IIT Hyderabad Alumnus Vivekananda Pasam Joins IIM Ahmedabad After 99.92 CAT Score

Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad alumnus Vivekananda Pasam has secured admission to the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad after scoring a 99.92 percentile in the Common Admission Test 2025, following a career journey that included civil services preparation and government service.

Pasam completed his Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Hyderabad in 2021. During campus placements, he received a job offer from Amazon to work as a Software Development Engineer. However, he chose not to join the firm, opting instead to prepare for the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination due to his interest in public policy, governance, and economics.

He dedicated nearly four years to preparing for the UPSC examination, appearing in 2022, 2023, and 2025. Although he cleared the Preliminary examination in all three attempts, he was unable to make the final selection list. Alongside his civil services preparation, Pasam also cleared the Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level examination and was selected as a Customs Inspector in September 2025.

After moving away from the UPSC path, Pasam redirected his focus toward management education. Preparing for approximately 45 days for CAT 2025, he secured a 99.92 percentile. The score helped him convert admission offers from all seven of the top Indian Institutes of Management. He ultimately chose to enroll in the 2026–28 programme at IIM Ahmedabad.

Reflecting on his journey, Pasam stated on LinkedIn that when he began preparing for business school interviews six months prior, he believed converting offers from the top IIMs was beyond his reach. He described his upcoming two years at the management institute as a test of his resilience, humility, and perseverance.