Let’s be real—brutal, though. Not everyone makes it into IIT; some drop out after getting in. The IIT JEE is one of the toughest exams in India, and students pour hours and years into preparing for it. Therefore, cracking the IIT JEE is no small feat—the competition grows tougher each year.
Success isn’t limited to one path. Just look at people like Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, the Nobel Prize winner, or OYO’s Ritesh Agarwal—they didn’t follow the IIT path all the way through and still made it big. Want to know more about them and how they have written their story of non-IIT triumph?
1. Prashant Bhushan
Prashant Bhushan, a well-known lawyer and politician, dropped out of IIT Madras in his first semester. He later pursued law at Allahabad University. The son of a prominent lawyer and activist, Bhushan was also actively involved in the India Against Corruption movement and played a key role in supporting Anna Hazare’s push for the Jan Lokpal Bill. He also co-founded the Aam Aadmi Party.
2. Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan didn’t make it into IIT and couldn’t pass the entrance exam for Christian Medical College, Vellore. Instead, he pursued a BSc in Physics from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, and the rest is history. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking research on the atomic structure of the ribosome in 2009. He was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2010.
3. Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest person since 2008, had initially cleared the IIT-JEE and joined IIT Bombay. However, shortly after, he left IIT-B to pursue his interest in Chemical Engineering at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai. This shift happened just weeks after the IIT results were announced.
4. Ritesh Agarwal
Ritesh Agarwal’s journey didn’t begin at an IIT. In fact, he didn’t clear the entrance exam. But what he did have was hustle. Growing up in Odisha, where his family ran a small shop, he began selling SIM cards in the 8th grade. By the age of 19, he had founded OYO and earned a spot in the prestigious Thiel Fellowship in 2013. Today, he stands among India’s youngest billionaires.
5. Gopichand
Gopichand didn’t get into IIT—and that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He poured his energy into badminton and, in 2001, became the second Indian to win the All England Open. A public administration graduate from AV College, Hyderabad, he now coaches India’s national badminton team. His contributions to the sport have earned him the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, and Arjuna Award.