Record-Breaking Placement: IIT-Hyderabad Student Bags ₹2.5 Crore Package, Highest Ever
Hyderabad:
Defying the slowdown in the global job market, a final-year Computer Science and Engineering student of Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) has created history by securing a ₹2.5 crore annual package, the highest ever offered to a student since the institute’s inception in 2008.
The record offer was bagged by Edward Nathan Varghese (21), who will join Optiver, a Netherlands-based global trading firm, as a Software Engineer starting July 2026.
Internship Turns into Dream Offer
Varghese secured the landmark package after successfully converting a two-month summer internship into a pre-placement offer (PPO). Notably, Optiver was the first and only company he interviewed with during the placement season.
“This was the only interview I appeared for. When my mentor told me the company was extending an offer, I was ecstatic — so were my parents,” Varghese said.
Born and raised in Hyderabad, Varghese later completed his schooling in Bengaluru from Classes 7 to 12. He credited his strong foundation in competitive programming and IIT Hyderabad’s flexible academic structure for his success.
“Since my first year, I have been deeply involved in competitive programming and ranked among the top 100 in the country. The curriculum allowed us to explore a wide range of courses, which helped a lot during interviews,” he said. Both his parents are engineers.
Global Role in the Netherlands
During the internship, two students from IITH were selected by Optiver, but only Varghese received a PPO. The internship included two weeks of intensive training followed by a six-week project, based on which the final selection was made. He will now work full-time at Optiver’s Netherlands office.
Placement Records Shattered
Apart from the ₹2.5 crore offer, another CSE student from IIT Hyderabad secured a ₹1.1 crore package, making the 2025–26 placement season the most successful in the institute’s history.
Until now, the highest package at IITH was around ₹1 crore, recorded in 2017.
Highest Packages at IIT Hyderabad (Last 3 Years):
- 2025–26: ₹2.5 crore
- 2024–25: ₹66 lakh
- 2023–24: ₹90 lakh
Average Packages Surge by 75%
The current placement season has also seen a dramatic rise in average salaries.
- Average package (2025–26): ₹36.2 lakh
- Average package (2024–25): ₹20.8 lakh
This marks an increase of nearly 75% year-on-year.
In the first phase of placements, which concluded in December, students secured 24 international offers, reflecting growing global demand for IIT Hyderabad talent.
Focus Beyond Salary Figures
Commenting on the placements, Mayur Vaidya, Faculty-in-Charge, Office of Career Services at IITH, said the institute’s priority goes beyond headline packages.
“Our goal is to ensure that every student who wants a job gets a good offer. Along with tech roles, we are also focusing on core engineering placements by giving PSUs and core companies early slots,” he said.
He added that the institute is actively engaging with more recruiters by highlighting its flexible academic calendar, interdisciplinary curriculum, and diversity of courses.
Placement Status Snapshot
- Postgraduate students:
- 196 placed out of 650
- Average package: ₹22 lakh
- Undergraduate students:
- 62% of the 487 registered students have received job offers
With Phase 2 of placements underway, more postgraduate students are expected to receive offers from domestic companies.
Big Boost for IIT Hyderabad
The historic ₹2.5 crore offer not only marks a personal milestone for Edward Nathan Varghese but also signals IIT Hyderabad’s growing stature among global recruiters, even in a challenging employment environment.
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