Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Twice-Failed JEE Aspirant Earns Rs 2 Lakh Monthly via YouTube
A man named Ankur Warikoo told a story about a young person from a city called Indore in India.
This person tried to pass a very hard test called JEE, which helps students get into top engineering schools, but failed it two times.
Instead of giving up, they taught themselves how to design products by watching free videos on YouTube at night.
Now, this person earns a lot of money, about 200,000 rupees every month, by working as a freelancer.
Ankur said that India has lots of talented people, but people only respect skills when they come from famous schools or degrees.
He thinks a person's past school name doesn't show how much they can achieve in the future.
But some people disagreed with him.
They said this story is special and rare, and that even many graduates from top colleges don't earn that much money.
Others said passing the JEE test at age 17 already proves a person is very smart.
The story made many people talk about whether school labels or real skills matter more.
Entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo shared the story of a young designer from Indore who failed the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) twice.
The designer taught himself product design using free YouTube tutorials at night instead of pursuing a traditional degree.
The young freelancer now earns around Rs 2 lakh (Rs 200,000) per month, according to Warikoo.
Warikoo argued that India over-relies on institutional labels and that credentials only show where a person has been, not future potential.
Critics called the story an exception, noting that even many IIT graduates do not earn Rs 2 lakh monthly at a young age.
- Who
- Ankur Warikoo, an entrepreneur and social media influencer, and a young self-taught designer from Indore.
- What
- The story of a designer who failed JEE twice, learned product design on YouTube, and now earns Rs 2 lakh monthly, sparking debate about academic credentials.
- When
- Recently (exact date not specified in the articles).
- Where
- India, specifically the city of Indore.
- Why
- To challenge traditional academic benchmarks for success in India.
Self-taught skills over credentials
Institutional credentials still matter
Value of institutional labels
Self-taught skills over credentials
Warikoo says India over-relies on institutional labels; credentials only indicate where a person has been, not how far they can progress in the future.
Institutional credentials still matter
Critics say clearing JEE at 17 proves problem-solving ability, and many successful Indian startups have been founded by IIT alumni.
Is the success story representative?
Self-taught skills over credentials
Warikoo says the designer's portfolio would easily outshine those of most top engineering college graduates, showing India does not lack talent.
Institutional credentials still matter
Critics say such cases are exceptions; even many IIT graduates don't earn Rs 2 lakh monthly at a young age, and most non-IITians struggle to reach Rs 1 lakh before their 40s.
- Protagonist
- Young designer from Indore
- Exam failed
- Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), twice
- Learning method
- Free YouTube tutorials at night
- Monthly income
- Rs 200,000 (Rs 2 lakh)
- Storyteller
- Ankur Warikoo, entrepreneur and author
- Warikoo's argument
- India over-relies on institutional labels; credentials show past position, not future potential
- Critics' response
- Such cases are exceptions; even many IIT graduates don't earn Rs 2 lakh monthly at a young age
