When 20-year-old Rithuparna KS walked out of her NEET exam room a few years ago, she believed her dreams had hit a wall.

Today, she’s headed to the jet engine manufacturing unit of the iconic UK-based company Rolls-Royce, with an eye-popping ₹72.2 lakh annual salary and the title of being the youngest woman in the organisation, Deccan Herald reported.
As reported by the publication, life hasn’t been smooth sailing for Rithuparna. After failing to secure a merit seat in MBBS, she briefly considered preparing for the UPSC. But on her father’s advice, she pivoted to engineering, a move that would quietly lay the foundation for something extraordinary.
She enrolled in Robotics and Automation at Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management (SCEM) in Adyar, where exposure to senior students’ projects sparked her fascination with automation and machine design. It didn’t take long for her curiosity to turn into ambition, the report added.
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With a friend, she began building innovative projects, including a detachable robot for arecanut pesticide spraying and harvesting, that earned them medals at an international conference in Goa, where they competed against participants from Singapore, Japan, China, and Russia.
{{/usCountry}}With a friend, she began building innovative projects, including a detachable robot for arecanut pesticide spraying and harvesting, that earned them medals at an international conference in Goa, where they competed against participants from Singapore, Japan, China, and Russia.
{{/usCountry}}Her academic record and hands-on experience helped her land an internship at Rolls-Royce, a feat she kept secret from her parents until the offer was confirmed.
“My academic milestones, projects, and rigorous interviews helped me get an internship with the Rolls-Royce Company,” she said according to DH.
Initially offered a salary of ₹39.58 lakh, her package was later revised to ₹72.2 lakh after she was recognised for her contributions during the internship.
Beyond her resume, Rithuparna is part of the Dakshina Kannada DC Fellowship, where she was selected among the top 15 students tasked with solving real-world problems.
Her message to young aspirants is both direct and grounded, “Youth today have big dreams, yet they only give their 50 per cent instead of 200 per cent to achieve what it takes to be successful,” she said according to the report.
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