In a jaw-dropping development that’s sending ripples through the global tech world, Trapit Bansal, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and former OpenAI researcher, has been hired by Meta Platforms Inc. with a staggering multi-year compensation package worth ₹800 crore — one of the highest ever offered to an Indian tech talent.
Sources close to the deal reveal that the compensation includes a mix of stock options, performance-linked bonuses, and base pay spread over several years, with Bansal expected to lead a new frontier in AI-driven infrastructure and large-scale multimodal models at Meta.
A rising star in the AI research community, Trapit Bansal earned acclaim for his groundbreaking work in natural language understanding, representation learning, and machine reasoning during his tenure at OpenAI. His academic journey began at IIT Kanpur, where he graduated with top honors before moving on to pursue advanced research in the United States.
Meta’s decision to onboard Bansal underscores the company’s aggressive push to remain at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation. With AI increasingly at the core of social media, the metaverse, and digital assistants, hiring top talent like Bansal is a strategic move to outpace competitors such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI itself.
“Trapit is not just a brilliant mind—he’s a visionary in the AI space,” said a senior Meta executive on condition of anonymity. “His leadership will be instrumental as we build the next generation of AI systems that are ethical, powerful, and scalable.”
Bansal’s astronomical offer has captured headlines across India, serving as a proud moment for the country’s STEM and IIT communities. His achievement is being hailed as a symbol of India’s growing influence in global deep tech leadership.
From the classrooms of IIT Kanpur to the forefront of Silicon Valley innovation, Trapit Bansal’s story is a powerful testament to Indian talent taking center stage on the world’s most competitive platforms.
