A girl from a modest family and a non-IIT background, Himani Gangwar carved her own path to Google with skill, grit, and relentless pursuit of excellence.

For millions of Indian students, a job at Google or Microsoft is seen as the preserve of IIT and IIM graduates. But Gangwar’s story proves that determination can outweigh degrees and that talent finds its own stage.

Raised in Ghaziabad, Himani did not have the advantage of an IIT or NIT brand name. Instead, she pursued her B.Tech in IT at Delhi Engineering College, where her consistency set her apart—ranking among the top three students for four consecutive semesters.

Even outside classrooms, she immersed herself in coding platforms, open-source projects, and advanced online courses, sharpening her technical edge.

She also led on the basketball court as vice-captain of her college team, honing teamwork and leadership skills that later fueled her professional journey.

Today, Himani is a Software Development Engineer (Level 3) at Google, a position that values coding brilliance and problem-solving depth far above academic tags.

Her journey offers hope to thousands of engineering students who fear their careers end without an IIT degree. By proving that skills, not labels, drive success, Himani has become an inspiration for every non-IITian dreaming big.

“Degrees may open doors, but skills keep you in the room,” she believes—a message that resonates in today’s global job market, where giants like Google and Amazon increasingly prioritise innovation and adaptability over institutional pedigree.

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