48% in Class 5 to ₹2.5 Crore at 26: 9 Lessons from Tejesh Vaish's Real Story
A week after Tejesh Vaish joined us on the Codersarts Podcast to talk about AI coding agents, his story was everywhere. More than 250 news articles ran some version of the same headline: a Lucknow sweet seller's son who scored 48% in Class 5, made it to IIT Kanpur and now earns ₹2.5 crore a year at 26. Outlets including Prabhat Khabar and Kerala Kaumudi covered it.
Then the emails started. Hundreds of them, from JEE aspirants, college students and working professionals asking about IIT, AI careers and whether their jobs are safe.
So we brought Tejesh back and asked him to answer his own headlines on camera: what is true, what is half true, and what every article missed. This post covers what he told us, and the lessons any student can take from it, whether or not they ever sit for JEE.
Watch the full episode
1. A headline compresses a whole life into one line
Tejesh didn't know the articles had been published. He noticed because LinkedIn connection requests suddenly poured in, and then a former senior colleague messaged him: "You're on the news."
His first reaction was not excitement. He was a little scared, because his compensation had been made public without his knowledge. He also felt that years of effort had been squeezed into a single title. What followed, though, was support from his family, friends, community and a large number of students.
What it means for you: Viral success stories show the result, not the years behind it. Read them for the process, not the number.
2. Fact check: "Leads an AI company in Dubai"
Half true. Tejesh does not own the company. His title is lead engineer, and he leads the company's engineering. In practice that means end-to-end responsibility for its products:
Deciding what to build and doing product research
Prototyping, development and deployment
Building infrastructure, tools and skills for AI agents that process large amounts of data
Enabling the whole team to work with AI
Talking to customers and helping with sales, outreach, marketing and go-to-market
The company builds AI agents for e-commerce, and Tejesh joined as a founding member.
What it means for you: At a startup, a "lead engineer" role is far wider than writing code. The engineers who grow fastest are the ones who also understand customers, sales and product.
3. Fact check: "Earns ₹2.5 crore a year"
True, with context the headlines left out. Tejesh explained that:
It is an international offer figure. He works in Dubai and may move to the US next year.
It combines base salary and equity. As a founding member leading engineering, he holds significant equity, and converted to rupees that adds up to a large number.
It is not ₹2.5 crore divided by 12. The monthly salary is not what most readers assumed.
Dubai has no income tax, which does make the figure work harder.
What it means for you: Startup packages often mix cash and equity. Before comparing offers, ask how much is base salary, how much is equity and when the equity vests.
4. The truth behind "48% in Class 5"
True. As a young student, Tejesh struggled. A teacher once suggested he might not be fit for his class. He found English hard, and most subjects other than maths were a battle. Maths was the exception: even in the year he scored 48% overall, his maths marks were close to full.
He also spent most of his free time on competitive video games. On weekends he would wake at 5 a.m. and play until evening, often against older and more experienced family members, and he held his own. He believes that is where his problem-solving ability came from.
His marks then climbed steadily: about 60%, 70% and 75% in the following years, 94% in Class 10 and 95% in Class 12, where he topped his school.
What it means for you: Early marks measure where you are, not where you can go. Look for the one subject or skill where you're already strong, and build from there.
5. Discovering IIT late, and learning that talent isn't enough
Tejesh didn't know much about IIT until Class 11. After he topped his class in the half-yearly exams, people suggested he try JEE. He joined a coaching institute halfway through Class 11, when the syllabus was already well ahead. Two days later there was a test, and he finished in the top three without having studied those JEE-level topics.
That showed him his potential, but it also made him overconfident. He went to school in the morning and coaching in the evening, and played video games at night. He skipped mock tests and practice questions, believing he was smart enough not to need them.
The result: he qualified in his first attempt with a rank in the 10,000s, enough for an IIT seat, but he knew it didn't reflect what he could do.
What it means for you: Being smart gets you started. Practice and mock tests are what convert ability into a rank.
6. The drop year: 6 hours of classes, then study until midnight
Tejesh turned down that first result and took a drop year at Resonance in Lucknow. He couldn't study well at home, so on day one he told the coaching centre he would stay there all day.
His routine:
5–6 a.m.: wake up and leave immediately. His mother packed two boxes, breakfast and lunch, which he ate between classes.
About six hours of continuous classes.
2 p.m. to around midnight: self-study in the coaching centre's basement. He had an agreement with the security guard to stay after the centre closed.
