Failed To Crack JEE, Joined A Tier-3 College, Techie Lands ₹55 Lakh Package At Amazon; Here’s How

For many engineering students, not getting into an IIT or NIT can feel like the end of their dream. But one software engineer’s journey is making people think differently. His story shows that a college name does not always decide how far someone can go.

After studying at a Tier-3 government engineering college with very little coding support, he worked his way into the tech industry. Today, he is a Software Development Engineer 2 (SDE 2) at Amazon with a reported package of more than Rs 55 lakh.

He Did Not Let His College Define Him

The story was shared on X by user Vikas Alwys, who spoke about his friend’s career journey. According to Alwys, his friend completed a B.Tech in Computer Science from a Tier-3 government college.

Despite limited opportunities,

he first landed a job at Infosys with a package of Rs 9.5 lakh per annum. Three years later, he joined Amazon as an SDE 2.

“There is a friend of mine who completed his B.Tech in CSE from a Tier-3 government college. With almost zero coding culture around him, he got placed at Infosys with a package of 9.5 LPA. After three years, he is now an SDE 2 at Amazon, earning a package of 55+ LPA,” Alwys wrote.

The engineer had earlier failed to clear JEE Main and secured a rank of around 11,000 in his state’s engineering entrance exam. As a result, he joined a Tier-3 government college instead of an IIT or NIT. Even though many of his friends went to top engineering colleges, he stayed focused on improving his skills instead of comparing himself with others.

He Kept Learning On His Own

According to the post, the college had almost no coding culture. So, the engineer relied on online resources and connected with students from better colleges to improve his programming skills. While many classmates spent time on sports, college events and other activities, he chose to spend his free time practising coding.

“During college, while most of his classmates were involved in sports, events, and social activities, he spent his time learning coding with friends from top colleges. In total, he solved more than 1,600 LeetCode problems,” Alwys shared.

Placement opportunities at his college were also limited. The highest packages on campus were usually between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 6 lakh per year. Instead of settling for those offers, he continued preparing for better opportunities. His hard work helped him secure a Specialist Programmer role at Infosys with a Rs 9.5 lakh annual package.

After working there for three years, he moved to Amazon. Alwys wrote, “He worked there for three years and is now an SDE 2 at Amazon, earning over ₹55 LPA. Today, he earns just as much as many of his friends who graduated from top engineering colleges.”

There is a friend of mine who completed his https://t.co/Ws1j7hoGgc in CSE from a Tier-3 government college. With almost zero coding culture around him, he got placed at Infosys with a package of 9.5 LPA. After three years, he is now an SDE 2 at Amazon, earning a package of 55+…

— Vikas Alwys (@VikasAlwys) July 29, 2026

People Praised His Journey

The post received many positive reactions on X. One user wrote, “Wow, proof that hustle beats pedigree. Congrats to your friend.”

Another commented, “He proved that college, marks doesn’t matter in long run.” A person added, “College can influence your first opportunity. What you do after that shapes the rest of your career.”