For many engineering graduates in India, receiving a job offer from a major tech company is considered a big achievement. It signifies job stability, a regular salary, and the opportunity to kickstart a career with one of the country’s leading IT firms.
But the story of one young graduate who turned down the offer to start a rice business has now gone viral online.
The story behind the viral post
The story was shared by an X user who said a friend of his was offered a job at TCS but decided not to take it. TCS is one of India’s biggest IT companies and is a popular choice for engineering graduates during campus placements.
According to the post, people around the man believed that rejecting the offer was “the biggest mistake of his life.” But the post claims that things turned out very differently.
The man is now said to be running a rice trading business that earns him around ₹25 lakh a year.
According to the post, his business model is fairly simple. He buys rice directly from farmers in different states, cleans and packs it under his own brand and then sells it to retailers.
The post says he buys the rice from farmers at ₹35 per kg. Packaging costs another ₹3 per kg, while transportation costs ₹2 per kg. This brings his total cost to ₹40 per kg.
He then sells the rice to retailers for ₹50 per kg. The retailers sell it to customers for around ₹55 to ₹57 per kg. That gives the business a reported margin of ₹10 per kg. The man reportedly supplies around 200 quintals of rice every month to a fixed network of 200 retail shops.
Based on the figures shared in the post, selling 20,000 kg of rice every month at a ₹10 per kg margin would bring in around ₹2 lakh a month. That works out to roughly ₹24 lakh a year, which is close to the ₹25 lakh annual income claimed in the post.
The post has been widely shared and quote-tweeted, touching on a topic that often gets people talking on Indian social media.
The Financial Express has not independently verified this number.
My friend got a placement at TCS.
— Ankit Pandey (@iamankitpande) July 24, 2026
He rejected it.
Everyone said he was making the biggest mistake of his life.
Today, he earns around ₹25 lakh a year selling rice.
He buys rice directly from farmers across multiple villages and states, cleans it, packs it under his own… pic.twitter.com/93Ih45YckG
Why the story is striking a chord
The post has also appeared at a time when people are already talking about IT-sector hiring, salaries for entry-level workers at large IT companies and the growing appeal of small businesses and agribusiness ventures.
Stories that compare a fixed corporate salary with the possible earning potential of owning a business often spread quickly, especially among students and young professionals who are trying to decide what they want to do with their careers.
“Its allabout taking risk and moving ahead with your ultimate purpose of life , those who dare will achieve it,” one person commented. “Degree or not, owning your distribution and building a real economy supply chain will beat a standard corporate salary every single time,” another said.
The viral story comes at a time when India’s job market is going through some major changes. Government data also shows that self-employment has grown over the years.
According to figures cited in India’s Economic Survey, the share of self-employed workers increased from 52.2% in 2017-18 to 58.4% in 2023-24.
During the same period, the share of people working in regular salaried jobs fell from 22.8% to 21.7%. The share of casual workers also dropped from 24.9% to 19.8%.
A 2026 analysis by Newslaundry, based on the Azim Premji University’s State of Working India 2026 report and a separate NCAER study, argued that much of India’s recent employment growth has come from self-employment and agriculture rather than salaried jobs.
The analysis said earnings from self-employment have largely remained stagnant, suggesting that some young Indians may be entering business because they cannot find regular jobs.
At the same time, India has seen a major expansion in its startup and small-business ecosystem. The Startup India initiative has recognised more than 1.6 lakh startups across sectors ranging from fintech to farming. Together, these startups have created nearly 17.6 lakh jobs. Government-backed lending for small businesses has also grown.
Disclaimer: The content in this article is based on a viral social media discussion and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The financial figures and strategies mentioned are personal to the user and have not been independently verified. This story does not constitute financial advice or an endorsement of any specific investment strategy. Readers are advised to consult a SEBI-registered investment advisor before making financial decisions.