IIT Hyderabad student bags record ₹2.5 crore package

A 21-year-old computer science student at IIT Hyderabad has secured a record annual package of ₹2.5 crore, the highest ever in the institute’s placement history. The offer beats the previous top package of around ₹1 crore, which was recorded in 2017.

The student, Edward Nathan Varghese, is a final-year B.Tech candidate who will join Netherlands-based trading firm Optiver as a software engineer in July. The job is based in the Netherlands and was offered through campus placements. IIT Hyderabad was established in 2008.

Big jump in IIT Hyderabad placements in 2025

The record offer comes during a strong placement season for IIT Hyderabad. According to institute data, the average salary rose by nearly 75 percent, from ₹20.8 lakh in 2024 to ₹36.2 lakh in 2025, despite a generally slow job market.

In the first phase of placements, which ended in December, students received 24 international offers across various branches. Another computer science student also crossed the ₹1 crore mark this year with a package of ₹1.1 crore.

Internship led to ₹2.5 crore offer

Varghese’s high-paying job followed a two-month summer internship at Optiver. The internship included two weeks of training and a six-week project. Of the two interns shortlisted, Varghese was the only one to receive a pre-placement offer.

Speaking to Times of India, he said Optiver was the only company he interviewed with during placements. He described the moment as life-changing and said his parents were equally happy when he learned about the offer.

IIT tag, coding skills helped

Varghese, who was born in Hyderabad and studied in Bengaluru from Class 7 to 12, said he was confident despite the job slowdown. He credited the IIT tag, strong coding practice and competitive programming experience for his success.

He also praised IIT Hyderabad’s flexible curriculum, which allowed students to take a wide range of courses. Varghese said this academic structure helped him perform well in interviews.

Focus beyond top salaries

Commenting on the placement season, Mayur Vaidya, faculty in charge of the Office of Career Services, said the institute focuses on providing good opportunities to all students, not just high salary packages.

He added that IIT Hyderabad gives early placement slots to public sector units and core engineering firms to support students from non-software branches. In Phase 2, more postgraduate students are expected to get domestic offers in manufacturing, research and technology services.

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Placement numbers so far

So far, 196 out of 650 postgraduate students have been placed with an average package of ₹22 lakh. Among undergraduates, 62 percent of registered students have already received offers. These numbers are expected to improve as Phase 2 continues into early 2026.

Recent highest packages at IIT Hyderabad show how exceptional the ₹2.5 crore offer is. While the top package stood at ₹66 lakh in 2024–25 and ₹90 lakh in 2023–24, the latest figure marks a major jump.

With record salaries, higher average packages and more international offers, IIT Hyderabad’s 2025 placement season has emerged as one of its strongest so far.

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