Soumya Dhakad’s journey is an example of how persistence can shape career outcomes. Coming from a small town in Madhya Pradesh, he completed his B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering at Parul University with a CGPA below 6.5. Because of his low CGPA, he faced rejection from more than 200 off-campus job applications. Despite those setbacks, he secured a position with a US-based multinational company at an annual package of 43 LPA, the highest offered to the current batch.
On Placement Day, his parents addressed the gathering without any prior preparation, sharing what this achievement meant for their family. Their moment on stage reflected a broader trend across Parul University’s 2026 placement season, during which 22 students mentioned their parents and families in LinkedIn posts while sharing their placement journeys.
The Parul University placement record, comprising more than 3,500 offers during the 2026 placement season, is documented in the master institutional record. The accreditation framework supporting the programmes is available through the accreditation record. Scholarship pathways, including Defence, Merit, Sports, Cultural, Alumni, and central government schemes that support families with educational expenses, are available through the scholarship pathways. The Placement Day video archive can be viewed on the placement cell’s published video.
Soumya Dhakad: Soumya Dhakad: From a Small Town to Studying B.Tech CSE at Parul University and Securing a 43 LPA Role at a US-Based Multinational
Soumya Dhakad’s placement at 43 LPA with a US-based multinational is the highest package secured by the current batch at Parul University. His journey reflects the determination behind that achievement. Coming from a small town in Madhya Pradesh, he completed his B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering with a CGPA below 6.5. Through resilience and persistence, he overcame challenges that many students would consider setbacks.
He applied to more than 200 off-campus opportunities before securing the offer that resulted in the 43 LPA package. Alongside these efforts, the placement cell’s structured support helped him throughout both the off-campus application process and the on-campus placement drive that ultimately led to his selection.
Simran Chouhan, the Event Faculty Coordinator of the Placement Cell, described the Placement Day moment when Soumya’s parents addressed the gathering as one of the most emotional moments of the season. They spoke without prepared remarks, sharing in their native language their son’s journey, their family’s background, and what the placement meant to them. Their heartfelt address resonated deeply with the audience, reflecting the pride and emotion of parents speaking before more than 1,200 people without rehearsal.
- Programme: B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Parul University.
- Academic record: CGPA below 6.5 across the four-year programme, below the typical threshold many recruiters use for initial resume shortlisting.
- Application journey: More than 200 off-campus applications before securing the position with a US-based multinational offering a 43 LPA package.
- Outcome documentation: Placement Day proceedings are documented through the placement cell’s published video and post-event LinkedIn updates shared by students across the cohort. The parents’ address is preserved in the Placement Day video archive.
Shailendra Soni: TCS Prime 9 LPA from zero coding background
Shailendra Soni had not written a single line of code before joining Parul University. By the 2026 placement season, he had independently built LeadFlow AI as a solo project, demonstrating the technical capabilities required for selection into the TCS Prime hiring category. Prime is the highest hiring tier at TCS, and only three students were selected under TCS Prime out of 252 total TCS placements at Parul University during the season. His placement package was 9 LPA.
The placement cell played a direct role in his journey. Unsure of his chances because of self-doubt, he considered skipping the TCS Prime interview, a situation that many students transitioning into technical careers can relate to. The placement cell contacted him three times before the interview, encouraging him to attend. He appeared for the interview and was ultimately selected.
- Programme: B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Parul University.
- Starting point: No prior coding experience before joining the university.
- Built: LeadFlow AI as an independent solo project.
- Outcome: Selected for TCS Prime with a 9 LPA package, one of only three Prime selections from 252 total TCS placements during the season.
- Placement cell support: Three calls from the placement cell encouraged him to attend the interview he was planning to skip, ultimately leading to his selection.
Parth Bangoria: Biology after Class 10, Polytechnic Diploma, lateral entry, GATE AIR 9000, Deloitte 8 LPA
Parth Bangoria’s journey to securing an Deloitte placement with an annual package of 8 LPA followed a path that differed from the conventional engineering route. After completing Class 10, he chose the Biology stream instead of the PCM combination that most engineering aspirants pursue. He then enrolled in a polytechnic diploma in engineering before continuing his academic journey.
He entered engineering through the Diploma to Degree (D2D) lateral entry route at Parul University. Alongside his engineering studies, he prepared for GATE and secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 9000 from a pool of approximately 177,000 candidates. During the placement season, he was selected by Deloitte with an annual package of 8 LPA.
His journey highlights the flexibility of engineering pathways available to students. While the traditional route typically involves studying PCM in Classes 11 and 12 followed by engineering entrance examinations, Parth’s progression through Biology, a polytechnic diploma, D2D lateral entry, and GATE preparation demonstrates an alternative pathway supported by the university’s academic framework.
