Last year, almost 30 companies rolled back job offers to IIT students. It made headlines, everyone had a stand on it — the kids, professors, startups, the media. Once the dust settled, IIT did not take kindly to what had come to pass; the powers that be blacklisted these companies.
This is the second part of our series on startups and the placement season at IITs. This piece takes you through three remarkable stories of three remarkable students and their journey after their offer was rolled back.
“I can win this”
Govinda Kumar has scrapped the bottom of the barrel. He has felt the depths of despair and tasted sweet success.
In August 2016, Govinda felt like he was drowning. He felt his heart beat faster. But there was not a drop of water around him. He swears, he felt like he was ten feet under water. He heard the cheers and claps as muffled echoes. He could barely move. His friends, colleagues and roommates were graduating from IIT-Madras. He did too. They had jobs, they were discussing what they would buy with their first salary, the girls they would meet, the restaurants they would eat at, the world that was now at their feet. They were from IIT, after all. He smiled back at them. The backslapping was heartbreaking.
Govinda was one of the few from his batch who saw his offer rolled back.
In September ‘15, Govinda got a job at CredR, a used vehicle marketplace. The company picked him up on Day 3 of placements. The job meant, the boy from Patna would go to Mumbai. They offered him Rs 11 lakh as the annual salary. “It was a good offer,” says Govinda. “I was very happy. I had to move to Powai. I was so excited, I wrote to the HR and asked them to give me an early joining date.”
CredR told him he could join on July 1. Once his course was done, in April, Govinda went home. His family was excited. Their two sons got great jobs at the same time.
Two sons?
Govinda has a twin brother: Gautam. An IIT Bhubaneshwar graduate. On Day three, he got a job at Cognizant. The brothers did everything together, they even got jobs together. But they were about to be separated. One was going to Mumbai, the other Bengaluru. “Two days before I was going to take a train to Mumbai, I got an email from CredR and they told me there was a restructuring in progress and my joining would be delayed to the end of the month,” says Govinda.
He waved his brother goodbye at the station and went home. Govinda, however, was restless.
