Ankur Warikoo rise from Rs 3 lakh per annum to Rs 33 lakh in five years: 'All it takes is one chance'

The post garnered widespread praise for its honesty and relatability.

Entrepreneur and author Ankur Warikoo recently shared a candid reflection on LinkedIn, tracing his journey from a PhD dropout in the United States to becoming one of the top campus hires in India, with a salary rise from Rs 3 lakh per annum (LPA) to Rs 33 LPA in just five years.

In the now-viral post, Warikoo revealed that he returned to India at the age of 24, after dropping out of his PhD programme in the US, with no clear plans and an urgent need for financial stability. “I got my first job at 24, earning Rs 14,746 per month. At 26, I was earning 12 lakh per annum. At 29, 33 lakh per annum,” he wrote.

Recalling his early struggles, he shared, “With no MBA, no network, and limited exposure, I knocked on doors, scanned newspaper ads, went for walk-in interviews and tapped into whatever (limited) network I had.” After 45 days of relentless effort, he landed a role at NIS Sparta.

Warikoo recounted the moment he was asked about his salary expectations: “I had no idea what to ask for. They offered me Rs 15K in hand—more than I expected.” However, it soon became clear to him that his lack of formal management education put him at a disadvantage compared to peers with MBA degrees.

That realisation led him to the Indian School of Business (ISB), where he discovered their one-year MBA programme. Despite the hefty tuition and the need for a loan—the first in his family—he decided to take the leap. “I asked myself, can I land a job post-MBA that pays me at least Rs 35K a month? The data said yes. So I took the bet,” he said.

The road ahead, however, was far from smooth. Warikoo admitted to faltering during some of his most crucial interviews. “I bombed my BCG interview. Fumbled in ATK’s second round, too. But someone gave me another chance. I gave it everything,” he said.

That chance paid off—he cracked ATKearney with a package of Rs 12 LPA and, within just 18 months, became the firm's fastest-promoted employee. By the time he left the firm in 2009, he was earning Rs 33 LPA.

Warikoo concluded his post with a message that resonated with many: “I reached where I did because people bet on me. I stayed grateful and worked hard. If someone takes a bet on you, double down. On yourself.”

The post garnered widespread praise for its honesty and relatability. One user commented, “When someone bets on you, the best thing you can do is outwork their expectations,” while another added, “The humility, the grit, the way you respected every opportunity, it’s the kind of story we don’t hear enough.”

Another user remarked, “All it takes is one chance. And the determination to make it count.”