Famous IITians in US: Who They are and How They Made It Big
When you think of famous IITians in US, Indian Institute of Technology graduates who rose to prominence in American tech, business, and science. Also known as IIT alumni in America, they’re the quiet force behind some of the world’s biggest innovations. These aren’t just engineers—they’re founders, CEOs, and researchers who turned problem-solving skills from Mumbai or Delhi into billion-dollar companies in Silicon Valley.
Many of them didn’t start with connections or trust funds. They had one thing most others didn’t: the discipline to crack JEE Advanced, then the grit to rebuild themselves in a foreign system. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, studied at IIT Kharagpur before moving to the US for his master’s. He didn’t land a job at Google because of his degree—he landed it because he built real products, learned fast, and never stopped asking why. Then there’s Vinod Khosla, who went from IIT Madras to co-founding Sun Microsystems and becoming one of the most influential venture capitalists in tech. These aren’t outliers. They’re proof that IIT’s rigor, when paired with American opportunity, creates rare outcomes.
It’s not just tech. IITians lead in medicine, AI research, and even climate science. Dr. Neeraj Sood, an IIT Delhi graduate, became a top public health economist at USC. Others run labs at MIT and Stanford, publishing papers that shape global policy. What ties them together? A mindset shaped by India’s toughest exams: focus under pressure, resourcefulness with limited tools, and the belief that hard work beats privilege. The US doesn’t hire IITians because they’re from India—it hires them because they solve problems others can’t.
If you’re wondering whether an IIT degree can open doors abroad, the answer is yes—but only if you use it as a starting point, not a finish line. The real advantage isn’t the name on your diploma. It’s the way you learned to think, to fail, and to keep going. Below, you’ll find real stories, salary insights, and lessons from those who made the leap—from IIT classrooms to leading teams in San Francisco, Seattle, and beyond.
- By Nolan Blackburn
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- 16 Nov 2025
Famous IITians in the US: Who Made It Big After IIT JEE
Discover the most famous IITians in the US who rose from IIT JEE to lead global tech giants like Google, IBM, and NVIDIA. Their stories show how IIT JEE prepares students for worldwide impact.