IIT gold medalist rejects Rs 2.9-crore US job, runs grocery shop in UP

3 min readNew DelhiJul 5, 2026 09:38 PM IST

The IIT Bombay graduate now runs a small grocery shop while also teaching coding to underprivileged children in his spare time (Photo: @VikasAlwys/X)

An IIT Bombay graduate and his gesture for his ailing parents have touched the hearts of numerous netizens. He turned down a high-paying job in the United States to care for his ailing parents, as per an X post by a software engineer.

According to a viral post, Vivek Sharma, a B Tech computer science gold medallist from IIT Bombay, was offered a position at a San Francisco-based startup with an annual salary of nearly $240,000 (approximately Rs 2.9 crore). The offer reportedly included visa sponsorship and relocation assistance.

The post claims that Sharma was raised in a lower middle-class family in Kanpur. His father worked as a railway clerk, while his mother earned extra income by providing private tuition. The family is said to have made significant sacrifices to support his education, including dipping into their savings, selling jewellery, and carefully budgeting their finances so he could study in Kota before earning admission to IIT Bombay.

The post further claims that Sharma’s plans changed dramatically just before his scheduled departure to the United States. His father reportedly suffered a heart attack, and his mother was diagnosed with cancer.

Faced with the family’s medical crisis, Sharma is said to have decided to stay in Kanpur to care for his parents. The post further claims that Sharma now runs a small grocery shop while also teaching coding to underprivileged children in his spare time.

“Now, he runs a grocery store. He also teaches coding to underprivileged children. Vivek says, “My parents are my biggest company”,” the post read.

See the post here:

Meet Vivek Sharma, a https://t.co/Ws1j7hoGgc Computer Science gold medalist from IIT Bombay, who left a $240,000-a-year (₹2.9 crore) US job to run a small grocery store beneath his house and take care of his parents by staying close to them.

Coming from a simple… pic.twitter.com/7RwTepkL73

— Vikas Alwys (@VikasAlwys) July 4, 2026

The post has gone viral, drawing a wave of reactions. “Success isn’t always about maximizing income.

Sometimes it’s about maximizing what matters to you,” an X user wrote. “True success isn’t money it’s family, gratitude, and lifting others. Vivek’s story is pure inspiration,” another user commented.

“most people would take the money. he took the harder path. respect,” a third user reacted.

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DISCLAIMER: This content is intended for storytelling and informational purposes only and does not provide professional medical guidance or independently verified factual reporting.