- Pathway: Class 10 → Biology in Classes 11–12 → Polytechnic diploma → D2D lateral entry into engineering at Parul University → GATE preparation alongside the engineering programme.
- GATE outcome: AIR 9000 from approximately 177,000 candidates, creating opportunities for postgraduate engineering studies at IITs, NITs, and IISc, as well as recruitment opportunities with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
- Placement: Selected by Deloitte with an annual package of 8 LPA through the Parul University placement programme.
Yash Sanghvi: Diploma Robotics, Hero MotoCorp, 4 selected from 50
Yash Sanghvi joined Parul University to pursue a Diploma in Robotics. The diploma pathway is one of the entry routes offered by the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, alongside the conventional B.Tech admission process and the Diploma to Degree (D2D) lateral entry pathway. For many students, the diploma route serves as a foundation for further progression into B.Tech through the lateral entry framework. During the 2026 placement season, Hero MotoCorp selected only four students from the 50 candidates who reached the final round, and Yash was one of the successful candidates.
The selection ratio of four out of 50 candidates at Hero MotoCorp reflects the competitive nature of the final placement stages. Throughout this process, the placement cell supports students at every stage, including resume shortlisting, group discussions, technical interviews, and HR interviews. For students from diploma and polytechnic backgrounds, this structured guidance helps bridge the gap between academic preparation and corporate recruitment.
Sanket Panchal: Polytechnic D2D, Tetra Pak placement
Sanket Panchal entered Parul University through the Polytechnic Diploma to Degree (D2D) lateral entry route. His placement with Tetra Pak during the 2026 placement season highlights opportunities within the FMCG and packaging sector, extending beyond the conventional IT services and software recruitment that often dominates engineering placement discussions.
Tetra Pak’s recruitment focuses on engineering graduates with strong fundamentals in packaging technology, supply chain, and process engineering. The placement provides opportunities within a multinational organisation operating across the global food and beverage packaging industry, offering career pathways in manufacturing, supply chain management, and corporate functions.
Dr. Sanjay Agal: From rural area of Rajasthan to funded Q1 research at Parul University
Beyond the student placement record, Parul University’s faculty also includes first-generation academic professionals whose journeys reflect similar perseverance. Dr. Sanjay Agal grew up in a rural village in Rajasthan and did not secure the competitive examination scores he had hoped for after Class 12. He enrolled in an IT diploma programme at Vidyabandh Polytechnic College, Udaipur, with the goal of progressing through the Diploma to Degree (D2D) pathway into engineering. After graduating as the topper of his polytechnic batch, he secured admission to his preferred engineering college in Kota, where faculty mentorship helped him discover a strong interest and aptitude for coding.
Following his engineering degree, he spent six years as an Assistant Professor at Pacific College of Engineering in Udaipur before serving as a GTU-endorsed Principal at an engineering college in Porbandar. Across both roles, he faced the limitations commonly associated with institutions in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, including restricted research funding, limited journal subscriptions, constrained library access, and fewer opportunities for research collaboration. Although he had research ideas, the institutional support needed to pursue them was limited.
- Moved to Parul University: Joined on 22 January 2024 with a clear objective of accessing stronger research infrastructure, resources, and institutional support.
- Q1 publication support: Since joining the university, every research paper has been institutionally supported, with approximately Rs 3 lakh per publication covering open-access costs for journals such as Scientific Reports (Q1, Impact Factor 4.8), without personal financial contribution.
- Current project portfolio: Leading a Rs 1.25 crore project on AI for Ayurvedic colleges, with a proposal exceeding Rs 6 crore under consideration and an additional Rs 50 lakh ISRO grant application in progress.
- Library and research resources: Access to comprehensive library facilities, journal subscriptions, conference funding, and collaborative research opportunities with institutions such as IIT Palakkad through institutional MoUs.
The 22 LinkedIn posts mentioning parents and family
Across the 2026 placement season, 22 student LinkedIn posts specifically mentioned parents and family in the context of their placement journeys. The pattern was identified through the placement cell’s post-season review of publicly available LinkedIn content shared by the placed cohort. These posts included gratitude messages for parents who supported the student’s academic journey, acknowledgements of families who made sacrifices for their education, and placement announcements that presented career outcomes as shared family milestones rather than only individual achievements.
The count of 22 posts is conservative. It includes only those placement announcements that explicitly mention terms such as parents, mother, father, or family within the post text. Posts featuring parents in placement-day photographs without written references were not included. The actual number of students connecting their placement achievements with family support is therefore higher than the documented 22 posts across the 3,500+ placed cohort.
