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From ₹3k family income to ₹1.5 crore package: Know IIT Bombay graduate Shashank Agrawal's inspiring journey

Shashank's journey from securing AIR 20 in IIT JEE to graduating from IIT Bombay and reportedly earning a package of over ₹1.5 crore is inspiring. Read on.

Published on: Sep 30, 2026, 11:27:47 IST
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Dedication, devotion and determination—following these three principles can change the course of a person’s life. Shashank Agrawal’s journey is a testament to this. With a dedication to keep improving, a devotion to turning his goals into reality, and a determination to succeed despite challenges, Shashank achieved milestones that many students dream of.

Shashank Agarwal (LinkedIn)
Shashank Agarwal (LinkedIn)

From coming from a financially constrained family to securing AIR 20 in JEE Advanced, graduating from IIT Bombay and reportedly earning a package of over ₹1.5 crore, his journey reflects the power of perseverance and hard work.

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Early life

Shashank’s life has not been easy since his childhood. His father earned around ₹3,000 a month, which led to financial challenges during his early years. With limited family income, meeting even basic needs was often difficult. However, his parents remained committed to his education and ensured that financial constraints did not impede his studies. Shashank, too, turned his education into his biggest strength. An academically bright student from a young age, he understood early on that education could be a pathway to a better future for himself and his family, Live Hindustan reported.

From JEE Advanced AIR 20 to IIT Bombay

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While studying at IIT Bombay, he also worked on coding and technical projects, building skills that later helped him explore opportunities in the technology and quantitative finance sectors.

Building a career beyond IIT

Shashank secured an internship with A.P.T. Portfolio Pvt. Ltd. during his BTech. He later joined quantitative trading firm Quadeye, where he worked in roles including systems engineer and quantitative strategist.

He currently works as an Analyst at Zanskar Corporation, where his reported annual compensation is ₹1.5 crore. According to the TOI report, his pre-tax compensation includes a ₹55 lakh base salary and around ₹50 lakh in variable pay or performance bonus. The remaining component brings his total reported CTC to ₹1.5 crore.

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Shashank takes home around ₹8.75 lakh per month.

For students preparing for competitive examinations such as JEE, his journey highlights the importance of setting ambitious goals, staying consistent with preparation and making the most of opportunities after entering a premier institution.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Papri Chanda

Papri Chanda is the Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital. With over 12 years of experience as an education journalist, she has worked across multiple media platforms, building deep expertise in education policy, examinations, and higher education systems. In her current role, Papri manages the day-to-day editorial work for the education beat. She plans daily content, decides story priorities, and oversees breaking-news coverage in a fast-moving digital newsroom. She works closely with reporters to ensure stories are accurate, timely, and meet editorial standards. Papri plays a key role during major exam cycles, CBSE and state board exam results, and policy announcements. Her work focuses on covering India’s education system, including the Ministry of Education, UGC, CBSE, NEET, JEE, CUET, and important higher-education policy changes. Prior to joining Hindustan Times Digital, Papri served as Correspondent – Education at Times Now Digital, where she delivered high-volume breaking news under intense newsroom deadlines and conducted interviews with key policymakers and academic leaders. Earlier, at Dainik Jagran, she independently managed the education and careers vertical, leading coverage of competitive exams, government jobs, and admission cycles, while mentoring junior writers and streamlining editorial workflows. Papri holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Burdwan. Outside work, she enjoys travelling, reading, experimenting with new recipes, and exploring diverse cuisines.

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