Despite securing the 64th rank in the prestigious IIT-JEE Advanced examination, when journalists interviewed a 17-year-old Mohan Abhyas, he humbly suggested others for recognition, highlighting his modesty despite his remarkable achievements. Now 24, Abhyas, based out of Palo Alto, California works at Rubrik, a company that specializes in cloud data management and security.

What to know: Raised in a modest home in Kukatpally, Hyderabad, where his family runs a small samosa business, Abhyas’ background is as humble as his demeanour.

From an early age, Abhyas contributed to his family's livelihood, helping to prepare samosas that his father would sell street by street. However, as his academic demands intensified, he ceased this assistance to focus on his studies, often staying late at school to study, a necessity given the cramped quarters and bustling environment of his home.

See also: ‘Indian Warren Buffett’ On How Patels Came To Control 70% Of Motels In US

His academic journey has been nothing short of inspirational. Beyond his IIT-JEE success, Abhyas topped the Andhra Pradesh EAMCET and scored impressively in the Telangana EAMCET. Despite these achievements, he remains focused on the bigger picture — improving his family's living conditions and automating their business to ease their physical burden.

Fast forward, Abhyas achieved his dream of studying at IIT Mumbai and although he didn’t quite become a scientist as he once aspired to be, he did become a pretty good software engineer, graduating with a remarkable GPA of 9.84, ranking 3rd in his department.

Abhyas’ incredible story is not just about academic excellence but also about resilience, family, and humble beginnings and a beacon of hope for aspiring students everywhere.

Read next: How This Man Who Scored 39% In Boards Made It To IIT And A Top Engineering Role In Sweden