For Aditya Arepalli, a comfortable start to his career was not enough. After graduating in Computer Science and securing a job in the technology sector, he could have continued on a familiar path, gaining experience, switching jobs, and gradually moving up the corporate ladder. Instead, as artificial intelligence began changing the technology industry, he made a decision that carried considerable risk: he quit his job and went back to university.Arepalli moved to the US to pursue a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence at the University at Buffalo. Two years later, that decision reportedly took him to Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Seattle, with a package of Rs 1.5 crore.The account was shared on X by user Vikas Alwys. The claims, including the compensation figure, have not been independently verified.
A promising career was already underway
Arepalli completed his B.Tech in Computer Science from IIIT Dharwad in 2022. Soon after, he entered the technology industry and joined Riverbed Technology.According to Alwys’ post, he was offered a package of around Rs 13 lakh a year and worked at the company for more than a year. It was hardly a bad position to be in for a young engineering graduate.But the technology sector was changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence was moving from being a specialised area of research to becoming a major part of software development, data science, and other technology functions.That shift appears to have made Arepalli reconsider where his career was headed.
He chose to study AI rather than simply watch the industry change
The decision to resign was not about walking away from technology. It was about going deeper into it. According to the post, Arepalli believed that a Master’s in AI could give him specialised knowledge and help him remain relevant as the industry evolved.He subsequently moved to the US and joined the University at Buffalo for a Master’s programme in Artificial Intelligence. His LinkedIn profile, as cited in the post, shows that he studied there from 2023 to 2025.His academic work covered areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision.For someone who had already started earning, going back to university meant putting a professional career on hold. It also meant taking on the cost and uncertainty associated with studying abroad. But Arepalli appears to have treated the degree as more than a qualification.
Coding, certifications and products became part of the journey
A foreign degree alone does not automatically translate into a technology job in the US. According to Alwys, Arepalli spent his time at university working on certifications, coding, and building products alongside his academic studies.That distinction is important. He was not merely adding another qualification to his CV. He was reportedly trying to build the practical skills that employers in a fast-changing technology market were looking for.By the time he completed his Master’s, he had academic exposure to AI and machine learning as well as experience working on practical projects. That preparation eventually opened the door to his next opportunity.
From a Rs 13 lakh package to a reported Rs 1.5 crore role
After completing his Master’s, Arepalli reportedly joined Amazon Web Services as a Software Engineer in Seattle.According to the X post, the role came with a package of Rs 1.5 crore. The reported jump is substantial. But the two salary figures tell only part of the story.Between the Rs 13 lakh job in India and the reported Rs 1.5 crore role in the US was a decision to step away from a secure position, spend two years pursuing specialized education, and invest heavily in developing new skills. There was no certainty that the gamble would work. That is what makes the story interesting.
Behind the success story is a photographer father
The most personal part of the story has little to do with AI or salary packages. According to Alwys, Arepalli is the son of a photographer who worked for years to support his children and their education.The post quoted his father reflecting on the sacrifices he made while raising his family and providing educational opportunities for his children.That part of the story struck a chord with social-media users. For many Indian families, a child’s education is not simply an expense. It is a long-term investment made through years of work and sacrifice. Parents often make choices in the present with the hope that their children will have better opportunities in the future.In Arepalli’s case, that investment appears to have travelled from a photographer’s work in India to his son’s reported career in one of the world’s biggest technology companies.
The bigger lesson is not the Rs 1.5 crore salary
It would be easy to reduce Arepalli’s story to a headline about a massive salary jump.But that misses the more interesting part. He did not leave his job because he had failed. He left after getting a foothold in the technology industry. He had already secured a respectable salary and was building professional experience.His decision was based on a belief that the industry was moving in a different direction and that he needed to move with it.That does not mean quitting a job and pursuing a foreign degree is the right choice for every professional. It is an expensive and risky decision, and there is no guarantee of a similar outcome.The more useful takeaway is simpler: skills have a shelf life, particularly in technology.As AI changes the way software is built and businesses operate, professionals are increasingly being pushed to keep learning. Sometimes that means a degree. Sometimes it means certifications, projects, specialised training or simply spending time mastering a new tool.For Arepalli, according to the account shared on social media, it meant starting over academically at a time when he could have continued earning.The reported AWS role suggests that the decision eventually worked in his favour.But perhaps the most important part of the journey came much earlier, when he decided that being comfortable today was not enough if he was not prepared for tomorrow.Disclaimer: This story is based on user-generated content shared on social media. The claims regarding Aditya Arepalli’s career, salary and employment have not been independently verified.
