An Indian techie currently based in London has sparked conversations online after sharing his journey from failing to crack IIT to landing a high-paying role abroad. Taking to Instagram, the man identified as Amit Dutta posted a video recounting his struggles, setbacks and eventual success.
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In the caption, he wrote, “In 2018, I failed to crack IIT. I watched my classmates post their IIT acceptances while I sat in a campus that most people had never heard of.” Reflecting on that phase, he added, “But I made a decision that changed everything. I stopped mourning the college I didn’t get and started becoming the engineer no college could take credit for.”
Rejections that reshaped his path
Dutta recalled facing another setback in 2021 when he interviewed for a Microsoft internship. “I prepared for weeks and gave it everything, but I was rejected. That rejection broke something in me, but it also rebuilt something,” he said, adding that he chose to try again with greater determination.
His persistence paid off in 2022 when he secured a full-time role at Google. “I could have coasted, most people do, but I had a chip on my shoulder the size of that IIT rejection letter,” he wrote. Over the next two years, he focused on upskilling and growth, which led to opportunities such as an international business trip to Singapore and visits to multiple countries.
{{/usCountry}}His persistence paid off in 2022 when he secured a full-time role at Google. “I could have coasted, most people do, but I had a chip on my shoulder the size of that IIT rejection letter,” he wrote. Over the next two years, he focused on upskilling and growth, which led to opportunities such as an international business trip to Singapore and visits to multiple countries.
{{/usCountry}}“The kid who couldn’t crack IIT was now solving problems across continents,” he noted.
London move and big breakthrough
The turning point came when Meta approached him for a role in its London office. “Six rounds, the hardest interviews of my life, and I cleared all six,” Dutta shared. He eventually moved to London with a reported salary of ₹1.7 crore, a milestone he once believed was out of reach.
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“I moved to London with a 1.7 crore salary, going from a tier-2 college nobody had heard of to a life I couldn’t have even imagined in 2018,” he wrote.
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The video has drawn a wave of reactions online, with many users relating to his journey and sharing their thoughts. One user wrote, “This is the kind of story every student needs to hear.” Another commented, “Proof that IIT is not the only path to success.” A third added, “Your mindset matters more than your college name.”
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Others echoed similar sentiments, with one saying, “Rejections really do redirect you to better things,” while another wrote, “Hard work and consistency always win in the long run.” One more user remarked, “This gave me hope after my own failures,” and another added, “Respect for not giving up despite setbacks.”
HT.com has reached out to the user for his comments, and the copy will be updated once his response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)