CTET registration begins: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has opened the registration portal for the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) February 2026 session. The application window will close on 18 December.
The test designed to assess overall teacher’s skill and knowledge of their concerned subject, will be conducted in 136 cities across India in offline mode. The 150-minute-long exam will be conducted in OMR based mode.
Following list of documents will be needed while filling the form:
Valid Email ID
Mobile number
Photo ID proof – Aadhar/ PAN/ Passport/ Driving Licence
Scanned Photograph and signature
Educational certificates of Class 10 and 12, Graduation, D.El.Ed/ B.Ed
Debit or credit card/ net banking/ UPI
Category certificate and PwD certificate, if applicable
How to apply for CTET February 2026 session
Candidates need to follow the below mentioned steps to successfully apply for CTET February 2026 session:
Step 1: Visit the official website ctet.nic.in and click on “apply for CTET Feb2026” link available on the home page.
Step 2: The user will be directed to a new page, displaying three options. Select “New Registration.”
Step 3: Read and download the information brochure carefully.
Step 4: Click on Proceed to get access to the CTET registration form.
Step 5: Provide the necessary details.
Step 6: Verify and click on the checkboxes given at the end of the page and click on submit.
Step 7: Keep a record of the system-generated CTET application number for future use.
Step 8: Complete the application process by uploading latest scanned photograph and signature
Step 9: Pay requisite examination fee by debit/credit card and net banking.
Step 10: Take a printout of the confirmation page for future reference.
What to do in case of erroneous information is added?
The CTET notification states, “The candidate’s particulars cannot be changed/ edited once the examination fee has been submitted. However the facility of corrections in the particulars (except city of examination) may be made available on the portal during the specified period which will be notified on the website of CTET.”
The examination is scheduled for 8 February, and aspiring candidates must visit the official website at ctet.nic.in for more information.
CTET exam fee Candidates belonging to the General or OBC category are required to pay a fee of Rs. 1,000 if applying for either Paper I or Paper II. If they are applying for both papers, the fee is Rs. 1,200. For candidates from the SC/ST category or differently abled persons, the fee is reduced to ₹500 for either Paper I or Paper II, and ₹600 fee is applicable if applying for both papers.
Some Delhi schools are yet to kickstart nursery admission process and upload point criteria, as per the guidelines of Directorate of Education (DoE). Schools in Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad have already commenced the admission process, it’s time for Delhi schools to the upload point criteria, marking a formal begining of admission season.
Certain schools, such as Salwan Public School and Sachdeva Public School, have already uploaded the point criteria on their websites. It is expected that by 28 November evening, all schools across the national capital will provide the point criteria for entry level admission in the next academic session. As per the detailed admission schedule for the 2026-27 academic session, the registration forms will be available at specific websites of schools from 4 December.
Those parents seeking pre-school or nursery admission for their wards in private unaided recognised must take note of DoE’s admission schedule mentioned below:
1. Schools will upload the admission criteria and their points in the module of the Department – 28 November
2. Commencement of admission process and availability of forms — 4 December
3. Last date to submit application forms in schools: 27 December
4. Schools will upload details of children who applied for admission under Open Seats — 9 January, 2026
5. Uploading marks (as per points system) given to each of the children who applied for admission under open seats — 16 January, 2026
6. Displaying of first list of selected children — 23 January, 2026
7. Resolution of parents’ queries regarding first list with respect to allotment of points to their wards — 24 January, 2026.
8. Displaying of second admission list of selected children along with waiting list) (along with marks allotted under points system) — 9 February, 2026
9. Resolution of parents’ queries over allotment of points to their wards in the second list — 10 February to 16 February, 2026.
10. Subsequent list of admission — 5 March, 2026
11. Closure of admission process — 19 March, 2026.
It is mandatory for schools to upload admission lists with marks allotted under points system.
“The age relaxation for admission of upto one month may be granted at the level of head of school in the minimum & upper age limit for these classes. The parents may approach the Head of School/Principal for seeking age relaxation through a manua application. For admissions in Academic Session 2026-27 a child must have attained the prescribed minimum age as on 31st March 2026,” the notification dated 22 November states.
To apply in schools of their choice, parents will have to pay a registration fee of ₹25. The minimum age for nursery admission is over three years as of 31st March, 2026. It is four years and above for lower kindergarten, over five years for upper kindergarten and over six years for Class I.
