At just 18 years old, Mokshit Jain is already making waves in the world of artificial intelligence. This talented Delhi teenager has achieved remarkable success, impressing industry experts and landing a job immediately after completing his 12th-grade CBSE Board Exams. Dive into Mokshit’s inspiring story to learn more about his remarkable journey.
In India, it’s common for IIT and IIM graduates to land top startup jobs. However, breaking this mold is Mokshit Jain, a Delhi-based ace coder who’s making waves in the AI world without an IIT degree. Despite only holding a high school diploma, Mokshit’s exceptional talent has earned him a coveted position at a leading global AI startup, proving that excellence, not just credentials, can lead to success.
At just 18, Mokshit Jain has secured an impressive role as a Design Engineer at Cognition, a U.S.-based AI startup. Remarkably, this opportunity came knocking on his door merely months after receiving his CBSE 12th Board Results. Opting for a gap year to prioritise his career, Mokshit’s strategic decision paid off.
Mokshit’s fascinating story came into the limelight through his exclusive conversation with TimesNow.
Speaking of what drove his early success in the competitive world of artificial intelligence,
“I was already contributing to open source software for a long time, and had created a few libraries/projects of my own on GitHub used by thousands. It was this experience that really stood out to the team at Cognition. One thing led to another and after rounds of interviews I was offered the role in May.” Mokshit shares
Mokshit Jain’s coding journey was far from an innate talent. Instead, it was a gradual discovery.
“I got interested in computers when I was in Class 5, I think. There was this small software in which we were able to instruct the cursor to move left or right and draw basic shapes. It was mostly the aspect of doing art on a new canvas that got me hooked. And that interest kept growing but nothing really happened till I was in Class 9th. It was the year when COVID pandemic paralyzed the world and suddenly I had too much time at hand.”
With online schooling providing flexibility, Mokshit utilized his free time to nurture his coding passion. Did he enroll in specialized courses?
“Well no. I started with free tutorials available on YouTube. Very soon I was able to cover a lot and then that was when I started delving deeper into the languages and started writing my own code.” says Mokshit
Self-directed learning sparked remarkable growth. His family soon acknowledged his potential and extended support, encouraging Mokshit’s tireless quest for knowledge. He actively sought challenges and opportunities to refine his skills, propelling his coding journey forward.
“I participated in a lot of hackathons. I was adjudged the Regional Runner Up and Global Finalist with honourable mention in the NASA SpaceApps Challenge 2022. I created an accessible 3D tracker and viewers for the International Space Station that could be used on low compute devices like a feature phone without an internet connection. Liberty, the app, could also track and set a reminder for when the ISS would pass over your location. I also won the Apple WWDC Swift Student Challenge 2023. I was the youngest of the 3 winners selected from India for the challenge and among the 300 selected globally.” Mokshit shares
Amidst his coding endeavours, Mokshit remarkably balanced academics, achieving an outstanding 96.8% in his CBSE Class 12 exams, with a near-perfect 99% score in Computer Science and Chemistry. Today, he thrives in his role, leveraging the flexibility of remote work while enjoying the prestige and benefits of being part of an elite group of AI coders.
For Mokshit, being part of Cognition is a dream come true,
“Working with Cognition is just brilliant. I get to work with a very selective team of coders and all of them are just brilliant in the domain. We are talking about the best brains in the industry in AI. The company has just about 20 employees and recently got a valuation of US $2 Billion. It makes me extremely happy to be able to learn from such bright minds at such an early stage in my career.”
Beyond his professional endeavors, Mokshit’s coding enthusiasm has driven him to establish a CodeDay chapter in Delhi. At the time of the interview, he was diligently organizing and coordinating CodeDay at IIT Delhi as the Lead Organizer. Notably, he observed an unprecedented surge of interest from high school students across India eager to participate in the event, a testament to the growing coding fervor among young minds.
For Mokshit, coding is a thrilling experience that’s amplified when shared with others. “Coding is fun and it gets better when you interact with others. CodeDay helps me reach out and inspire other minds and I look forward to these two days!” Through initiatives like CodeDay, he aims to spread coding enthusiasm and foster connections among young minds.
As for his future plans, Mokshit dispels notions that he’s forsaken higher education. On the contrary, graduation remains a priority. “I obviously have a lot to learn still and graduation is definitely on the table.” He views his current work experience as an opportunity to refine his skills, but college is firmly on his horizon. “It was just about prioritising, and the opportunity presented me with the advantage of learning and improving my skill. So, for now, it’s work, but for sure next year I am looking forward to starting college.”
With a promising start, Mokshit’s future appears bright. As we extend our best wishes for his journey, we invite him to share parting advice for India’s youth.
“Oh, I am only 18 and I guess I still have miles to go. But I do want to ask my friends to believe in their abilities and be unafraid in exploring or experimenting. Reach out to people and talk…you don’t know which conversation or event might turn your life around.”
Mokshit’s message embodies humility and encouragement, urging young individuals to trust themselves, explore opportunities, and engage fearlessly with others – for it is often unexpected connections that can transform lives.
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