When conversations around IIT JEE (Indian Institute of Technology – Joint Entrance Exam) begin flooding social media, stories of relentless grind and sleepless nights are common. However, Kalpit Veerwal‘s tale stands apart. Not only did he achieve a perfect score in JEE Main 2017, but he did so on his terms, challenging the conventional wisdom that success in such exams requires sacrificing everything else in life.

While a viral snapshot of a 17-year-old’s gruelling prep schedule sparked debate on the extremes aspirants go to, Kalpit’s journey sings a different tune. Opting to stay in Udaipur over Kota’s coaching hubs, he wove his success story with a blend of regular studies, hobbies, and a belief in balance.

What to know: Kalpit’s path to acing the JEE Main with a full score — an achievement that landed him in the Limca Book of Records — was one of passion intertwined with discipline, not draconian study hours. Dismissing the viral schedule’s necessity, he shared on X, “I scored full marks in JEE Main 2017 (AIR 1) and didn’t study half as much.”

This sparked varied reactions online, with some branding him “arrogant” for downplaying another’s hard work. Yet, his narrative underscores a crucial message: success in such exams doesn’t demand sacrificing one's well-being.

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His early foray into competitive exams, egged on by a keen interest in Physics and Mathematics, laid the groundwork for his JEE Main triumph. Kalpit’s natural curiosity and extra studying meant he inadvertently covered much of the JEE syllabus well before his peers. A fortuitous brush with the ‘Theory of Relativity’ even saw him solving a direct question on it during the exam, a moment of uncertainty showcasing his learning method driven by interest rather than obligation.

Eventually choosing to pursue Computer Science Engineering at IIT Bombay, Veerwal was confident about skipping the placement drive. He was certain that he wanted to mentor others down the line and began an ed-tech venture named ‘AcadBoost', guiding thousands with his insights and experiences.

Fast forward to 2024, AcadBoost has maintained profitability each year and surpassed the $1 million (₹8.32 crore) profit mark. Having begun as a pure ed-tech venture in 2019, AcadBoost has since expanded its expertise into business consulting, AI, and software.

Remarkably, these financial accomplishments have been achieved without any external investment, relying on a lean, distributed team of freelancers, remote hires, and outsourced firms. Despite the recent downturns in the EdTech industry, AcadBoost emerged stronger, profiting from its core EdTech business till 2022 before strategically diversifying to mitigate industry risks.

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