“Each school shall display the aforesaid admission schedule on its notice board and website… Only ₹25 (non-refundable) can be charged from the parents as admission registration fee,” the notification reads.
RRB NTPC UG Recruitment 2025: The Indian Railways’ Recruitment Board (RRB) has extended the deadline for undergraduate (UG) candidates to apply for non-technical popular categories (NTPC).
RRB NTPC UG Recruitment 2025: What are the available vacancies?
The RRB has announced a total of 3,058 vacancies to be filled, of which 1,280 roles are for the unreserved category (UR), 461 are reserved for scheduled caste (SC), and 264 reserved for scheduled tribe (ST), 773 for other backward classes (OBCs), and 280 for economically weaker sections (EWS).
The types of posts being recruited for include:
Railway recruitment: Who are eligible?
Undergraduates who have completed Class 12 with at least 50% marks are eligible to apply for the RRB NTPC UG recruitment in 2025. However, once the application is completed, there is a selection process and exam to pass to qualify for the jobs.
What is the recruitment process?
The selection process comprises two Computer-Based Tests (CBTs), followed by a Computer-Based Typing Skill Test (CBTST), document verification, and medical examination.
CBT 1 will be conducted for 90 minutes (120 minutes for candidates with a scribe) and covers 100 questions on general awareness, general intelligence and reasoning, and mathematics. Each question is worth 1 mark.
CBT 2 will be conducted for 90 minutes (120 minutes for candidates with a scribe) and covers 120 questions on general awareness, general intelligence and reasoning, and mathematics. Each question here is also worth 1 mark.
Once candidates pass both CBT 1 and 2, those applying for the Accounts Cum Clerk Typist and Junior Clerk Cum Typist roles will also be required to pass a typing skill test to demonstrate typing speed of 30 words/minute in English or 25/minute in Hindi.
After the tests are completed, candidates will be subject to Document Verification (DV).
Shortlisting will be based on combined score from the CBT, CBTST performance and DV stage. Qualifying marks for each category are as follows: 40% for OBC candidates, 30% for SC candidates, and 25% for ST candidates.
The Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) has issued the admit cards for the Punjab Civil Services (PCS) Prelims Exam 2025.
Know official website here
Candidates can download their hall tickets from the official website, ppsc.gov.in.
The admit card includes details such as the exam centre, candidate’s photograph, timings, reporting time, roll number, and other essential instructions.
Steps to download the admit card:
1. Visit the official PPSC website: ppsc.gov.in
2. Open the Recruitment section and click on the Admit Card tab.
3. Select the link for Punjab PCS Prelims 2025.
4. Log in using your registration number and password or date of birth.
5. Download the PDF and take a printout for exam day.
Follow these guidelines:
1. Candidates must carry a printed copy of the admit card along with a valid photo ID such as Aadhaar, Voter ID, Passport, or Driving Licence.
2. Reach the examination centre at least one hour before the reporting time for verification and security procedures.
Earlier, the PPSC had announced 322 vacancies for PCS, later revising the number to 331.
These posts span the state administration, police, revenue, and other key departments.
Major positions include 49 posts in the Civil Services (Executive Branch), 33 Tehsildar positions, 17 Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) roles, and 121 Excise and Taxation Officer posts.
Additionally, there are 49 BDPO positions and 13 Food and Civil Supplies Officer posts, forming a significant part of the state’s administrative framework.
High-frequency trading (HFT) firm Quantbox Research is likely to offer a compensation of ₹1.2-1.4 crore, competing with rivals such as Graviton Research Capital, NK Securities, and Quadeye, which could offer ₹80-95 lakh, according to Mint’s review of more than 300 job descriptions and expected salaries that have come to the IITs.
Quant trading firm Da Vinci Trading is also expected to counter them with an offer of 252 thousand euros (about ₹2.6 crore) at Delhi, Bombay, Madras and Kharagpur campuses, a person aware of placement details told Mint on the condition of anonymity.
Investment management firm Squarepoint Capital and investment and tech firm D.E. Shaw will also scout for similar talent, Mint has learnt, and they could offer a compensation of about ₹66 lakh and around ₹74 lakh, respectively. Some of the HFTs are also hiring for global offices, and the compensation typically includes bonuses paid over a few years.
