IIT rejected him, Meta hired him for Rs 1.7 crore: 'That rejection broke me, but it…'
Indian software engineer Amit Dutta's remarkable journey from failing the IIT entrance exam to securing jobs at Google and a Rs 1.7 crore Meta role in London proves that one setback can become the foundation of future success.
For millions of Indian students, cracking the IIT entrance exam is often considered the ultimate milestone on the road to success. But a viral story now making waves online is proving that one missed opportunity does not have to define an entire future.
Amit Dutta, an Indian software engineer now living in London, has revealed how failing to get into IIT became the turning point that changed his life.
Instead of allowing rejection to hold him back, he used it as motivation to build a career that eventually took him to some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including Google and Meta.
From facing academic disappointment to securing a Rs 1.7 crore compensation package at Meta, Dutta’s journey is inspiring students and professionals across India who fear that one setback can decide their future.
Dutta recently drew widespread attention on social media after sharing his career story through an Instagram video.
In the post, he opened up about failing to crack the IIT entrance exam in 2018, later earning a role at Google, and eventually moving to London after landing an opportunity with Meta.
His story has struck a chord with thousands online, especially students dealing with exam pressure and young professionals trying to overcome career rejections.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER HE FAILED TO CRACK IIT?
Dutta revealed that not clearing the IIT entrance exam was emotionally difficult, especially while watching classmates celebrate admissions into top engineering institutes.
He shared that in 2018, he failed to crack IIT and found himself studying at a lesser-known college while many of his peers moved into prestigious campuses.
Instead of remaining stuck in disappointment, he made a major mindset shift. He chose to stop mourning the institution he did not get into and focus on becoming a highly skilled engineer through discipline and self-improvement.
That decision, according to him, became the true starting point of his success story.
HOW DID ANOTHER REJECTION PUSH HIM FURTHER?
The next challenge came in 2021 when he applied for an internship at Microsoft. Despite weeks of preparation, he was not selected.
Reflecting on that phase, he said, “That rejection broke something in me, but it also rebuilt something.”
Rather than slowing down, the setback sharpened his focus and strengthened his determination to break into the global tech industry.
HOW DID HE REACH GOOGLE?
In 2022, his persistence paid off when he secured a full-time opportunity at Google.
For many software engineers, getting hired at Google is considered a dream milestone. But Dutta saw it as another step forward rather than the final destination. Over the next two years, he focused on performance, technical growth, and gaining international exposure through work travel, including visits to Singapore and other countries.
HOW DID META OFFER HIM A RS 1.7 CRORE JOB IN LONDON?
A fresh opportunity arrived when Meta approached him for a role in its London office. Dutta went through six rounds of interviews before being selected.
He later relocated to London after accepting the offer. According to his post, the total compensation package was worth Rs 1.7 crore annually.
He described the transformation as going from a tier-2 college that few people knew about to a life he could hardly imagine back in 2018.
Dutta’s journey highlights a lesson many students need to hear: failing one exam does not decide an entire career. While competitive exams and college rankings matter to many, long-term success often depends more on skills, consistency, resilience, and continuous learning.
His rise from rejection to global success is now being celebrated online as proof that talent and determination can create opportunities far beyond early setbacks.
CAN ONE FAILURE REALLY DEFINE SUCCESS?
Amit Dutta’s story is a reminder that career success is rarely linear. Missing IIT, facing rejection from Microsoft, and studying at a lesser-known college could have discouraged him. Instead, each setback became fuel for growth.
From failing an entrance exam to earning a Rs 1.7 crore Meta package in London, his journey sends a clear message to students everywhere: one disappointing result may hurt in the moment, but it does not have the power to define your future.