Meet IIT, IIM alumni, who quit high paying job to start working as security guard due to…, his name is…

Abhishek Kumar’s story shows paths to newcomers and how to understand details of any business from ground level, before actually starting it.

Written by: Anirudha Yerunkar Edited by: Anirudha Yerunkar

Published: July 16, 2025, 10:43 PM IST

Share

Share Article

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• X
• Email
• Telegram
• Linkedin

https://www.india.com/business/meet-iit-iim-alumni-who-quit-high-paying-job-to-start-working-as-security-guard-to-work-on-startup-his-name-is-abhishek-kumar-7949545/ Copy

While most graduates from IIT and IIM chase high-paying jobs in top corporations, Abhishek Kumar chose a different path. He quit a well-established corporate job and took up work as a security guard but not out of compulsion, but by choice. 

 Harsh Goenka’s Post On Abhishek Kumar

Recently, businessman Harsh Goenka shared Abhishek’s story on social media platform X. Abhishek is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and IIM Ahmedabad. He was working as a Vice President at Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment firm. But in 2016, he left that position not to switch jobs, but to work on building his own startup.

Why Abhishek Kumar Quit His Job?

In 2016, Abhishek met Vijay Arisetty, a Shaurya Chakra awardee and former Indian Air Force pilot, who is also an alumnus of NDA and ISB. Vijay believed that India’s urban spaces had vast potential for secure and smart community living.

Vijay convinced Abhishek that there was huge demand for digital tools in residential society for security and delivery management. The vision was further supported by Shreyans Daga, an alumnus of IIT Guwahati and ISB. Together, the trio co-founded MyGate, combining their expertise and experiences.

Story Of MyGate 

In 2016, Abhishek co-founded MyGate, a security and community management app. Today, MyGate is used in over 25,000 housing societies across India and serves more than 4 million users. But the journey wasn’t easy. Before developing the app, Abhishek wore a guard’s uniform and worked 14-hour shifts, just like any regular security guard.

On a LinkedIn post, Abhishek explained how he observed the routines of security guards, taking note of their challenges. He learned that guards receive dozens of calls daily, manage visitor records, and still face complaints from residents. Through this experience, he realized the core problems weren’t just technological, but also involved trust, design, and usability.

MyGate is a security and community management app that has become highly popular across India’s housing societies. It offers services like digital check-ins, visitor tracking, and delivery management, enhancing secure and smart living experiences.