is a homemaker, and he has one sister. He credits his family’s support for the steady progress he has made.
Despite holding an MBA, Prajapati chose entrepreneurship over an office job.”I didn’t like the idea of sitting in a cabin,” he said. “I like working independently. Electronics give me that freedom.”
The work, however, is exacting. Chip-level mobile repair demands patience, precision and constant learning. “People think it is only about changing a display or charging port,” he said. “But every new phone is different. One small mistake can cause financial loss or damage a customer’s data.”
Managing expectations is often the harder part.”Sometimes phones fail because of water damage, even in very small amounts,” he explained. “Customers don’t always understand this and blame the technician.” He treats it as part of the profession.
What sets him apart is his ability to handle complex repairs. Other shopkeepers regularly send difficult cases his way, phones that require microscope-based, chip-level work.
“Our main focus is repair,” he said. “We don’t deal in second-hand phones. We solve problems others cannot.”
Asked whether he is satisfied with his life, he answers without hesitation. “Yes. My family is happy, and that matters the most.” “There are no regrets.”
“When I started, I struggled a lot,” he said. “That struggle is the reason I can work confidently today.” Ten years ago, while many teenagers in Bhopal were dreaming of buying smartphones, Prajapati was learning how to fix them, without owning one himself.
“I didn’t have a mobile phone then,” he said. “But I knew having a skill was more important.” Outside work, he leads a simple life, enjoys home-cooked food and spending time with his family. Unmarried for now, he says his future plans depend largely on family decisions, but his focus remains on strengthening his business.
His message to young people is direct. “Education is important, but competition is very high,” he said. “If you learn a skill early, it becomes your backup. With that skill, you can build your future.”
In the narrow lanes of Bhopal, the “MBA Mobile Wala” stands as a reminder that degrees matter, but determination and skill often matter more.
