He Failed JEE Twice. What He Learnt On YouTube Now Earns Him Rs 2 Lakh Every Month

Entrepreneur and social media influencer Ankur Warikoo has sparked widespread debate online after challenging traditional academic benchmarks for success in India. Warikoo recently shared the story of a young designer from the city of Indore who failed the Joint Entrance Examination twice. The competitive entrance test is widely viewed in India as the ultimate gateway to prestigious engineering institutes and financial security. Instead of pursuing a traditional degree, the student taught himself product design using free tutorials on YouTube during the night.

According to Warikoo, the young freelancer now generates an income of Rs 200,000 each month. Warikoo noted that the designer has built a professional portfolio that would easily outshine those of most graduates from the top engineering colleges in the country.

Reflecting on the situation, Warikoo stated that India does not suffer from a lack of talent, but rather from an over-reliance on institutional labels. He explained that society has been conditioned to acknowledge capability only when it is backed by a famous university name, a specific degree, or a corporate employer.

Warikoo added that traditional credentials merely indicate where a person has been in the past, rather than how far they can progress in the future. 

Photo Credit: instagram.com/ankurwarikoo/

However, several users were unconvinced by the viral success story. One person wrote that such cases are exceptions, arguing that even many IIT graduates do not earn Rs 2 lakh a month at a young age in India, while most non-IITians struggle to reach a Rs 1 lakh monthly salary before their 40s despite strong corporate performance. 

Another user commented, "When will people stop romanticising exceptions?" A third user defended IIT graduates, saying that clearing one of the world's toughest entrance exams at the age of 17 is itself proof of problem-solving ability. 

The user also pointed out that many successful Indian startups have been founded by IIT alumni, suggesting there is a reason IITians continue to stand out in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.