From NEET Failure to ₹72 Lakh Job at Rolls-Royce: Rithuparna KS’s Journey of Grit and Reinvention
From NEET Failure to ₹72 Lakh Job at Rolls-Royce: Rithuparna KS’s Journey of Grit and Reinvention
For many students, a setback in competitive exams like NEET feels like the end of the road. But for 20-year-old Rithuparna KS from Koduru in Karnataka’s Tirthahalli taluk, it marked the beginning of an unexpected and extraordinary journey — one that would eventually lead her to Rolls-Royce.
Rithuparna once dreamed of becoming a doctor. But after failing to secure a medical seat through NEET, she found herself grappling with self-doubt and uncertainty. A brief flirtation with UPSC preparation followed — before her father nudged her toward engineering. What started as a fallback turned out to be her true path.
In 2022, Rithuparna joined Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management (SCEM) in Mangaluru, opting for a relatively niche branch — Robotics and Automation — through the CET route. Though unfamiliar at first, the field sparked her curiosity from day one. Encouraged by the work of her seniors, she dove into hands-on projects, including a robotic sprayer and harvester designed to help areca nut farmers — a real-world solution that earned her team gold and silver at the INEX International Conference in Goa, competing alongside innovators from Japan, China, Russia, and Singapore.
Driven by a growing passion for robotics, Rithuparna decided to apply for an internship at Rolls-Royce — a move that would change her life. Despite initial rejection, she persisted, requesting a single opportunity to prove herself. The company gave her a 30-day challenge. She stunned them by completing it in just seven.
Impressed, Rolls-Royce extended her internship. For the next eight months, Rithuparna juggled engineering studies by day and international internship work by night, aligning with UK time zones — working from midnight to 6 a.m. without ever compromising her academic performance.
She kept her achievement quiet, even from her family, until the results spoke for themselves. In December 2024, she landed a pre-placement offer of ₹39.6 lakh per annum. And in April 2025, that figure was revised to ₹72.3 lakh, recognizing her extraordinary performance — making her the youngest woman ever recruited into Rolls-Royce’s elite jet engine division.
Now in her final semester, Rithuparna is set to join Rolls-Royce in Texas, USA. She’s also one of just 15 students selected from South Canara for the prestigious DC Fellowship Program, aimed at tackling complex global technical challenges.
Her transformation — from a disheartened NEET aspirant to an internationally recognized robotics engineer — is a powerful reminder that failure doesn’t define your future. What matters is how you choose to respond.
“I thought I had lost everything when NEET didn’t work out,” Rithuparna reflects. “But life had something better planned.”
Indeed, her story is a beacon for countless students: setbacks are not dead ends, but detours — often leading to the most incredible destinations.
