IIT-Hyderabad student makes history: Rs 2.5 crore package breaks records amid tough job market

Amid a challenging job market, a final-year computer science engineering student from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH) has set a new benchmark by securing a Rs 2.5 crore package from Netherlands-based global trading firm Optiver. According to the institute and reports by TOI, this is the highest package ever offered to an IITH student since its inception in 2008.

Edward Nathan Varghese, 21, will join Optiver as a software engineer in July after converting a two-month summer internship into a pre-placement offer (PPO).

“This was the first and only company I interviewed for. I was ecstatic when my mentor informed me about the offer. So were my parents,” Varghese told TOI. Born and raised in Hyderabad, Varghese completed his schooling in Bengaluru from class 7 to 12 and credits his competitive programming experience and diverse course curriculum for helping him crack the interview.

Internship Conversion Leads to Historic Package

Two students were selected for the Optiver internship this year, but Varghese was the only one to convert it into a PPO. The internship included two weeks of training and a six-week project, after which he secured the full-time offer at Optiver’s Netherlands office.

Another IITH student in the computer science stream received a Rs 1.1 crore package this year, raising the institute’s overall placement standards. Previously, the highest package at IITH was about Rs 1 crore in 2017.

Average Packages Jump 75%

The 2025-26 placement season witnessed a significant increase in average packages, rising by around 75% from Rs 20.8 lakh in 2024 to Rs 36.2 lakh this year. A total of 24 international offers were secured by students during the first phase of placements, which concluded in December.
“More than packages, our focus is to ensure all students who wish to be placed get good offers,” said Mayur Vaidya, faculty-in-charge of the Office of Career Services at IITH. “Alongside tech roles, we are giving core engineering students early slots with PSUs and core firms. Phase 2 will see more postgraduate students placed with domestic companies.”Currently, 196 out of 650 postgraduate students have received offers, with an average package of Rs 22 lakh. For undergraduates, 62% of 487 registered students have secured placements.

Package Trends Over the Last Three Years

• 2025-26 – Rs 2.5 crore
• 2024-25 – Rs 66 lakh
• 2023-24 – Rs 90 lakh

Inputs from TOI