From NEET Setback to Rs 72.3 LPA: Karnataka’s Rithuparna KS Lands Rolls-Royce Role at 20.

Mangaluru, June 26, 2026.

‘One Exam Doesn’t Define You’: Rithuparna KS Missed MBBS, Now Earns Rs 72.3 Lakh at Rolls-Royce

 The Setback That Sparked a Detour.

For Rithuparna KS, 20, from Koduru, Thirthahalli taluk, the plan was medicine. But when NEET didn’t fetch a government MBBS seat, she reluctantly joined Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management in 2022 through CET.

“After PUC, my dream was to become a doctor. However, when my NEET results did not fetch a govt seat… Though disheartened initially, from day one of college, I began exploring and ideating,”she told media.

Building, Not Brooding.

Rithuparna enrolled in Mechatronics, Robotics and Automation Engineering. Without an IIT tag, she focused on hands-on innovation:

Agri-tech robot: Designed a robotics-based arecanut harvester and sprayer with her team, winning gold and silver medals at the Goa INEX international competition.

Research tie-ups: Contributed to robotic surgery studies with doctors and worked with a research team at NITK Surathkal.

Civic tech: Helped develop a mobile app for solid waste management, interacting directly with Dakshina Kannada’s Deputy Commissioner.

 Among 15 students selected for the DC Fellowship Programme solving real-world problems.

The Rolls-Royce Breakthrough.

Driven to intern globally, Rithuparna emailed Rolls-Royce. The reply was blunt: they doubted she could finish even one task in a month. She asked for a chance.

Given a one-month assignment, she completed it in a week. More tasks followed. Over eight months, she juggled late-night shifts with college, keeping the internship secret from family until the offer came.

“My academic milestones, projects and rigorous interviews helped me get an internship with Rolls-Royce,” she said.

The Paycheck That Proves It.

In December 2024, Rolls-Royce extended a pre-placement offer for its Jet Engine Manufacturing Division. 

Initial package: Rs 39.6 LPA. By April 2025, impressed with her work, the company revised it to Rs 72.3 LPA. She is now the youngest woman in the division, training in Texas.

 Beyond the Package

Rithuparna’s LinkedIn reads: “I am a dedicated enthusiast pursuing robotics and automation engineering. I enjoy learning new things, developing ideas and provide solutions to the relevant problems.”

She completed schooling at St Agnes, Mangalore, and is currently a sixth-semester student at Sahyadri.

Rithuparna’s path wasn’t linear. She missed MBBS, dropped UPSC plans, and picked robotics as “Plan B.” That pivot  plus gold medals, NITK research, and an internship she turned from doubt to dominance  landed her a Rs 72.3-lakh role at 20. As her story shows, failing one exam doesn’t mean failing at success.