Who is Sumit Mittal, the tech mentor who failed JEE twice and later secured AIR 4?

When students scroll through social media and see success stories, they often see the highlights — top ranks, big companies, founder titles. What they rarely see are the failures that came first.

In a recent X post, Sumit Mittal wrote something that struck a chord with thousands of students: he failed IIT JEE twice. He failed his chemistry pre-board exam. His family went through a financial crisis. He worked at a call center. He completed his BCA from a distant college. He started teaching just four students in a small room.


Today, he is the founder of Trendytech, an alumnus of National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, a former engineer at Cisco and VMware, and a mentor to over 30,000 IT professionals.

So, who is Sumit Mittal, and why does his story matter to students and freshers today?

Early failures that could have ended the journey

For lakhs of students in India, IIT JEE is more than an exam. It becomes an identity marker. Clearing it often defines confidence; failing it can shake self-belief. Sumit did not clear IIT JEE once. He failed twice.

Around the same time, he also failed his chemistry pre-board exam — something many students consider a warning sign before board exams. Add to that a financial crisis at home, and the pressure multiplies. For many families, education is the only way upward. When money is tight, every exam feels heavier.

To support himself, he worked at a call center. There was no prestigious campus tag. No early corporate internship. He completed his BCA from a distant college — not from a brand-name institution that guarantees visibility.

For many freshers reading this, this phase may feel familiar: self-doubt, financial pressure, comparing yourself to peers from IITs and NITs, wondering if you are already “behind.”

But this was not the end of his story.

The comeback: AIR 4 and NIT Trichy

Instead of letting repeated setbacks define him, Sumit focused on preparation strategy. He shifted from chasing labels to building concepts deeply.

The turning point came when he secured All India Rank 4 in NIMCET. That rank opened the doors to pursue his Master of Computer Applications at the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli between 2010 and 2013.

For students who believe one exam decides everything, this phase is important. IIT JEE did not work out for him. Another national-level exam did.

His journey shows that there is rarely only one doorway to success.

Building credibility in top tech firms

After completing MCA, Sumit entered the technology industry when Big Data was still expanding rapidly.

At Cisco (2013–2017), he worked as a Big Data Developer, designing and developing large-scale data systems that analysed extensive sales data. He handled enterprise-level integration projects and collaborated with global teams.

He later joined VMware (2017–2019) as a Member of Technical Staff. There, he led the design and implementation of VMC on AWS Analytics, built scalable cloud-based data engineering pipelines, and established monitoring systems to ensure reliability.

These were not entry-level support roles. They were high-responsibility technical positions in product-based companies.

Alongside work, he continued to upgrade his skills through specialised programs at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani and International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore, strengthening his expertise in Big Data and analytics.

For freshers worried about skill gaps, his path underlines one truth: learning does not stop with a degree.

From four students to 30,000+ professionals

In 2019, Sumit founded Trendytech in Bengaluru with a single goal — to change lives through Data Engineering and GenAI training.

He did not start with funding announcements or massive classrooms. He began by teaching four students in a small room.

Today, he has trained more than 30,000 IT professionals. Many of his learners now work at top product-based companies such as Microsoft, Walmart, Google, VISA and Mastercard. His flagship programs focus on industry-ready tools like PySpark, Databricks, AWS Cloud Services, Data Modeling, System Design, Agentic AI, RAG and LangChain.

His approach, as he describes it, is structured preparation that gives learners exposure equivalent to four-plus years of real industry experience.

Why his story resonates now

At a time when competition is intense and rejection emails are common, Sumit Mittal’s journey feels relatable.

He was not a topper from day one. He did not clear India’s toughest entrance exam. He did not start from a top-tier college. He faced financial hardship. Yet he built expertise step by step.

For students preparing for competitive exams, struggling with backlogs, or feeling anxious about placements, his message is simple: rejections do not mean you are incapable. They may simply mean you need a different strategy, a different exam, or a longer runway.

Success, as his journey shows, is rarely linear. It is built through repeated attempts, skill development, and resilience.

For many young aspirants, the most powerful line from his post is not about Cisco or NIT Trichy. It is this: “Life is supposed to be full of ups and downs. I saw both sides.”

And that is perhaps the most relatable part of all.
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