Indore’s Riddhesh secures AIR 18 in JEE Advanced 2026

Indore: When the JEE Advanced 2026 results were announced late Sunday night, Indore’s Riddhesh Anant Bendale emerged not just as a success story, but as a beacon of what disciplined preparation and systematic improvement can achieve. Securing All India Rank (AIR) 18, he became the topper of the IIT Kanpur Zone and one of the country’s highest-ranked engineering aspirants.

A former International Physics Olympiad participant, Riddhesh’s journey was not without its obstacles. He attributed his success to a preparation strategy focused on speed, accuracy and systematic improvement. But the road to AIR 18 required adapting to a new battlefield. He said, “One of the biggest challenges was adapting from the lengthy problem-solving approach used in Olympiads to the fast-paced nature of JEE Advanced, where time management is critical.”

To overcome this, he concentrated on reducing solving time while maintaining accuracy. But what made his preparation truly unique was a notebook he called the “Black Book of Errors”. In it, he recorded recurring mistakes, calculation slips and frequently misread questions. Rather than focusing only on correct answers, he spent considerable time analysing mistakes and ensuring they were not repeated. This was not just preparation — it was a philosophy of growth.

Riddhesh also maintained a disciplined routine throughout his two years of preparation. He stayed away from social media, using only some platforms to stay in touch with his parents, and relied heavily on the guidance of his teachers. His ambition is to pursue Computer Science at IIT Bombay — a dream that now stands on the horizon, ready to be realized.

Indore once again produced a strong set of results in JEE Advanced, proving that the city’s educational foundations are as strong as ever. Alongside Riddhesh, Indore’s Parth Maheshwary secured AIR 55, Aarav Soni (AIR 155), Anvesh Gami (AIR 197) stoodout while Bhopal’s Anvesh Patel (AIR 68) and Arsh Jain (AIR 131), also featured among the top performers.

In Indore, over 2,000 students appeared for the JEE Advanced examination held last month.

Parth, who secured AIR 55, shared his own story of discipline. “Discipline and consistency formed the foundation of my preparation,” he said. “To avoid distractions, I used a keypad phone instead of a smartphone and appeared for more than 50 mock tests during my preparation. Chemistry was my most challenging subject, and I devoted extra attention to it in the final months before the examination.” He hopes to study Computer Science at IIT Bombay and explore fields such as artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship.

Anushka Agrawal, who secured CRL 859 and emerged as the highest-ranked female candidate in the IIT Kanpur Zone and Madhya Pradesh, stood out as a testament to what steady, unwavering effort can achieve. She attributed her success to a fixed study schedule that remained unchanged regardless of motivation levels. According to her, consistency and continuity were more important than studying for long hours sporadically.

JEE expert Vijit Jain offered perspective on the examination itself. “The test, conducted by IIT Roorkee on May 17, was relatively easier than last year’s paper, resulting in a marginal drop in cut-offs. Indore once again recorded an impressive performance, with nearly 250 students expected to secure ranks within the top 10,000 nationally,” he said.