Ashu From Hisar to Licious Engineer (2026)

For every B.Tech student scrolling through LinkedIn, the journey from a tier-3 college campus to a coveted product-based company can feel like a distant dream. The story of Ashu, a Computer Science graduate from Hisar, who landed a software engineer role at Licious for 2026, proves that path is not just possible but can be mapped with the right resources—many of which are completely free. His journey from local coding contests to a ₹22 LPA offer is a masterclass in strategic, self-driven learning in the Indian tech landscape.

The Foundation: Mastering DSA on a Budget

Ashu’s first realization was that cracking the coding rounds of companies like Licious, Flipkart, or Swiggy demanded exceptional problem-solving skills. He knew his college curriculum wouldn't be enough. Instead of expensive bootcamps, he built his core competency using freely available, high-quality content.

Primary Platform: He followed Striver (takeUforward)'s famous SDE Sheet religiously, treating it as his daily coding bible. The structured topic-wise approach was crucial.
Conceptual Clarity: For deep dives into algorithms, Gate Smashers and Jenny's Lectures on YouTube became his go-to for understanding the "why" behind complex data structures.
Consistent Practice: He maintained a LeetCode and GeeksforGeeks profile, starting with easy problems and gradually tackling medium and hard ones. His goal was consistency, not just quantity.

His strategy was simple but disciplined:

Pick one data structure (e.g., Binary Trees) from Striver's list.
Watch conceptual videos from Gate Smashers to build intuition.
Solve 10-15 curated problems on GeeksforGeeks, focusing on pattern recognition.
Revise the entire topic's problems every weekend.

Building the Project Portfolio That Stood Out

Ashu understood that a resume filled only with DSA practice wouldn't pass the screening at product-based companies. He needed tangible proof of his ability to build. He focused on creating 2-3 "depth-over-breadth" projects that solved real problems, using tech stacks mentioned in Licious, Zomato, and Freshworks job descriptions.

He leveraged free platforms to learn these stacks:

Full-Stack Development: He used freeCodeCamp's entire curriculum to master the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js), building along with their projects.
Cloud & Deployment: To make his projects live and operational, he learned AWS fundamentals through AWS Educate (free for students) and deployed his applications, adding crucial DevOps touchpoints to his resume.
Real-World Problem: His key project was a "Hyperlocal Grocery Inventory Manager" inspired by Licious's core logistics. It used React for the frontend, Node.js for the backend, and integrated a map API for location tracking—directly showcasing relevant domain interest.

Cracking the Internship Gate

Ashu knew the 2026 full-time offer was preceded by a critical summer internship at Licious. To get there, he first targeted off-campus internships to gain experience. He applied aggressively to startups like Razorpay, Zerodha, and Paytm on AngelList and Instahyre.

His preparation for internship interviews included:

Behavioral Round Prep: He practiced the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method using common questions from Apna College's interview experience videos.
CS Fundamentals Review: For OS, DBMS, and CN rounds, he revisited his college notes supplemented by NPTEL video lectures from IIT professors, which are free on SWAYAM.
Mock Interviews: He partnered with peers from coding communities to conduct mock interviews, simulating pressure.

This grind led to a summer internship at a mid-stage startup, which provided him with the industry experience and points to discuss during his Licious interviews.

The Licious Interview Journey

The interview process for the 2026 engineer role was rigorous. Ashu's preparation paid off at each stage.

Online Assessment: This mirrored a standard coding contest with DSA problems and a SQL query question. His daily LeetCode habit was key here.
Technical Rounds (2): The interviewers dug deep into his projects. They asked him to explain his "Grocery Inventory" architecture, justify his choice of database, and suggest scalability improvements. One round was purely DSA, where he had to code a solution for a real-time logistics optimization problem on a shared editor.
System Design Round: For a pre-placement offer role, this round was pivotal. He was asked to design a simplified version of a "Meal Kit Subscription Service." He used principles he learned from CodeWithHarry's system design basics series and free articles, focusing on low-level design for a specific component.
HR & Cultural Fit: This round with the hiring manager focused on motivation, alignment with Licious's mission of revolutionizing meat delivery, and long-term goals. His genuine interest in the company's tech challenges, which he had researched on their engineering blog, shone through.

Key Resources That Made It Free & Possible

Ashu's toolkit cost him virtually nothing but his time and dedication. Here’s a consolidated list of the free resources he swears by:

DSA & Coding: Striver's SDE Sheet, CodeWithHarry (for beginner-friendly explanations), LeetCode, GeeksforGeeks.
CS Fundamentals: NPTEL/SWAYAM courses, Gate Smashers YouTube channel.
Full-Stack & Projects: freeCodeCamp, The Odin Project, Apna College (for project ideas).
Interview Prep: YouTube channels for interview experiences, Pramp (for free mock interviews), and Coursera courses accessed via Financial Aid for specific topics like Algorithms.

Next Steps

Ashu's story from Hisar to Licious is a blueprint. Your journey starts with the first line of code you write today. Begin by exploring free DSA and development courses to build your foundation. Then, browse project-based learning paths to create a standout portfolio. Finally, prepare systematically by looking at interview preparation resources used by thousands of successful Indian engineers.