Did you know that over one-third of Indian employees in Zoho, Apple, NVIDIA are from tier 3 colleges?
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Synopsis
Discover how a significant portion of employees in top tech firms like Zoho, Apple, and NVIDIA come from tier 3 colleges in India. This trend highlights the shift towards skills over traditional educational prestige in hiring practices.
Key Takeaways
- 34% of employees at top tech firms are from tier 3 colleges.
- Skills-based hiring is becoming the norm in the tech industry.
- Many tier 3 graduates feel their education had limited impact on their careers.
- Traditional financial firms still emphasize prestigious college names.
- A significant number of overseas graduates report minimal salary impact from their education.
New Delhi, Oct 22 (NationPress) A recent report reveals that over one-third of Indian professionals employed by leading tech companies, including Zoho, Apple, and NVIDIA, hail from the nation’s tier 3 colleges. This finding underscores the growing trend of skills-based hiring, according to a study conducted by Blind, an anonymous social media platform, which surveyed 1,602 Indian workers.
The analysis categorized educational institutions according to the NIRF 2025 rankings, dividing them into tier 1, tier 2, tier 3, and international colleges.
As stated in the report, "While conventional financial institutions still value prestigious college names, prominent tech companies prioritize skills. In organizations like Zoho, Apple, NVIDIA, SAP, and PayPal, many employees indicated that their college backgrounds did not significantly impact their careers, with an average of 34 percent of respondents being tier 3 graduates."
In contrast, traditional financial and tech firms such as Goldman Sachs, Visa, Atlassian, Oracle, and Google still depend heavily on campus recruitment, with an average of 18 percent of employees coming from tier 3 colleges.
Interestingly, while 59 percent of tier 3 alumni and 45 percent of international graduates regarded their college education as merely a resume line, a significant number of tier 1 and tier 2 graduates connected their career advancement to campus recruitment.
Moreover, 15 percent of tier 3 graduates reported considerable salary advantages due to their education, while 74 percent felt it was beneficial only at the beginning of their careers or not at all.
Approximately 53 percent of international alumni indicated that their college experience had minimal or no impact on their income.
According to Blind, 41 percent of the surveyed individuals graduated from tier 1 institutions like IITs, IISc, top IIMs, and BITS Pilani, while 30 percent came from tier 2 colleges, 25 percent from tier 3, and 4 percent from overseas schools.
Point of View
It is evident that the findings from Blind's report reflect a significant evolution in hiring practices in India, prioritizing skills over traditional educational prestige. This trend not only democratizes opportunities for graduates from tier 3 colleges but also emphasizes the importance of adaptable skill sets in today’s fast-paced tech environment.
NationPress
23/10/2025
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of the report?
The report highlights the shift towards skills-based hiring in the tech industry, emphasizing that many employees at major firms come from tier 3 colleges.
How does this affect traditional hiring practices?
Traditional firms still value prestigious colleges, but tech companies are increasingly prioritizing skills, leading to a more inclusive hiring approach.
What percentage of employees at these firms are from tier 3 colleges?
Approximately 34 percent of employees at firms like Zoho, Apple, and NVIDIA are graduates of tier 3 colleges.