He kept this up for months. He scored in the 99.9 percentile in JEE, cracked other entrance exams including BITSAT and VITEEE, secured an All India Rank of 9 in UPSEE, and joined IIT Kanpur's Computer Science and Engineering department.
Looking back, he calls the drop a risky decision. Most people with an IIT seat in hand should take it, he said, and keep working hard inside IIT. In his case, though, he believes he wouldn't be where he is today without that year.
What it means for you: A drop year is a high-stakes bet, not a default. It works when you know exactly what went wrong the first time and can change your environment and routine to fix it.
7. Scholarships made coaching and IIT affordable
Money was a real constraint. His father still runs a sweet shop, and Tejesh helped there between roughly Class 5 and Class 9. Doing well in studies felt like a necessity, not an option, and he says that pressure pushed him to work harder in Classes 9 and 10.
Two scholarships made the path possible:
Coaching: a scholarship of around 90%, which brought his fees down to a small amount.
IIT Kanpur: merit-based scholarships tied to his CGPA, which waived a large part of his tuition and made the costs manageable for his family.
What it means for you: Strong marks don't just get you admission; they unlock scholarships. If cost is a barrier, ask every coaching centre and college about merit scholarships before deciding.
8. From IIT Kanpur to Abacus.AI, Simbian and leading AI engineering
At IIT Kanpur, Tejesh practically lived in the Rajeev Motwani building, home of the CSE department. He studied there by day and often slept there at night. His grades followed.
During college he did multiple internships, projects and research, and earned around ₹10 lakh through internship work before graduating. His career since then:
Placement: an infrastructure engineering offer from Squarepoint Capital, which he turned down to join a startup.
Abacus.AI: machine learning platform engineer, leading the connectors team, building integrations that process multiple terabytes of data a day. He says the company's revenue grew about 4x during his time there.
Simbian: led the platform team, building backend products that now serve 300+ enterprise customers, during a period of 4–5x revenue growth.
Current AI startup in Dubai: founding member leading engineering for AI agents.
How did he get these opportunities? He's honest that the IIT tag helped. It combined with a strong resume, self-built projects, and DSA skills from LeetCode and competitive programming. He mostly reached out to people himself.
What it means for you: Every role he got came from a mix of signals: a credential, projects you can show, and problem-solving you can prove in an interview. You control at least two of the three.
9. Can you build an AI career without an IIT degree?
Yes. Tejesh was clear that IIT helped him enormously, and if you can get in, you should. But it isn't the end of the world if you don't. He knows many people from non-IIT colleges earning multi-crore packages at leading companies; they simply put in the hard work later.
His advice for students who want an AI career today:
Learn what is in demand now: Python, AI agents and RAG pipelines.
Build projects and show them publicly on LinkedIn and X, so the world knows you exist and what you can do.
Use free and online options: NPTEL courses and IIT online degrees teach the same content from the same professors.
Do the simple things consistently: wake up early, eat well, exercise. Doing one hard thing well teaches you that you can do others.
Have pillars outside your work, such as family, faith or meditation. For him, it was his family and his faith.
Believe that talent is created, not born. He was once called dumb. The brain adapts, and sustained effort makes you smarter.
His closing message to students: keep a positive attitude, make the most of what you've been given, and be hardworking, diligent and disciplined. Effort is never wasted; it pays off today or tomorrow.
What it means for you: The degree opens doors faster, but projects, visibility and discipline open them too. Start building now, wherever you study.
Student career checklist from Tejesh's journey
Stage | Question to ask yourself | Good answer |
School (Class 5–10) | Where am I already strong? | One subject or skill I can build confidence on |
Class 11–12 | Am I practising, or only attending classes? | Regular mock tests and question practice every week |
After JEE results | Should I take a drop year? | Only if I know what went wrong and can change my routine and environment |
Funding | Have I checked every scholarship? | Coaching and college merit scholarships applied for |
College | What can I show beyond my CGPA? | Internships, projects, research and DSA practice |
AI skills | Am I learning what companies use today? | Python, AI agents and RAG, with working projects |
Visibility | Can a recruiter find my work? | Projects published on GitHub, LinkedIn and X |
Mindset | Am I consistent on ordinary days? | Daily habits I keep, not bursts of motivation |
What's coming next
Tejesh received questions from three main groups: JEE and IIT aspirants, college students, and working professionals worried that AI will take their jobs. In the next episodes we will group those questions and answer them, including JEE preparation, the AI/ML roadmap and how to get into good companies.
Have a question you want answered? Leave it in the comments on the YouTube video.
Build real AI skills with Codersarts Labs
Tejesh's advice comes down to this: learn what is in demand, build real projects and show your work. Codersarts Labs is built for exactly that.
