IIT Hyderabad Student Bags Rs 2.5 Crore Package, Highest Ever at Institute

A final-year student of Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad has scripted history by securing the highest-ever placement package offered at the institute since its inception. Edward Nathan Varghese, a 21-year-old computer science undergraduate, has bagged a staggering Rs 2.5 crore annual package from Dutch trading giant Optiver, setting a new benchmark in IIT Hyderabad’s placement records.

Edward, who joined IIT Hyderabad in 2022, will take up the role of software engineer at Optiver in July 2026. The record-breaking offer came after he successfully converted a two-month summer internship into a pre-placement offer, highlighting the growing importance of internship performance in top-tier campus recruitment.

FROM CAMPUS INTERN TO RECORD BREAKER
Interestingly, Optiver was the first and only company Edward interviewed with during the placement season. According to reports, two students were selected for the internship programme, but Edward’s performance during the stint helped him stand out and secure the full-time role. The offer marks a significant leap from previous placement highs at IIT Hyderabad, underlining the institute’s rising profile among global recruiters.

Edward attributes his success to a combination of factors, including IIT Hyderabad’s flexible academic structure, early exposure to coding and algorithms, and a strong culture of competitive programming on campus. He has consistently focused on building problem-solving skills rather than chasing multiple opportunities during placements.

STRONG ACADEMIC FOUNDATION
Born in Hyderabad and later raised in Bengaluru, Edward completed his schooling from Class 7 to Class 12 in the Karnataka capital. His academic credentials reflect sustained excellence in competitive examinations. In 2022, he secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 1100 in JEE Main and AIR 558 in JEE Advanced, earning admission to IIT Hyderabad’s computer science programme.

Beyond engineering entrance exams, Edward also appeared for the Common Admission Test (CAT) in 2025, scoring an exceptional 99.96 percentile and securing an all-India rank of 120. This achievement further underlines his versatility across technical and management-oriented competitive exams.

LEADERSHIP AND CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT
Edward’s profile extends well beyond academics. As per his professional profile, he served as the Overall Head at the Office of Career Services at IIT Hyderabad. In this role, he led a team of eight student managers and coordinated with nearly 250 student coordinators across placement and internship cells.

Prior to this, he worked as an Internship Cell Coordinator for close to a year, gaining hands-on experience in managing recruiter relations and understanding the mechanics of campus hiring. This exposure, peers say, helped him better prepare for high-stakes recruitment processes.

INTERESTS AND FAMILY BACKGROUND
Edward has expressed a keen interest in algorithms, competitive programming, finance and management. He has stated that he enjoys exploring intersections between technology and finance—an alignment that fits well with Optiver’s trading and technology-driven operations. Both his parents are engineers, and the family has reportedly expressed immense pride in his achievement.

WHY THIS OFFER MATTERS
Before this, IIT Hyderabad’s highest package stood at Rs 1.1 crore, offered in 2017. In recent years, top offers were Rs 90 lakh in 2023–24 and Rs 66 lakh in 2024–25. Edward’s Rs 2.5 crore offer not only shatters previous records but also signals growing global confidence in talent emerging from newer IITs.

The milestone is being seen as a defining moment for IIT Hyderabad, reinforcing its position among India’s leading technology institutes and strengthening its appeal to international recruiters.