Placements at IIT are a barometer of how campus recruitments in India will shape up over the next few months. As business schools typically start in February-March, engineering colleges reflect India Inc.’s appetite. Of the 23 IITs, the newer ones started their placements in September. Typically, these can last until April. Some of these companies also scooped talent early by making pre-placement offers (PPOs) after their summer internships.
Over the last couple of years , IITs have attracted newer AI companies. That came after the post-pandemic hiring frenzy eased because of global uncertainty. However, last year the campus recruitment saw an uptick, much to the relief of the IITs.
HFTs and quant firms, which hire candidates who can analyze markets using mathematical and statistical models, have been among the top-paying hirers at the IIT campuses over the past few years, irrespective of the global economic conditions. Quant researcher profiles include roles of core engineers and those well-versed in AI, with a basic background in finance.
These companies scout for candidates across the older IITs–Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Guwahati and Roorkee. The compensation may vary by role, and in many cases, a firm may visit the IIT campus with multiple roles available.
“We will hire 6-10 from the IIT- Bombay, Kanpur, Madras, Delhi and will offer competitive salaries to bag the top talent,” said a senior executive from one of the HFTs mentioned earlier.
IIT Madras, Delhi, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Guwahati and Roorkee did not respond to Mint’s emailed queries. IIT Bombay declined to comment.
US-based Internet of Things (IoT) company, Samsara Inc, with positions in India and London (UK), can offer a compensation of ₹45.5 lakh to ₹1.2 crore (109,580 pounds), according to Mint’s review of job profiles.
Palo Alto-headquartered healthcare firm Risa Labs is looking to recruit for system engineer and associate product manager roles for its offices in India and the US.
Founded by IIT Kanpur alumni Kshitij Jaggi and Kumar Shivang, the healthcare startup’s compensation to the 2026 batch IIT students could range between ₹36 lakh in India and $150,000, with an additional $30,000 worth of stocks in the US, taking the total to about ₹1.6 crore.
US-based Abacus AI, which aims to recruit from IIT Bombay, Delhi, Madras and Kanpur, told Mint in an emailed response that it “is looking for candidates who can actually use AI to their advantage to be a lot more effective in their roles”. The compensation offered will be ₹60 lakh for machine learning engineers and software engineers.
Consulting and IT firm Accenture has vacancies in India and Japan, while electric car maker Tesla Inc will recruit core engineers for its Pune, Bengaluru and Guwahati offices. Microsoft, Nvidia and Apple will also grab the early slots with compensation for India-based roles ranging between ₹18.5 lakh and ₹43.5 lakh. Accenture Japan is offering a compensation of 8,186,180 Japanese yen (about ₹47 lakh). Tesla, meanwhile, is offering around ₹33 lakh.
Consumer goods maker Hindustan Unilever Ltd is looking to hire for Unilever’s future leadership program, offering around ₹35 lakh to candidates who can create and optimise AI-led forecasting tools.
Glean Search Technologies, an AI platform founded by IIT Delhi alumni and headquartered in Palo Alto, is also seeking software engineers to be placed in Bangalore and Palo Alto, offering compensation of $150,000 for US-based roles, which translates roughly to ₹1.34 crore in Indian currency.
Boeing and Airbus, too, will battle for the top engineering talent. Airbus, in response to Mint’s queries, said the plane manufacturer conducts campus placements on 1 December across IIT Bombay, Kanpur, Madras, and Kharagpur. “Airbus has been consistently recruiting fresh graduates from IITs every year for diverse roles across Structural Analysis, Flight Physics, Simulations and Advanced System Studies,” the company said. There has been no change in median salaries and bonuses this year, with compensation levels remaining broadly consistent with prior cycles, it said.
Boeing will also visit the IIT campuses to recruit students with offers of around ₹18 lakh, Mint has learnt from placement cell executives, who didn’t want to be identified as the details are not public.
Quantbox Research, Graviton Research Capital, Da Vinci Trading, NK Securities, Quadeye, DE Shaw, Squarepoint Capital, Risa Labs, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Boeing, Glean Search, Accenture and Samsara Inc. did not respond to Mint’s queries. Databricks and Nvidia declined to comment.
Over the years, startups have gone head-to-head with established manufacturing firms and HFTs to hire from IITs.
