10 Indian students who dominated American education
They arrived with nothing but brilliance. Eight dollars in their pocket, a degree from IIT or AIIMS in their hands, and a single goal in their minds – to prove themselves in a country that had never heard their names.
Today, they run global tech giants, revolutionise medicine, and shape public policy. These are 10 Indian students who went on to dominate America, showing that true merit knows no borders.
Vinod Khosla – From IIT Rejection to Silicon Valley Kingmaker
Rejected by IIT Delhi's electrical engineering department, Khosla switched to mechanical engineering, earned his MS at Stanford, co-founded Sun Microsystems, and became one of the world's most influential venture capitalists.
'Getting into IIT was the only way to escape your lot in society,' he recalled. 'It was a fair playing field.'
Kanwal Rekhi – The Eight-Dollar Tech Pioneer
Landing in Michigan with eight dollars, IIT Bombay graduate Rekhi faced repeated layoffs before moving to Silicon Valley. He founded Excelan, the first fully Indian-owned tech company listed on Nasdaq, and mentored a generation of Indian entrepreneurs.
Suhas Patil – The Fabless Chip Innovator
Arriving at MIT from IIT Kharagpur with minimal funds, Patil pioneered the fabless semiconductor model through Cirrus Logic, revolutionising chip manufacturing and enabling the rise of modern electronics.
Vinod Dham – Father of the Pentium Processor
Arriving in America with eight dollars, Dham co-invented Intel's Pentium chip, powering millions of computers worldwide and earning his place as a legend of global tech innovation.
Shantanu Narayen – Adobe's Turnaround Strategist
An engineering student from Hyderabad, Narayen joined Adobe and rose to CEO, transforming the company's business model into a subscription powerhouse, redefining software economics globally.
Satya Nadella – The Cloud Visionary
After graduating from Manipal Institute of Technology, Nadella moved to the US for his MS and MBA.
At Microsoft, he led the shift to cloud computing, becoming CEO and making it the world's most valuable company.
'He saw the cloud was going to be transformational and made Microsoft invest heavily in it,' writes Indian Genius.
Nikesh Arora – Cybersecurity's Billion-Dollar Leader
From IIT BHU to Google's Chief Business Officer and now CEO of Palo Alto Networks, Arora is one of America's highest-paid executives, redefining cybersecurity at a global scale.
Siddhartha Mukherjee – The Cancer Biographer
After AIIMS Delhi, Mukherjee moved to Harvard and Oxford, winning a Pulitzer for The Emperor of All Maladies, a definitive history of cancer, blending science, literature, and humanity.
Atul Gawande – The Surgical Reformer
Graduating from Harvard Medical School, Gawande became a leading surgeon and writer. His Checklist Manifesto transformed hospital safety worldwide, while Being Mortal reshaped end-of-life care debates.
Vivek Murthy – America's Surgeon General
Born to Indian immigrants, Murthy studied at Yale before becoming US Surgeon General under two presidents, leading public health initiatives and the national COVID-19 response with empathy and expertise.
Students Who Became Legends
Indian Genius: The Meteoric Rise of Indians in America
,
authored by journalist Meenakshi Ahamed summarises their collective journey. 'They came with eight dollars, no connections, and a belief in education as the only currency. Today, they have shaped America's technological, medical, and policy frontiers, she writes.' They were students when they arrived. Today, they are legends.
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