Meet man who cracked AIIMS at 16, became IAS at 22, quit civil services to build Rs 28520 crore ed-tech empire, now he is...

Success doesn’t come overnight, it takes focus, determination, and the courage to dream big. Roman Saini’s life story is a perfect example of this. From becoming a doctor at a young age to cracking the civil services exam and finally starting one of India’s top ed-tech platforms, his journey is truly inspiring.

Roman Saini is originally from Rajasthan. His father is an engineer and his mother is a homemaker. He was a bright student from the very beginning. At just 16 years old, Roman passed the AIIMS entrance exam—one of the toughest medical exams in India. He completed his MBBS by the age of 21 and began working at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) when he was just 18.

But Roman’s goals were not limited to medicine. He wanted to do more for society. While working as a medical intern in a village in Haryana, he saw how people lacked basic facilities. This deeply affected him and pushed him to think bigger. That’s when he decided to appear for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

At the age of 22, Roman cleared the UPSC exam and became an IAS officer. He served as a district collector in Madhya Pradesh. However, even after achieving this dream, he still felt there was more he wanted to do.

In 2015, Roman made a bold move, he quit his IAS job and decided to start something new. Along with his friends Gaurav Munjal and Hemesh Singh, he co-founded Unacademy, an online learning platform. Their goal was simple: to make good quality education available to everyone, especially students preparing for tough exams like UPSC.

Peak Valuation (2021–2022): Unacademy reached a peak valuation of USD 3.44 billion in March 2022, following substantial funding rounds. ​

Current Valuation (2025): Recent reports indicate that Unacademy is in acquisition talks with Allen Career Institute, with the proposed deal valuing Unacademy at USD 800 million. This marks a significant decline from its peak valuation. ​

As of 2022, Roman Saini earned Rs 88 lakh annually, while co-founder Gaurav Munjal earned Rs 1.58 crore and Hemesh Singh earned Rs 1.19 crore. Roman’s journey shows that with a clear purpose and strong will, it’s possible to change lives, including your own.