IPO bound multi-category online retailer Meesho has multiple roles from software development engineer to senior associate to fill, and the compensation can range between ₹37 to ₹60 lakh per annum. “A majority of our hires are technology folks. About 57% of our entire headcount is tech and product. So our focus would be just to get the best talent there within technology,” co-founder and chief executive officer Vidit Aatrey told Mint in an interview.
Eternal Ltd, formerly Zomato will hire for software developer profiles, with a cost-to-company (CTC) of around ₹47-56 lakh.
Online retail giant Flipkart is expected to offer around ₹26 lakh. “This year, we are engaging with leading IITs and other premier institutes on Day 1, focusing on software engineering roles and a unique position–Associate Product Manager (APM) designed to help students build a career in product management through a rigorous, hands-on learning experience,” said the company in an emailed response.
Samsara Inc is expected to offer a compensation of up to ₹1.2 crore (£109,580) at IITs for software engineer roles, according to Mint’s review of job profiles with placement cells. But this includes a performance bonus of £6,630 and £36,650 worth of equity vested over three years. A relocation bonus is also available for candidates who will need to relocate to London.
High-frequency trader NK Securities, one of the top recruiters at the IITs by compensation offered, is seeking a quantitative researcher and a software developer. While the compensation is expected to be around ₹80 lakh, it includes a joining bonus of ₹2 lakh, a fixed bonus of about ₹25 lakh, and variable pay and non-cash benefits.
The joining bonuses have typically been part of the compensation. But over the years, startups and AI companies have been wooing IIT students with stock options to compete with the more established firms.
“Retaining top-tier engineering talent, especially those coming out of institutes such as the IITs, is increasingly tough due to multiple factors,” said Narayanan Ramaswamy, partner and head of the education and skill development practice at KPMG in India.
“First, youngsters today want to explore options before they find their calling, which means they’ll stick to a job only if it is both interesting and remunerative. Second, job roles are rapidly changing, and corporates would need agile and adaptable talent, particularly when they have spent some time understanding the organisation culture and requirements,” Ramaswamy added.
To retain talent, organizations have devised tactics like good sign-on bonuses, retention bonuses, financial clawbacks, and generous employee stock options (Esops), he said. “The goal is to keep their intellectual flock together, and extend the value that they bring for a longer period by preventing quick departures. That said, even these measures are successful only up to a point, rival firms buy them out with an even sweeter deal.”
Over the past couple of years, newer, artificial intelligence-focused firms got top slots during the IIT placement season. That coincided with a hiring slowdown from the pandemic-era frenzy. However, IITs saw some uptick in hiring momentum in 2025.
This year, high-frequency trading companies, including Quadeye, Graviton Research Capital, NK Securities, Quantbox Research and Squarepoint Capital, are offering performance and joining bonuses. The objective is to secure the candidate as soon as the offer is made.
Texas Instruments will offer around ₹40-43 lakh to graduates and postgraduates at IITs. The company’s job description at one of the IITs indicates $10,000 worth of restricted stock units (RSUs) that have a vesting period of four years, according to documents reviewed by Mint. RSUs are a retention tool where employees are granted a fixed number of shares after a specified period, during which they must fulfil performance criteria.
Preference for variable pay
Consulting firm Aon’s September report also found a growing preference for variable pay and bonuses in salaries offered to graduates from top engineering and business schools. A majority of the 200-plus companies surveyed anticipated moderate to high growth in campus recruitment, the report found. Organizations are focusing on performance incentivisation through variable pay, ranging from 10% to 12%, it said.
While master’s in business administration (MBA) and engineering graduates have seen slight increases in total cost to company (TCC), the rise is primarily driven by variable pay and joining bonuses rather than fixed pay, according to the study.
Placements at IIT are a barometer of how campus recruitments in India will shape up over the next few months. The older IITs–Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Roorkee, Guwahati–started their final placements from early hours of 1 December. High-frequency trading companies including Da Vinci Trading, tech giants Tesla Inc., Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp, and Nvidia Corp., and aircraft makers Airbus and Boeing are among the companies that will clash to win the best engineering talent, Mint reported on Monday.
“There has been no change in median salaries and bonuses this year, with compensation levels remaining broadly consistent with prior cycles,” Airbus told Mint in an emailed response. “Adjustments, where applicable, have been made in line with industry benchmarks and business priorities to ensure competitiveness and fairness.”
The plane maker will recruit from IIT Bombay, Kanpur, Madras, and Kharagpur, and the roles on offer include structural analysis, flight physics, simulations, and advanced system studies.
