IIT Hyderabad Student Sets Record with Rs 2.5 Crore International Job Offer
Edward Nathan Varghese secures Rs 2.5 crore offer from Optiver, setting a record for IIT Hyderabad amid cautious hiring.
In a historic placement milestone, a 21-year-old student from the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) has received a record-breaking international job offer of Rs 2.5 crore per annum. The achievement comes at a time when campus hiring has slowed across the country, making it a standout moment for the institute.
Edward Nathan Varghese, a final-year BTech student in computer science engineering, has been offered a software engineering role at global trading firm Optiver, based in the Netherlands. What makes this opportunity particularly remarkable is that it came through a pre-placement offer (PPO) following a summer internship, rather than the conventional long list of campus interviews. Varghese will join the firm full-time starting July this year.
According to IITH officials, this is the highest salary package ever recorded for the institute, surpassing the previous record of around Rs 1 crore set in 2017. “This was the first and only company I interviewed for. I was ecstatic when my mentor indicated that the firm would be extending me an offer. So were my parents,” Varghese told TOI, sharing the excitement of receiving the PPO.
Born and raised in Hyderabad, Varghese completed his schooling in Bengaluru from Class 7 to Class 12. He credits a combination of early preparation and campus exposure for helping him secure the offer despite a cautious hiring environment. “I knew that the IIT tag would draw companies to our campus and that the effect of the present job market would be minimal,” he explained, adding that his passion for competitive programming since the first year of engineering played a crucial role. “Since first year of engineering, I was into competitive programming and among the top 100 in the country. That too helped me crack the interview.”
Varghese’s success has also shone a positive light on the institute’s overall placement scenario this year. Another computer science student from IITH secured a package of Rs 1.1 crore, raising the upper ceiling for offers on campus.
The 2025 placement season has marked a significant rebound for IITH overall. The average salary package for the year has risen by about 75% compared to 2024, increasing from Rs 20.8 lakh to Rs 36.2 lakh. During the first phase of placements, 24 students received international offers, indicating strong global opportunities for IITH graduates.
Institute officials emphasized that while headline packages grab attention, the broader focus remains on consistent and equitable outcomes for all students. “More than packages, our target is to ensure that all students who want to get placed receive a good offer,” said Mayur Vaidya, faculty-in-charge at the Office of Career Services. Early placement slots have also been allocated to PSUs and core engineering firms to enhance opportunities for non-tech students.
As the placement process moves into its second phase, postgraduate students continue to receive offers, with 196 out of 650 PG students already placed, achieving an average package of Rs 22 lakh. Among undergraduates, approximately 62% of 487 registered students have secured placements so far, reinforcing IITH’s growing reputation for producing highly sought-after talent.
