What are JEE Toppers Doing Now?
JEE toppers of recent and past times are high achievers, working on their journey to progress and flourish. Let’s look at the stories of a few of these excellers and draw inspiration from their persevering spirit.
JEE toppers grab headlines and the attention of all around every year. But beyond the immediate results, what are these high achievers doing now? What choices do they make after cracking JEE with the best scores? Do they follow the path to IIT admission or skip it for something big?
This stats-based data talks about current trends and what past toppers (2010-2015 or earlier) are doing now.
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Recent Toppers (2024-25): Shifting Trends & Unconventional Moves
Here’s what we know about the recent JEE toppers and where they are now:
Devesh Bhaiya (AIR 8, JEE Advanced 2025) made headlines by opting for MIT (USA) instead of joining any IIT. The reason they stated was better academic & career opportunities overseas. (Source: The Economic Times )
RK Shishir, topper in 2022, chose IISc, Bangalore, for BTech in Mathematics and Computer Science instead of a standard branch at IIT. This decision showcases the increasing appeal of research-heavy institutions even for engineering toppers. (Source: The Indian Express )
Another example is Kalpit Veerwal (All-India No. 1 in JEE Main 2017); he studied CSE at IIT Bombay but skipped the placement drives, choosing to build his own startup instead. (Source: News18 )
You can notice a few trends based on the decisions these JEE toppers took:
Toppers are no longer taking the “IIT → regular corporate job” path by default.
Research-oriented institutes (IISc) and international universities are choices many are exploring.
Entrepreneurship is increasingly seen as a valid alternative even before graduation.
What About the Older Toppers (2010-2015)? Where Did Their Paths Lead?
Looking back, many toppers from earlier years have taken diverse trajectories. Some have gone more traditional, others surprising.
Immadi Prudhvi Tej (AIR 1, 2011) did BTech in EEE at IIT Bombay. He later cracked UPSC (rank 24 in 2017) and is now an Assistant Collector in Andhra Pradesh. (Source: Avanti )
Anumula Jithendar Reddy (AIR 1, 2010) studied Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay; then pursued an MS at ETH Zurich, and is working toward a PhD.
Arpit Agarwal (AIR 1, 2012) graduated in Computer Science from IIT Delhi, then moved into quantitative finance, working at Tower Research Capital in a high-paying quant role. (Source: askIITians )
Shitikanth Kashyap (AIR 1, 2008) did his BTech (CS) at IIT Kanpur, then pursued a PhD in Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. (Source: ScoopWhoop )
Achin Bansal (AIR 1, 2007) studied CS at IIT Bombay and later joined global finance / corporate treasury roles abroad.
These older cases show that even the past toppers follow the following:
Many pursued higher education abroad (MS, PhD) after IIT.
Some chose paths in the public sector (civil services). Others in research, academia, or fintech/quant roles.
Entrepreneurship, non-conventional roles were less common earlier, but still present and gaining prevalence.
JEE Key Patterns & Takeaways (2025 & Earlier)
Putting together the recent & past data, some common threads and changes emerge:
Pattern | Evidence |
Popular Branches Still CSE / Computer Science | Many toppers, both recent and older, join CSE or related branches at IITs or IISc because of broader options and higher demand. |
Growing Appeal of Research / IISc / International Studies | Recent toppers choosing IISc or MIT; older toppers pursuing MS/PhD abroad. |
Diversification of Goals | Startup founding, civil services, quantitative roles, or non-engineering paths among both recent and older toppers. For instance, Aman Bansal (2016 AIR1) is involved in entrepreneurship. (Source: Franchise 91 ) |
Brand + Prestige Still Matters | Many older toppers still built careers based on IIT + international exposure; the prestige facilitates opportunity. |
Evolving Mindset | Recent toppers seem more willing to skip traditional placements or the IIT-corporate pipeline. Instead, they are in favour of personal passion, research, or global mobility. |
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Final Thoughts for Aspiring JEE Toppers
So, is there one thing that all JEE toppers do? Yes, they’re high achievers, and many use the IIT platform. But the paths they take afterward are far more varied now than ever before.
If you’re an aspirant, these lessons matter:
Having rank and IIT admission still count a lot, but what you do next—which branch, which institution (IIT vs IISc vs abroad), whether you aim for research vs industry vs entrepreneurship—can define your trajectory more sharply than just your rank.
Being open to non-traditional paths (entrepreneurship, public service, research) is increasingly common—even among toppers.
Choosing based on interest, long-term goals, and what kind of work you find fulfilling seems to be as important now as scoring high.
Concluding, JEE toppers are still doing “top things.” But “top things” are less monolithic than they used to be. If you want to follow in their footsteps, remember: prepare well, but plan your own path too. If you need more tips, get in touch with CollegeDekho mentors.