Palo Alto-headquartered healthcare firm Risa Labs is looking to recruit for system engineer and associate product manager roles for its offices in India and the US. Founded by IIT Kanpur alumni Kshitij Jaggi and Kumar Shivang, the healthcare startup is expected to offer a compensation of around ₹36 lakh in India and $150,000, with an additional $30,000 worth of stocks (about ₹1.6 crore total) in the US.
Bonus clawbacks
To counter attrition, some companies have incorporated specific provisions for clawbacks if candidates leave before a stipulated period.
Automaker TVS Motor Ltd noted that the joining bonus of ₹3 lakh comes with a clawback of three years. Publicis Sapient will offer a deferred cash payment of ₹2 lakh on completion of the first year, and a similar amount after two years.
IDFC Bank Ltd, too, has an explicit clawback provision. “If an employee resigns before completing one year, he/she will have to pay ₹1 Lakh towards training expenses,” reads the bank’s job description given to students. The lender will offer multiple roles with offers ranging from ₹23-27 lakh for roles of associate data analysts and associate data scientists, respectively.
Siemens Energy, which is seeking substation control and protection engineers, will offer ₹14.5 lakh in cost-to-company (CTC). It will also pay a joining bonus of ₹1.5 lakh “with a clawback of 2 years”.
Analytics and digital solutions firm EXL’s terms include a clawback of the joining bonus and an anniversary bonus. The bonuses of ₹1 lakh each will be given at the time of joining and upon completion of one year, respectively. If the new employee leaves within the stipulated period, the bonus will be taken back.
In an emailed response to Mint’s queries, Rajesh S. Nandanwar, senior vice president for talent acquisition at EXL said bonuses including for joining and retention, clawbacks, and stock options have become standard practices across the industry.
“Rather than being seen as obstacles, these mechanisms are designed to reward and motivate those who are genuinely committed to an organization’s vision,” he said. “We view such bonuses, clawbacks, and stock options as valuable incentives that reinforce long-term engagement and help align individual aspirations with the company’s success.”
Queries emailed to Samsara, Quadeye, Graviton Research Capital, NK Securities, Quantbox Research, Squarepoint Capital, Texas Instruments, Risa Labs, Siemens New Energy, TVS Motor, Publicis Sapient and IDFC First Bank remained unanswered.
Reliance Industries Ltd is offering a deferred bonus of ₹5 lakh and an annual cash bonus of ₹1.05 lakh, according to Mint’s review of the company’s job description shared with one of the IITs. The company is hiring graduate engineer trainees for its sites in Jamnagar, Haziram, Patalganga, Vadodara, Nagothane, Dahej, Bangalore and Navi Mumbai.
“There is a differentiated compensation offered to graduates from IITs- 9 Lakh on joining, and 10.55 Lakh on Confirmation post 1 year of training period,” said a Reliance Industries spokesperson in an emailed response to Mint’s queries. “We value long term association and thus, offer a deferred bonus for graduates who stay back beyond 3 years.”
DRDO CEPTAM 11 Recruitment 2025: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has in a short notification released the notice for the DRDO CEPTAM 11 Recruitment 2025. The short notice reveals the date of application and other details. A more detailed notification will be released on the official website, drdo.gov.in, soon.
The DRDO CEPTAM 11 Recruitment 2025 notification mentions that there are a total of 764 vacancies across Senior Technical Assistant-B (STA-B) and Technician-A posts. Of these, 561 vacancies are for the post of STA-B and the remaining 203 vacancies are for the post of Technician-A.
DRDO CEPTAM 11 Recruitment 2025 selection process
There are two steps for the selection process. Candidates will have to first clear the Tier-1 Computer Based Test followed by a Tier-2 skill, practical or trade test, on basis of the post they have applied for.
DRDO CEPTAM 11 Recruitment 2025 key dates
According to the notice, the application window for the DRDO CEPTAM 11 Recruitment 2025 will open on December 9, 2025. It will close on January 8, 2026.
DRDO CEPTAM 11 Recruitment 2025 age limit
The minimum age limit to apply for DRDO CEPTAM 11 recruitment drive is 18 and the maximum is 28. Candidates must also fulfill educational and other criteria to be eligible to apply for their choice of posts.
DRDO CEPTAM 11 Recruitment 2025: How to apply?
