22-year-old who dropped out in his final semester claims he earns nearly ₹5 lakh a month, says IIT is 'just a tag'

For many engineering students in India, an IIT degree is often seen as the fastest route to a high-paying career. But a viral post by a 22-year-old growth marketer is questioning that belief after he claimed to earn ₹4.86 lakh a month despite dropping out of college before completing his BTech.

Lavanya Jain shared screenshots on X showing two payments credited to his account — ₹3.74 lakh and ₹1.12 lakh — adding up to ₹4.86 lakh. He claimed he now earns more than $100,000 a year while working part-time as a contractor and has built multiple passive income streams along the way.

His post has reignited the debate over whether skills, experience and execution are becoming more valuable than the name of a college in today's job market.

I’m not even from an IIT

Jain said he never completed his engineering degree and believes leaving college turned out to be one of the best decisions he made.

“I’m not even from an IIT. In fact, I dropped out from my BTech, majoring in Electronics and Communications Engineering in my final semester. I think it was one of the best decisions of my life.”

According to the post, he now earns more than the highest placement package offered by his college despite working part-time.

“I’m earning more than the highest placement of my college (100k USD) that too working part time, as a contractor,” Jain said.

I have 5 sources of passive incomes

Jain said his main source of income covers all his expenses, while he also earns through multiple passive income streams.

“I have 5 sources of passive incomes, and my main income covers everything I spend on myself (and I spend a lot btw),” he claimed on X.

To support his claims, he shared screenshots showing two bank credits received through Wise Payments — one worth ₹3.74 lakh and another worth ₹1.12 lakh.

Not a flex

Jain said the post was not meant to show off his earnings but to challenge the idea that success depends on graduating from a prestigious engineering college.

“This is not a flex, really it’s not,” he wrote, adding that “IIT is just a tag.”

While acknowledging the benefits of studying at an IIT, including its alumni network and visibility, he argued that professional success ultimately depends on what a person achieves.

“Sure it will give you that alumni network and a couple of eyeballs,” he wrote.

The post ended with a remark that drew the most attention.

“What’s the use when you got a couple of IITians working under you lol,” Jain wrote.

His post has sparked discussion online over whether elite college degrees remain the biggest factor in career success, especially at a time when remote work, freelancing, global contracting and creator-led careers are opening up new opportunities beyond traditional campus placements.