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Indian Techie surprises single mother with Times Square tribute
The tribute highlighted Abhijay Arora Vuyyuru's journey from academic setbacks in India to a career in the United States.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 12, Jun 2026
- 17:41 EDT
- 47
Abhijay Arora Vuyyuru at New York City's Times Square / Instagram/ @abhijayarora_
An Indian technology professional has drawn widespread attention online after surprising his single mother with a tribute on a giant billboard in New York City's Times Square.
Abhijay Arora Vuyyuru, who works as a Product Manager at Google in the United States, featured his mother on a digital billboard in Times Square to thank her for the sacrifices she made while raising him in Panchkula, Haryana.
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In a video shared on Instagram, Vuyyuru video-called his mother in India and asked her to look at the massive screen. Moments later, her photograph appeared on the billboard alongside him. The video has since gone viral across social media platforms.
“This was the most special day of my life, I featured my mom on a New York Times Square billboard to express my gratitude for all her sacrifices,” Vuyyuru wrote in the caption.
He said he came from “humble beginnings” and was raised single-handedly by his mother, who ensured he received a quality education despite facing financial constraints herself.
“She ensured I went to best schools but she herself had studied using second hand books,” he wrote.
Vuyyuru recalled that one of the defining moments of his life came in 2012 when he failed to clear the highly competitive IIT-JEE entrance examination.
“I still remember 2012, when I failed IIT. I saw her cry. That was when I told her one day, time will change. One day I would make her proud,” he wrote.
The years that followed were marked by a series of setbacks. Vuyyuru said he graduated in 2016 without a job offer before winning a hackathon in 2017. Between 2016 and 2020, he prepared for the GMAT while working outside major technology companies and took the exam three times.
His efforts did not immediately pay off. According to the post, every business school he applied to rejected him in 2021.
“Consultants said give up on the American dream. I didn’t. Decided to work even harder,” he wrote.
The breakthrough came in 2022 when he was admitted to Harvard University. Three years later, he joined Google.
“2022: Harvard said yes! 2025: Google said YES!” Vuyyuru wrote.
Reflecting on his journey, he said the tribute was intended as a reminder to remain grateful to those who support personal ambitions through their own sacrifices.
“Let this video be a reminder to never give up, and be grateful to those who allowed you to pursue your dreams by sacrificing theirs,” he wrote.
The post resonated with thousands of social media users, many of whom praised the gesture and congratulated Vuyyuru and his mother.
One user commented, “Genuinely made me so happyyy. keep growing. Make her more and more proud.”
Another wrote, “She must be sooo proudddd.”
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