Humans of Kalvium
Yagna Kusumanchi had already done something most engineering graduates never do. By the time he finished 11th grade, he’d written and published “Python 3.0 for Beginners,” a book that Telangana State University would later adopt as a reference text for their Python Programming course.
His father, a government teacher, was proud. His mother watched her son spend countless hours on something he genuinely cared about. Publishing a book at that age isn’t just impressive. It’s the kind of thing that changes how you see yourself and what you think you’re capable of.
Self-learning had taken him there. He’d picked up programming in 9th standard after a friend introduced him to the world of code. No formal training, no structured guidance. Just curiosity and the internet. He learned Python because he was interested in artificial intelligence and machine learning. He wrote the book because he wanted to help his elder brother, who was also learning to code.
The book became something bigger than he expected. But Yagna knew that writing about Python and actually building software that solves real problems are two different skills.
When Yagna came across Kalvium, his brother was already here, studying AI and ML in his third year. Yagna read through the entire brochure. One thought stayed with him: “Is there any program like this in India?”
What he saw was an approach that matched how he thought about learning. Students weren’t spending most of their time in lectures and exams. They were writing actual code, working on projects, getting hands-on experience from the beginning. The kind of learning where you don’t just understand concepts. You use them to build something, see what breaks, fix it, and understand why it works.
For someone who had taught himself to code, that approach made sense.
Yagna joined Kalvium not because he needed to start from scratch. He joined because he wanted an environment where continuous building and real application were normal, not exceptions.
The difference became clear. In most programs, students attend lectures, take notes, and hope everything connects when they graduate. At Kalvium, learning happens differently. More time writing code than listening to theory. More time solving actual problems than memorizing solutions. The subjects went beyond standard computer science material. The work was challenging. The expectations were clear.
Yagna’s parents noticed the change. Not just in what he was learning, but in how he was approaching problems. How he was thinking. How he was growing.
Today, Yagna is in his fourth year, working as an SDE Intern at Morgan Stanley. He’s writing code that runs in live systems. Solving real engineering challenges. Contributing to work that matters.
The book he wrote in 11th grade remains a significant achievement. It shows what self-driven learning and curiosity can accomplish. But what Yagna is doing now, the way he engineers solutions, the way he thinks through complex problems, the work he’s contributing at Morgan Stanley, that’s the transformation that happens when talent meets the right environment.
Kalvium didn’t replace what Yagna built on his own. It gave him the structure, the challenges, and the space to take that foundation further than self-learning alone could have.
If you’re in 12th grade and thinking about what engineering education should actually look like, our Academic Counselors can walk you through what this kind of learning involves.
FAQs
What if I’m not as advanced as Yagna when I join?
Most students aren’t. Yagna’s story is his own path. Kalvium accepts students based on potential and willingness to work hard, not prior achievements. The program is designed to challenge students at every level.
How does practical learning actually work?
You spend more time writing code and building projects than sitting in lectures. You work on real problems, not just textbook exercises. You learn by doing, making mistakes, fixing them, and understanding how things actually work.
Does hands-on experience while studying really make a difference?
By graduation, you’ve already built real work. You’ve written code, solved actual problems, and created things that function in real environments. You’re not starting from zero when you begin your career.
Is this program only for students who already know how to code?
No. It’s for students who want to solve hard problems and are ready to put in the work. Prior knowledge helps, but your mindset and willingness to learn matter more.
What makes Kalvium different from other engineering programs?
Most programs teach theory first and hope students learn application later. Kalvium reverses that. You start building from day one. The curriculum and the environment are built around one goal: developing engineers who can solve real problems.