For many students, getting into the sacred walls of IIT is a dream in itself. But for others, it is just the first step toward creating an unimaginable success story. From top-notch CEOs to renowned scientists, from young entrepreneurs to quirky entertainers, successful IIT alumni have inspired generations of students.
So, here are India's most successful IITans around the world-
1. SUNDAR PICHAI- CEO, ALPHABET, AND GOOGLE
He completed his B.Tech in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1993. But he was a largely shy student who went on to top his batch.
Born: Pichai Sundararajan June 10, 1972 Madurai, Tamil
Nadu, India
Qualification: IIT Kharagpur (BTech) Stanford University (MS)
University of Pennsylvania (MBA)
Known For: CEO of Alphabet and Google
His professors remember him fondly…..
“Normally, toppers join academics, but Sundar choose a different path, and he
excelled to the pinnacle of success”- Prof. Sanat Kr Roy (26 Jan 2017)
2. RAGHURAM RAJAN-
ECONOMIST
He completed his B.Tech in
electrical engineering from IIT Delhi in 1985. He then did an MBA from IIM
Ahmedabad. He finished with a gold medal in both institutes and would later
serve as governor of India’s Reserve Bank.
Born: 3 February 1963 Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Qualification: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (B.Tech) Indian
Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (MBA) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(Ph.D.)
Known For: 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, 15th
Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, 7th Chief Economist of the
International Monetary Fund
He values his IIT days immensely… “I learned
what it took to succeed in the fiercest environments. Very hard work,
friendship, boatloads of luck.”- Raghuram Rajan( 31 Oct 2015)
3. VINOD KHOSLA- VENTURE
CAPITALIST
After B.Tech in electrical
engineering from IIT Delhi in 1976. He became the co-founder of American tech
firm SUN MICROSYSTEMS which created the Java programming language.
Born: 28 January 1955 New Delhi, India
Qualification: IIT Delhi (BTech) Carnegie Mellon University (MS)
Stanford University (MBA)
Known For: Co-founder of Sun Microsystems Founder of Khosla
Ventures
He values his IIT days immensely… “IIT Delhi was just a beautiful experience for me. What I learned
at IIT Delhi was to think a certain way. When you get a very diverse education, it built lots of different models in my head and I think that has really served me my whole life.”- Vinod Khosla
4. DEEPINDER GOYAL-
FOUNDER AND CEO OF ZOMATO
He graduated from IIT Delhi
in 2005 where he did his M.Tech in mathematics and computing.
“The one thing that IIT Delhi taught me was
how to get things done. My biggest takeaways are focus, persistence, and
follow-through.”
Born: 26 Jan, 1983 in Muktsar, Punjab, India
Known For: Founder and CEO of ZomatoQualification: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (B.Tech)
But in2015, he was miffed
with his alma mater after they refused to give Zomato. A day-one slot at campus
recruitment.
“Campus placements in India
are broken. Placement cells optimize only for money. Growth, stops, quality of
work is secondary.”- Deepinder Goyal
5. NR NARAYAN MURTHY-
FOUNDER OF INFOSYS
He graduated from IIT Kanpur
in 1969 with a master's degree in engineering. He had earlier completed his
B.Tech from the University of Mysore, despite passing the IIT exams because his
father could not afford the course fee.
Born: 20 August 1946 Shidlaghatta, Karnataka, British
India
Qualification: National Institute of Engineering IIT Kanpur
Known For: Chairman Emeritus, Infosys
6. CHETAN BHAGAT- AUTHOR
He graduated from IIT Delhi
in 1995 with a B.Tech in mechanical engineering. He followed this up with an
MBA from IIM Ahmedabad in 1997.
Born: Chetan Prakash Bhagat 22 April 1974 Delhi, India
Qualification: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (B.Tech)
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (PGP)
Known For: Auther- Five Point Someone, 2 States: The Story of My
Marriage, The 3 Mistakes of My Life, Half Girlfriend
His time at IIT Delhi
inspired his debut novel, Five Point Someone. This was later
adapted into the Bollywood film 3 idiots. “The good thing about IIT,
which I liked you have to stay in a hostel, so it was kind of nice.”- Chetan
Bhagat.
7. SACHIN BANSAL- CEO OF NAVI
He completed his B.Tech in
Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Delhi in 2005. In his first attempt, his rank had not fetched him a seat. But he made amends with his second attempt
and went on to meet fellow student Binny Bansal on campus. The two friends
launched Flipkart in 2007.
Born: August 5, 1981, Chandigarh, India
Qualification: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Known For: Co-founder, former CEO, and chairman of Flipkart
“They were willing to
observe, and have a slightly different perspective. Asking questions was
probably the most important quality they had.”- Prof SN Maheswari, IIT Delhi
(21 April,20016)
8. ROHIT BANSAL- CO
FOUNDER OF SNAPDEAL
He graduated from IIT Delhi
with a Master's in Computer Sciences. He hails from a small town in Punjab and
was one of the first students from there to study in an IIT. He even declined the
first job offer he got. To start his own firm, Snapdeal.
Born: Malout, Muktsar district, Punjab, India
Qualification: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Known For: co-founder of Snapdeal
9. JITENDRA KUMAR- ACTOR
He graduated from IIT
Kharagpur in 2012 with a B.Tech in Civil Engineering. Unable to pursue his
chosen subject because of a low rank, he struggled academically. He took up
an active role in College Theatre and became governor of the Dramatics Society
there. He went on to win a Filmfare award and also speak out against India’s
education system.
Born: 1 September 1990 Khairthal, Alwar, Rajasthan, India
Qualification: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Known For: Acting- Kota Factory, TVF Pitchers, Shubh Mangal
Zyada Saavdhan, Panchayat (TV series), Gone Kesh, Chaman Bahaar
“IIT is not the end of the
world and students should not stress because of it.”- Jitendra Kumar (8
July 2019)
10. BHAVISH AGARWAL- CO
FOUNDER OF OLA CABS
He graduated from IIT Bombay
in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
Born: 28 August 1985 Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Qualification: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Known For: Co-founder and CEO of Ola Cabs
0 Comments