“Ordinary people like us could not solve a single question; it was tough. But when they announced the results, parago was tied in second place,” said Devendra Kumar Agarwal, who also joined IITB in 2001 but in the Department of Electrical Engineering. “I remember Parag as calm, friendly and talented,” said the Dexter Capital founder.
His hostel mates also shared their memories. “The first year of IITB is interesting. Everyone is trying to establish his footing because at the local level everyone is the hero of his city or coaching class, but he scored 10/10 after the first year and established himself as the smartest person. Ram Kakkaro, who was from the same Hostel 4 on the Powai campus and now heads the product division at Hypertrack, Seattle.
Describing him as a clear thinker, level-headed and helpful, Kakkar recalled how he accidentally collided with Parag on the streets of New York in 2016, when Parag was closing between New York and San Francisco. “We had a meal together and I talked about my start-up and he talked passionately about Twitter.”
A student of Atomic Energy Central School, School 4, Parag later joined Atomic Energy Junior College. His teachers remember him as a front-bencher who was innovative in his thinking. Principal Anand Kumar said, “Her teachers Omita Mandal and Smita Bobhate rated her problem-solving skills and thinking ability as top-notch in the class.” He was awarded for securing high marks in class XII examination and winning gold medal in International Physics Olympiad.
Parag’s father, 72-year-old Ram Gopal Agrawal, who retired from BARC’s Refueling Technology Division in 2011, said mathematics was his forte since childhood. “He was always interested in computers and cars. Whenever we used to travel, he would always pick up magazines and literature on these subjects,” said his mother Shashi (67). Her mother took voluntary retirement from VJTI (where she was Professor of Economics and Management) to spend time with the family. Parag’s sister Kunal is a faculty at Washington University. The parents currently reside in Thane.
While Parag always did well in his studies, he surprised them by becoming one of the top 10 ranks in the state in class XII board. He said, ‘We never considered becoming a topper as a big deal. If he was doing well, we were happy with him,” mother Shashi told TOI. Growing up in BARC must have also contributed in some way to his success, his mother said. “BARC had its own culture. The kids were competitive but at the same time helped each other out,” she said.
By the time he graduated from IIT-Bombay, he had received job offers from Capital One and another Bengaluru firm, but chose to pursue further studies. “He applied to six universities, got selected in five, and eventually chose Stanford for a PhD in computer science,” said his mother.
His mother said, “His wife Vinita Agarwal is also a big force behind his success.” When asked about his reaction to Big Twitter Making the announcement on Monday, she said, “We were excited by the news. On the video call, we just smiled at each other and that was enough. Whatever he has achieved is because of God’s grace and people’s blessings.” Parag last visited India in March 2020, before the pandemic.
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