{"id":44551,"date":"2025-12-20T07:00:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T01:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/?post_type=story&p=44551"},"modified":"2025-12-20T11:51:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T06:21:51","slug":"ashish-kumar-verma-national-recognition-an-iit-delhi-exit-and-skill-based-route-to-microsoft","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/ashish-kumar-verma-national-recognition-an-iit-delhi-exit-and-skill-based-route-to-microsoft\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashish Kumar Verma: National recognition, an IIT Delhi exit, and a little-known skill-based path to Microsoft"},"content":{"rendered":"

(December 20, 2025) <\/strong>When Ashish Kumar Verma joined Microsoft this November as a software engineer at its Hyderabad IDC, the 19-year-old entered the company as one of the youngest to be hired this year. His professional path would have blended naturally into the steady stream of campus placements and lateral hires, except for one detail that instantly sparked curiosity. Earlier this year, Ashish had cracked JEE Advanced and joined IIT Delhi\u2019s Engineering Physics programme but then chose to step away. Yet he still joined Microsoft with an undergraduate credential in hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMicrosoft considers both a degree and equivalent experience,\u201d Ashish explains while speaking to Global Indian<\/em><\/a>. Through India\u2019s skill-based certification framework, he had already earned an undergraduate-level credential assessed on demonstrable competencies rather than years of classroom attendance. \u201cI won the National Skills,\u201d he adds, \u201cso through NCVET<\/a> and Skill India<\/a>, I got a UG certificate.\u201d Designed to formally recognise industry-ready capabilities, this system allows work done in real-world settings such as Ashish\u2019s experience with startups, including YC-backed companies, to be evaluated and certified as academically equivalent. While still unfamiliar to many, it is becoming increasingly significant in technology hiring.<\/p>\n

\"Ashish

His body of work between 2021 and 2024 formed the foundation of this undergraduate-level certification under India\u2019s Skill India Mission. The assessment was conducted through the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), the government body responsible for formally validating vocational and skill-based qualifications. Rather than classroom credits, the evaluation focused on industry-grade outputs like projects, competitive achievements, and professional experience across startups and deep-tech environments which were then certified as academically equivalent to an undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI took admission this year,\u201d he says of IIT Delhi, \u201cbut the spark was missing for me.\u201d For Microsoft the demonstrated capability of the youngster mattered although he had followed an unconventional route. The multinational company put him through the same process of interviews, technical rounds, and evaluations as any other candidate following a conventional academic path, before finally hiring him.<\/span><\/p>\n

National recognition, global exposure and solid skill track\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

This present-day milestone of the youngster becomes clearer when seen against the longer arc of his journey. Long before college choices entered the picture, he had already built a reputation as a consistent achiever. As a school student deeply immersed in science and technology, his projects brought him onto national platforms. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice, once even sharing the stage with him as an anchor during <\/span>Pariksha Pe Charch<\/i>a<\/i>. On another occasion, while showcasing a science project, a discussion with the Prime Minister around student screen habits inspired Ashish to build NamasteScreen<\/i>, an open-source application designed to reduce mobile phone distractions and improve focus among students.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Ashish Kumar Verma (@imdigitalashish)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n