Why I Quit TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) in Just Four Months

Back in 2013, I was a fresh-faced 22-year-old, ready to kick-start my career at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). I joined their trainee program in Hyderabad, and at first, everything seemed great. Despite coming from an average college in an average city, I was one of the top trainees. I felt like I was on the right path.

But then, I got posted to Kolkata. That’s when reality hit.

"We Don't Care About Your Aspirations"

In Kolkata, I was assigned to a resource manager, whose job was to place employees into projects. The problem? None of the projects felt right for me. I was great at problem-solving, but the roles they offered didn’t align with my strengths. I even remember pretending to be less capable in project interviews because I couldn't imagine spending years doing something that didn't excite me.

Some of my colleagues were happy to go with the flow. Some waited on the bench, hoping for a better assignment. Others just counted the days until payday. I, however, wanted something more.

Determined to find meaningful work, I approached the resource managers, explaining my desire to solve hard problems. They showed little interest. So, I went a step further—I reached out to a senior resource manager, hoping she’d understand.

I told her, "I aspire to solve hard problems, and I’m good at it." I even referenced TCS’s internal learning platform—ironically called "Aspire"—to prove my point.

Her response? A cold, indifferent statement that still sticks with me today:

"We don’t care about your aspirations."

That was it. In that moment, I knew I had to leave.

Walking Away from "Stability"

I packed my bags and returned to my hometown, Bhubaneswar. At one point, I even considered absconding from TCS, but I wasn’t that rebellious back then. Fortunately, my family supported my decision ❤️.

My brother gave me a piece of advice that changed my trajectory: Join a startup.

Back in 2013, startups in India were nowhere near as big as they are today. But I wasn’t chasing money—I was chasing meaningful work. Eventually, I found a role at a startup working on Language AI, a field barely existent in India at the time. Whether it was luck or fate, I’ll never know.

The next day, I went back to Kolkata, officially resigned from TCS, and left for good.

Fast Forward: Building My Own Startup

In 2020, I quit my job again. This time, I wasn’t running away from something—I was running toward something bigger.

I started NeuralSpace, my own AI company, solving complex problems with a team that shares the same aspirations I had back in 2013.

Today, 11 years after leaving TCS, I’m still an average engineer, but I’m doing work that excites me every day. I struggle, I learn, I grow. And most importantly, I hire people not just for their skills, but for their aspirations.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: Aspiration and hunger to solve hard problems are often enough to build something meaningful.

🚀 If you’re stuck in a place where they don’t care about your aspirations, maybe it’s time to move on.

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