When Anumula Jithendar Reddy secured the All India Rank 1 in the IIT JEE 2010, the world expected him to climb the corporate ladder or become a celebrated engineer in India. However, Reddy had different plans. Despite his extraordinary academic success, few could predict the unconventional path he would take—a journey that led him to the halls of ETH Zurich, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world.
Born and raised in Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, Jithendar was surrounded by an environment that encouraged learning. His father, Ramachandra Reddy, a professor at the National Institute of Technology, and his mother, T. Shobha, a teacher at a local government school, ensured that education was paramount. Jithendar’s journey began at St. Gabriel’s High School, where he showed an exceptional aptitude for science and mathematics.
Driven by ambition, Jithendar spent years preparing for the JEE exams, the gateway to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). In 2010, his hard work paid off when he achieved the coveted Rank 1. His choice? Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay, where his fascination with physics only grew deeper.
However, Jithendar’s story doesn’t follow the expected trajectory. After completing his B.Tech, he interned with QEA Eduventures and then joined Caltech SURFriends in California. This international exposure led him to pursue a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from ETH Zurich in Switzerland, which he completed in 2017.
Today, Jithendar is not the typical IIT alum climbing corporate ladders. Instead, he is a PhD scholar at the Institute of Neuroinformatic, a joint program between ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. His groundbreaking research has already led to several publications, as he works at the intersection of engineering and neuroscience—an area that continues to fuel his passion for knowledge.
