Techie failed to get into IIT. Today, he’s settled in the US and owns a home

He did not clear the IIT entrance exam on his first attempt. Instead of allowing that disappointment to define his future, he treated it as a temporary setback. Years later, he became the owner of a home in Illinois, a milestone that once felt unimaginable. Reflecting on his life journey with The Humans of Bombay, Veeraj Gadda recounted how persistence reshaped his destiny.

Raised in a modest middle-class household in Dadar, Mumbai, Veeraj grew up watching his father work tirelessly. His father did not possess a formal college degree and managed a tiny furniture shop measuring barely four by four feet. Despite limited means, he carried an ambitious vision: all three of his children would pursue postgraduate education. To turn that aspiration into reality, he labored from early morning until late at night every single day, determined to provide quality schooling for his family. However, life did not unfold according to plan.

Veeraj was unable to secure admission into IIT. Later, during his engineering program, while classmates celebrated campus recruitment offers, he faced repeated disappointment, failing to receive even one placement opportunity. For the first time, he felt he had fallen short of his family’s expectations.


Yet his parents refused to give up on him. They took a substantial loan of forty lakh rupees to finance his master’s education in the United States. He arrived there burdened by self-doubt, average academic performance, and limited technical expertise. His first semester grades were underwhelming, and he struggled to keep pace. After one exam, he overheard peers discussing job prospects, and when his name surfaced, someone remarked that his low scores and lack of skills would prevent him from securing employment. The comment deeply affected him.

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With only ninety days remaining on his visa and no job offer, he reached his lowest point. Determined to change his circumstances, he studied up to fourteen hours daily, submitted countless applications, and endured continuous rejection. Though discouragement often crept in, he pushed himself to attempt one more application each time.

On the seventy-first day of his job search, he traveled to New York for an interview involving four rigorous rounds. Shortly afterward, he received an offer. Today, he serves as a manager at a multinational corporation and has completely repaid his education loan. One of his proudest achievements was inviting his parents to the United States and welcoming them into his own house. Now, he mentors aspiring students seeking international education, believing that accomplishment becomes more meaningful when shared with others.