From VIT to Shaping Global AI - The Inspiring Journey of Soumith Chintala - Blogs

From VIT to Shaping Global AI - The Inspiring Journey of Soumith Chintala

August 4, 2026

- Gayathri Mohan

In the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence, few names carry as much weight as Soumith Chintala, our alumnus from the B.Tech. Information Technology, 2005-2009 Batch. As the co-creator of PyTorch, the open-source deep learning framework that powers systems at Tesla, OpenAI, and Meta, Soumith has fundamentally reshaped how researchers and engineers build AI.
Today, as Chief Technology Officer at Thinking Machines Lab, he stands at the pinnacle of global tech leadership. Yet, his journey didn’t start in an elite Ivy League hall or an IIT campus. It began right here in the classrooms and labs of VIT Vellore.

The Early Days: Passion over Pedigree
Born and raised in Hyderabad, Soumith grew up in a household without a personal computer, getting his first taste of technology at a neighbour’s house. When he joined VIT Vellore to pursue his B.Tech., he brought with him a relentless curiosity and a passion for problem-solving.
While conventional tech lore often emphasises premier institutional tags, Soumith proved that dedication, core engineering fundamentals, and practical skill matter far more than label prestige.

Overcoming Rejections and Setbacks
Soumith’s rise to the top was anything but smooth. When he applied to universities in the United States for higher studies, the path was met with mounting disappointment: 27 universities rejected his application.
Instead of stepping back, he persisted until New York University (NYU) accepted him. At NYU, his dedication caught the eye of Turing Award winner and AI pioneer Yann LeCun, opening the doors to cutting-edge deep learning research.
Even after graduating, the hurdles continued when he faced multiple rejections while breaking into the nascent AI industry and later, was forced to briefly leave the US due to immigration challenges. He used every setback as motivation to sharpen his technical chops and publish impactful work.

The PyTorch Revolution
In 2014, Soumith joined Meta’s Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team. Recognising that existing deep learning tools were rigid and cumbersome for researchers, he co-created PyTorch. After 11 years at Meta, where he rose to the rank of Vice President, Soumith embarked on his next chapter as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Thinking Machines Lab, continuing to push the boundaries of intelligence. Soumith Chintala’s career exemplifies the spirit of innovation, resilience, and excellence that VIT strives to instil in every student!

From VIT to Shaping Global AI – The Inspiring Journey of Soumith Chintala