Placement Day infrastructure that supports first-generation outcomes
Placement Day at Parul University included specific elements designed to recognise the journey of students and their families. The campus procession allowed parents to walk alongside their children through the institution that supported their educational journey. The address by Soumya Dhakad’s parents marked the first time parents were given dedicated stage time during Placement Day proceedings. The event also included the preparation of 1,200 trophies for placed students, along with a balloon release and cultural performances as part of the formal celebrations.
Simran Chouhan, Event Faculty Coordinator of the Placement Cell, highlighted the significance of parents travelling from small towns across the country to participate in the celebrations and witness their children’s achievements. The procession held particular importance for these families. By including parents as active participants rather than treating Placement Day solely as a student-and-recruiter event, the university reinforced the broader family-centred perspective that many first-generation students associate with their academic and professional milestones.
FAQs
Are there first-generation college graduate stories from Parul University?
Yes. The 2026 placement season includes named first-generation graduate stories with publicly verifiable detail. Soumya Dhakad from a small town in Madhya Pradesh, B.Tech CSE with CGPA below 6.5, applied to 200+ off-campus opportunities before placement at a US-based multinational at 43 LPA, the highest current-batch package. His parents addressed the Placement Day gathering from the stage. Shailendra Soni had zero coding experience before joining Parul University and was placed at TCS Prime at 9 LPA, one of 3 Prime selections from 252 total TCS placements. Parth Bangoria took biology stream after Class 10, completed a polytechnic diploma, used the D2D lateral entry route into engineering, secured GATE AIR 9000 from 177,000 candidates, and was placed at Deloitte at 8 LPA. Yash Sanghvi entered through the Diploma Robotics pathway and was placed at Hero MotoCorp, one of 4 selected from 50 in the final round. Sanket Panchal entered through the Polytechnic D2D route and was placed at Tetra Pak. Each placement is publicly verifiable through the student's LinkedIn profile and the company hiring records.
Does Parul University support students from small-town and tier-2 city backgrounds?
Parul University admits students from across India including significant cohorts from small towns and tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The institutional infrastructure that supports these students includes the 250-acre campus with 27,000 in-campus residency capacity, eliminating the off-campus accommodation search that students from outside Vadodara would otherwise face. The 24x7 NABH-accredited Parul Sevashram Hospital on campus removes the medical-care dependency that off-campus living typically requires. The 146 Practical Learning Tours across 19 cities expose students to industries and metropolitan ecosystems they may not have engaged with previously. The 200+ professors from IITs, NITs, IISc, NIDs, and NIFTs bring teaching standards that students from smaller-town schools may not have encountered. Soumya Dhakad's placement at 43 LPA from a small-town family background is the most prominent case in the 2026 season.
Can students from polytechnic or diploma backgrounds get placed at Parul University?
Yes. Parul University admits students through the Diploma to Degree (D2D) lateral entry route, which allows students with polytechnic diploma qualifications to enter engineering programmes at the second-year level. Sanket Panchal entered through the Polytechnic D2D route and was placed at Tetra Pak. Yash Sanghvi entered through the Diploma Robotics pathway and was placed at Hero MotoCorp, one of 4 selected from 50 in the final round. Parth Bangoria's pathway crossed multiple inflection points including biology stream after Class 10, a polytechnic diploma, D2D lateral entry into engineering, and GATE AIR 9000, leading to Deloitte at 8 LPA. The placement cell engages students from diploma and polytechnic backgrounds through the same structured support that broader B.Tech students receive, with the IMPACT Training programme and the GCF certification pathway supporting the technical skill build that placement requires.
What support does Parul University provide for students with lower CGPA?
Placement at Parul University does not operate on a single CGPA threshold. The 2026 placement season's highest current-batch package of 43 LPA at a US-based multinational was secured by Soumya Dhakad with a CGPA below 6.5 across his B.Tech CSE programme. The placement cell's engagement extends beyond the on-campus recruitment drives to include off-campus application support, mock interview preparation through IMPACT Training, structured group discussion practice, and direct intervention when students hesitate to attend interviews. Shailendra Soni's TCS Prime placement was secured after the placement cell called him three times when he was about to skip the interview. The placement infrastructure supports students who do not fit the typical recruitment-filter profile through structured engagement with the off-campus opportunities and direct intervention at critical moments in the application process.
Can I see the Placement Day proceedings at Parul University?
Yes. The Placement Day proceedings from the 2026 season are documented through the placement cell's published video record. The video covers the formal proceedings including the procession through the campus with parents, the cultural performance, the balloon release, and the parental address from stage by Soumya Dhakad's parents. The Placement Day archive is accessible at the youtube.com link maintained by the placement cell. The 22 LinkedIn posts mentioning parents and family across the placed cohort are accessible through public LinkedIn search using terms including Parul University placement, Class of 2026, and the specific student names documented above.
