New app aims to connect introverted students to people in real life

Across North America, university students are developing social apps while still attending classes. Vikram Narra is one of the most ambitious among them. 

A final-year computer science student at the University of Toronto (U of T), he is the co-founder of Offline, the world’s first offline social network built entirely around real-world presence. Unlike traditional apps that rely on digital interactions, Offline encourages users to connect with people physically nearby, turning ordinary spaces into opportunities for meaningful encounters.

“A big reason I created Offline is that I’m a very extroverted person, and I’ve noticed that many people around me — especially on campus — are more introverted,” he says.

“They don’t always know how to pursue a connection. Their potential co-founder, best friend, or even soulmate could be sitting in the same room, yet they won’t approach them because they’re either scared or they feel it would be awkward.”

Offline is designed to bridge that gap. 

It nudges students toward connections they might otherwise miss and creates a space where social interaction becomes simpler and less intimidating.

Users can discover people with shared interests, join impromptu meetups, and build relationships that extend beyond screens.

By focusing on presence over profiles, Vikram aims to transform how students experience campus life.

How a science fair project changed his path

Vikram was born in Hyderabad, India, but moved to the US with his parents at a very young age. Growing up, his path seemed almost predetermined. Like many children of Asian families, he was expected to become a doctor. 

But everything changed at the end of Grade 10. For a science fair project, Vikram built an app and deployed it on the App Store for the first time. The app conducted surveys to assess user mental well-being and suggested daily, weekly, and yearly tasks to improve it.

“I had started coding at a young age but I never took it seriously — it was just something I did on the side for fun, ” he says. “But this project ignited a spark. What I loved most about coding was being able to bring ideas and visions to life.”

Even with this new passion, his path was not without obstacles. His initial application to study computer science was rejected because his International Baccalaureate grades were not high enough. Undeterred, he eventually enrolled at the U of T, where he now studies computer science with an emphasis on entrepreneurship. 

“It was a last-minute decision, switching my entire career path from medicine to computer science, but I made the change so that one day I can build something meaningful,” he says. 

And he did. 

The idea behind Offline came from Vikram’s own experiences watching students struggle to start conversations. Source: Vikram Narra

University as a launchpad for entrepreneurship

Vikram did not learn how to build Offline by skipping or dropping out of university.  Early on, he thrived in an environment where ideas were taken seriously, and studying computer science and entrepreneurship at U of T made building feel real, not theoretical.

“I would say university has tremendously changed the way I look at entrepreneurship,” he says. “It allowed me to meet a lot of people, gain different perspectives, join clubs and communities, improve my vocal skills and confidence, pitch to people, and get mentorship from those older than me. I gained the expertise and experience that I needed. 

That sense of community showed up in unexpected ways. Vikram met his two co-founders during a linear algebra tutorial. They started by working through a problem together, and the connection grew from there. 

To bring Offline to life, Vikram made full use of the U of T’s facilities and resources, which he believes would have been difficult to access elsewhere. “U of T had a lot of incubators, tech events, and pitch events you could attend, and they offered mentorship,” he says. “They even gave upfront grants to build your startup. I leveraged a lot of that.” 

For Vikram, the most valuable outcome of studying computer science here was learning how to think through problems while being surrounded by sharp minds. “I’m glad that I have friends whom I can go to whenever I have a technical problem with Offline — we sit down for a few hours, open the whiteboard, and brainstorm solutions,” he says. 

As a final-year student, Vikram (right) is building a social app while managing classes, projects, and exams. Source: Vikram Narra

Taking the leap before you feel ready

For students looking to build an app that can truly make a difference but are unsure if they are ready, Vikram has some advice. “If you don’t feel like you’re ready, I don’t think you’ll ever be ready,” he says. “I’ll give you a great example. In my first year of university, my co-founder and I were living in a kind of rural area called Scarborough. Nothing really happened there — no entrepreneurship, no entrepreneurial community.”

One night, around 11:00 p.m., they sat on campus analysing expenses on a large whiteboard. They imagined what it would be like to move downtown and take a leap of faith. They made the move, stepping into a challenging environment that pushed them to grow. That decision shaped where he is today.

“People often feel like they’re not ready, not because they actually aren’t, but because of the feeling of being left out or having an inferiority complex,” he says. “They think, ‘Others are better than me. I need more skills, more experience.” I disagree. If you’re going to fail, it’s better to fail headfirst. It’s better to take huge risks.”