

Switching gears: How Sarfaraz Khan found his footing in Data Science
With industries shaken worldwide and uncertainties looming, mechanical engineering graduate Sarfaraz, from Mumbai, found himself at a crossroads when the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe in 2020. He joined Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) as a system engineer – a move that marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, and he didn’t…

From Barracks to Bytes: Abhay Bathula’s Journey from Military to Machine Learning
Once clad in “army fatigues,” Abhay Bathula now wears a different kind of uniform: data. After 2 decades in Singapore, his academic path has been anything but conventional. Post Grade 11, he opted out of the traditional school system to pursue a diploma in Financial Informatics, specializing in Finance and AI – a decision that…

Harmony and Algorithms: Athithya’s Journey in Music and Machine Learning
A passionate singer, chess enthusiast, teacher, and tech explorer, Athitya Arunakirinathan is anything but ordinary. This multi-talented individual, hailing from Sri Lanka, is currently juggling two academic degrees, including a Software Engineering program in her home country, while also pursuing the IITM BS Degree in Data Science and Applications. On top of that, she’s enrolled…

Saima’s IITM Journey: A Digital Degree, A Defined Future
When the world came to a standstill during the COVID-19 pandemic, Saima Shroff, then a 12th grader living in Muscat, Oman, seized the opportunity to embark on a bold new chapter. Fresh out of school, she recalled that her school’s shift to online learning during the pandemic was a temporary workaround. Yet, amidst a world…

Charting New Horizons with a BS Degree and Renewed Vision
Growing up, Tejas had simple dreams – one of them was to become a teacher of Mathematics. With this deep-rooted love for the subject and the childhood dream of becoming a teacher, his academic aspirations were aimed towards a BSc-B.Ed path. But as life often does, it steered him in a direction that he had…

From Android to AI: Ramees Thattaratah’s Steady Climb
For many, the thought of balancing work, education, and parenting would seem like an insurmountable challenge. But for Ramees Thattarath, it’s simply another day. Originally from Kochi, Kerala, Ramees has spent nearly a decade as an Android Developer. A former student of the ECE department at Government Engineering College, Trichur, he now finds himself, nine…

Agrima’s Code of Growth: Written in Binary, Evolving from Biology
Agrima Bhatnagar had her path mapped out – aiming for NEET with her biology background. However, the pandemic brought everything to a halt. While the COVID-19 outbreak upended plans worldwide, including her own, she chose to see opportunity amidst the uncertainty. The difference began with her decision to enroll in the IITM BS Degree in…

Not Despite the Struggles, But Because of Them: Pratham Bhalla’s Triumph at IITM
Back in 2018, in a modest town in Uttar Pradesh, Pratham Bhalla stumbled upon a PhysicsWallah video while scrolling through YouTube. This marked his first encounter with the word and world of IITs and the fabled JEE exam. The spark was instant – he wanted in. However, not everybody around him could see the fire…

No Brakes, Just Pivots: Anirudh’s Leap into Data Science
Should you ever encounter Anirudh Penumatcha, you’ll quickly realize he’s someone who simply doesn’t believe in slowing down. Hailing from Hyderabad, Anirudh’s youth was a whirlwind of competitive sports — swimming, cricket, tennis, golf, and football — all pursued at the state level, not merely as hobbies. However, a football injury necessitated a halt to…

Academic-Entrepreneurial Synergy: Kunal Chaturvedi’s Mission to Innovate
A motivated entrepreneur, Kunal Chaturvedi, hailing from Nagpur, Maharashtra, is actively shaping the domain of medical technologies, while also being a student of the newly introduced Post-Graduation Diploma level extension of the IITM BS Degree in Data Science and Applications. As the founder of MedPrax Biotechnologies Private Limited, he aims to tackle critical healthcare challenges…