IIT Hyderabad Records Highest Ever Package of ₹2.5 Crore

New Delhi, january 02, 2026: In a historic milestone for the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH), a 21-year-old student has secured an unprecedented job offer of ₹2.5 crore per annum. This staggering package marks the highest ever recorded in the institute’s history since its inception in 2008, signaling a major leap for the second-generation IIT.

The Student Behind the Success

The record-breaking offer was bagged by Edward Nathan Varghese, a final-year B.Tech student in the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department. Born and raised in Hyderabad before moving to Bengaluru for his secondary schooling, Varghese has been a standout performer throughout his academic journey.

He attributes much of his success to his long-standing passion for competitive programming, having ranked among the top 100 in the country. This technical prowess, combined with the flexible curriculum at IIT Hyderabad, allowed him to sharpen the specific skills required by top-tier global firms.

High-Stakes Placement: Details of the Offer

The offer comes from Optiver, a renowned global market-making and algorithmic trading firm headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

• Role: Software Engineer
• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Path to Success: The offer was a Pre-Placement Offer (PPO), resulting from a successful two-month summer internship.
• Selection Process: Out of two students from IITH who interned at Optiver, Varghese was the only one to receive the full-time conversion offer after completing a rigorous six-week project.

Varghese expressed his excitement, noting that Optiver was the only company he interviewed with. “I was ecstatic when my mentor indicated that the firm would be extending me an offer. So were my parents,” he shared.

Breaking All Previous Records

This placement significantly shatters the previous records at IITH. For years, the highest package at the institute hovered around the ₹1 crore mark, a record set back in 2017.

The 2025–26 placement season has shown a remarkable upward trend for the institute:

• Highest Package: Increased from ₹90 Lakh (2024) to ₹2.5 Crore (2026).
• Average Package: The average salary at the institute has seen a jump of nearly 75%, rising from ₹20.8 Lakh to approximately ₹36.2 Lakh.
• International Reach: In the first phase of placements alone, IITH students secured 24 international offers.

Growing Stature of IIT Hyderabad

While the “Top 7” older IITs (like Bombay and Delhi) have traditionally dominated the ₹2 crore+ salary bracket, this achievement places IIT Hyderabad firmly in the big leagues.

Mayur Vaidya, the faculty-in-charge of the Office of Career Services at IITH, emphasized that the institute’s focus remains on diversity of opportunities. While tech roles are hitting new highs, the administration is also prioritizing early slots for Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and core engineering firms to ensure balanced growth across all departments.