Project-based AI courses: build AI agents, RAG applications and production-ready systems, not just notebooks.
Resume and portfolio projects: projects designed to give you strong resume lines and a GitHub profile recruiters notice.
Tracks for every stage: students, career switchers and working engineers moving into AI.
Guided options: learn with mentor support instead of on your own.
Explore courses: https://labs.codersarts.com/products
Talk to us about your learning path:https://labs.codersarts.com/contact
Connect with Tejesh Vaish
Tejesh Vaish is an IIT Kanpur Computer Science graduate who leads engineering at an AI startup in Dubai, building AI agents for e-commerce. He previously worked at Abacus.AI and Simbian, and built HomeoAI, an AI assistant used by 1,400+ doctors, on his own.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejeshvaish/
Website: https://www.tejeshvaish.com/
HomeoAI: https://www.homeo-ai.com/
FAQ
Who is Tejesh Vaish?
Tejesh Vaish is a 26-year-old IIT Kanpur Computer Science graduate from Lucknow who leads engineering at an AI startup in Dubai. He previously worked at Abacus.AI and Simbian, and built HomeoAI, an AI assistant for homeopathic doctors. His journey from 48% in Class 5 to IIT Kanpur was covered by more than 250 news articles.
Does Tejesh Vaish really earn ₹2.5 crore a year?
The figure is an international offer that combines base salary and significant equity, since he is a founding member leading engineering. It is not ₹2.5 crore paid as monthly salary. He works in Dubai, where there is no income tax.
How did Tejesh Vaish get into IIT Kanpur?
He qualified for IIT in his first JEE attempt with a rank in the 10,000s, then took a drop year at Resonance in Lucknow. He attended about six hours of classes daily and self-studied until around midnight, scored in the 99.9 percentile and joined IIT Kanpur CSE.
Is a drop year for JEE worth it?
Tejesh calls his drop year risky and says most students with an IIT seat should take it. A drop year makes sense only when you know exactly what went wrong in your first attempt and can change your routine and environment to fix it.
Can I build an AI career without an IIT degree?
Yes. Tejesh says IIT helps but isn't essential. Learn in-demand skills such as Python, AI agents and RAG, build projects, publish your work on LinkedIn and X, and use resources like NPTEL and IIT online degrees.
What skills should students learn for an AI engineering career?
Start with Python, data structures and algorithms, and core computer science. Then build projects with AI agents and RAG pipelines, and learn how to deploy them.
Which company does Tejesh Vaish work for?
Tejesh Vaish leads engineering at an AI startup in Dubai that builds AI agents for e-commerce. He joined as a founding member and is responsible for its products end to end, from architecture and deployment to working with customers.
What did Tejesh Vaish do at Abacus.AI and Simbian?
At Abacus.AI, he was a machine learning platform engineer leading the connectors team, building integrations that process multiple terabytes of data a day. At Simbian, he led the platform team, building backend products that now serve 300+ enterprise customers.
How many hours did Tejesh Vaish study for JEE?
In his drop year, he attended about six hours of classes a day, then self-studied from around 2 p.m. until midnight at his coaching centre. The routine worked for him because he couldn't study well at home, so he changed his environment as well as his hours.
How did Tejesh Vaish get a scholarship for JEE coaching?
He received a scholarship of around 90% on his coaching fees, which brought the cost down to a small amount. At IIT Kanpur, merit-based scholarships linked to his CGPA covered a large part of his tuition.
How did Tejesh Vaish get internships during college?
He reached out to people directly. A strong resume, self-built projects, DSA practice through LeetCode and competitive programming, and the IIT Kanpur CSE degree got him interviews. He earned around ₹10 lakh from internships before graduating.
Will AI replace software engineering jobs?
Many working professionals asked Tejesh this, and we will answer it in a coming episode. Engineers who learn to build with AI agents and RAG, and who can design and ship whole systems, are the ones companies are hiring. Codersarts Labs teaches these skills through real projects: https://labs.codersarts.com/products
How can I ask Tejesh Vaish a question?
Leave your question in the comments on the YouTube episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5qb3EwRwaM). We are grouping the most common questions on JEE preparation, the AI/ML roadmap and getting jobs at good companies, and will answer them in upcoming episodes.
Codersarts Labs offers project-based AI courses for students at https://labs.codersarts.com/products.
Watch the full conversation with Tejesh on the Codersarts Podcast
Want to be a guest on the Codersarts Podcast? Email jitendra@codersarts.com with your name, role and the topic you'd like to talk about.
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