Trapit Bansal, a Mathematics and Statistics graduate from IIT Kanpur, has secured an Rs 800 crore compensation package from Meta to join its AI research team in 2025. His journey from IIT Kanpur to the pinnacle of artificial intelligence research showcases how deep academic foundations in core subjects can lead to extraordinary career outcomes.
IIT Kanpur and IISc Built His Foundation
Bansal completed a five-year integrated MSc in Mathematics and Statistics at IIT Kanpur between 2007 and 2012. Unlike most students who pursued computer science, he chose mathematics and statistics. This strong foundation became the backbone of his work in modern AI and machine learning. After graduating, he spent over two years as a research assistant at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, working in its machine learning lab.
PhD and Research at Top US University
Bansal moved to the United States for higher education and earned both a Masters and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During his doctoral research, he focused on advanced subjects including natural language processing (NLP), deep learning, and meta-learning. These skills would later define his career in cutting-edge AI development.
Internships at Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI
While pursuing his studies, Bansal completed research internships at some of the world’s biggest technology companies. He worked at Meta (formerly Facebook), Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. These internships gave him real-world experience solving complex technology problems. At each company, he worked on deep learning, knowledge graphs, and natural language processing.
OpenAI and the Big Move to Meta
In 2022, Bansal joined OpenAI as part of its technical team. He worked directly with renowned AI researcher Ilya Sutskever on reasoning and reinforcement learning-based AI models. His contributions were significant in developing advanced AI systems. In 2025, Meta recognised his exceptional talent and offered him the Rs 800 crore package to join its AI research division. This success story proves that deep expertise in a subject combined with continuous learning can open doors to the world’s most prestigious technology companies.
