Srinagar, Apr 02 (KNO): In a remarkable feat, 16-year-old boy, Muhammad Abdul Raheem from central Kashmir’s Ganderbal, a student of Hilltop Educational Institute, has emerged as one of Kashmir’s brightest tech talents, making waves in international coding competitions and setting his sights on launching his own startup.
From an early age, Raheem displayed an insatiable curiosity for technology, often dismantling laptops to understand their workings.
His journey into coding began in Class 7th when an HTML chapter in his school curriculum sparked his passion.
“By the end of Class 8th, I had already mastered full-stack development, working on freelance projects and collaborating with startups,” Raheem told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
His impressive accolades include securing the “258th global rank in Round 3” of the Meta Hacker Cup 2024, Facebook’s prestigious coding competition. He also ranked #42 worldwide, #6 in Asia, and #4 in India at the ICode Global Finals.
“I was the Runner-Up at a national-level coding competition, CodeCrush, and was awarded Developer of the Year 2024,” he said.
“My victory at DevHack 6.0 at IIT Dharwad has solidified my reputation as a prodigious talent in the tech industry and motivated me to move forward in the field,” he added.
Beyond competitions, he has honed his skills through internships at multiple tech firms and NIT Srinagar, gaining expertise in software development, cybersecurity, and AI-driven applications.
In addition to his achievements, Raheem has developed applications for multiple startups, many of which are running successfully, proving his ability to deliver impactful tech solutions.
“A Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) from EC-Council, I specialize in PHP, Laravel, JavaScript, React.js, Python, cybersecurity, AI-based applications, and various other modern technologies,” he said.
He also added that despite the traditional preference for fields like medicine and engineering, his parents supported his passion. Now, he aims to work with global tech giants like Google and Meta, but his ultimate goal is to launch his own startup.
Raheem has also been invited as a guest by the Organizing Team of IICPC Codefest 2025 at IIT Madras, recognizing his achievements and contributions to the coding community.
“Don’t wait for the perfect time. If you have a dream, start building it now—otherwise, you’ll be building someone else’s future,” he said—(KNO)