1. Go to the official website of DRDO at https://www.drdo.gov.in
2. Under the Careers or Recruitment section, click on the link that says “DRDO CEPTAM-11 Online Application”.
3. Register yourself by filling up details like your mobile number, email ID, and others to create a login account.
4. Log in using your credentials and fill out the online application form with personal, educational, and trade-specific information.
5. Upload scanned copies of your photograph, signature, educational certificates, and other required documents as per the required specifications.
6. Make the payment for the application fee online ( ₹100 for General/OBC; exempted for SC/ST/PwD/Ex-Servicemen) via Debit Card, Credit Card, or Net Banking.
7. Review the form carefully and submit it
8. Download the confirmation page for your future reference.
The wait for Delhi school admission forms for entry level classes is finally over as schools have released the registration forms on their websites. The registrations will open on 4 December, as per the guidelines of Directorate of Education (DoE). Here’s a list of documents to keep handy.
Documents needed for admission to entry level classes
The documents mentioned below will serve as valid proofs of address which will be needed at the time of admission:
1. Ration Card/Smart Card issued in the name of the parents
2. Domicile certificate, either of the child or the parents
3. Voter ID (EPIC) of any one of the parents
4. Electricity bill/MTNL telephone bill/Water bill/Passport carrying the name of either parent or the child.
5. Aadhaar Card /UID card that has been issued in the name of either of the parents.
Parents will be charged a non-refundable one-time fee of at most ₹25 during registration process, which has been capped by the state government. DoE notification states, “Each school shall display the aforesaid admission schedule on its notice board and website… Only ₹25 (non-refundable) can be charged from the parents as admission registration fee.”
Last date to submit application forms
The application window will close on 27 December so parents must apply in advance to avoid any hassles at the last moment. The age criteria for admissions to Nursery (Balvatika 1/ Pre School 1), Lower KG (Balvatika 2/ Pre School 2), Upper KG (Balvatika 3/ Pre School 3) and Class 1 will follow New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 guidelines. Meanwhile, the students already admitted in nursery, KG and Class 1 will be promoted as per previous criteria.
Schools released their point criteria on 28 November which provides a blueprint of every school’s distinct selection process.
Delhi government released a comprehensive notification on 22 November detailing the full admission process for the 2026-27 academic session. “The age relaxation for admission of upto one month may be granted at the level of head of school in the minimum & upper age limit for these classes. The parents may approach the Head of School/Principal for seeking age relaxation through a manua application. For admissions in Academic Session 2026-27 a child must have attained the prescribed minimum age as on 31st March 2026,” the circular reads.
How will the draw take place?
As per DoE’s guidelines, the draw of lots can be conducted in computerized format or through slips but in a transparent manner and in the presence of parents of registered applicants.
Parents will be intimated about the draw of lots at least two days before the date of draw through website notice-board & e-mail by the school.” It is mandatory for the school to retain videography of the draw and show the slips to the parents before putting in the box which is to be used for draw of lots.
The first list of selected candidates with the corresponding points earned by them will be displayed on 23 January.
A Mint review of more than 300 job descriptions showed that startups such as Javis, Abacus AI, Auxo AI, and others are extending annual packages in the ₹39-60 lakh range—with some US-based positions touching ₹2.6 crore+ for roles spanning voice AI, multimodal engineering, and core machine language (ML) development.
In contrast, established firms—from BlackRock and IndiGo to major FMCG and IT services players—are offering ₹16-35 lakh for AI-linked roles, with IT services firms continuing to hire at scale but at far lower compensation levels compared to the AI startup cohort.
However, according to Kamal Karanth, co-founder of Xpheno, a recruitment firm specializing in tech and startup staffing, startups usually hire in smaller numbers—one or two students for niche roles—while traditional firms recruit at scale.
“Startups, however, value fresh talent because they bring a fresh pair of eyes, especially in implementing AI-led solutions,” Karanth said. “While there isn’t a large pool of ready-made AI talent, young recruits tend to learn faster than experienced professionals.”
He further highlighted that hardcore AI engineering roles remain the forte of Silicon Valley, while AI support roles are more frequently hired in India.
The startup hiring surge
Mint’s review of job descriptions revealed interesting instances of the trends at play.
Mumbai-headquartered AI startup Javis is stepping up hiring as the industry is shifting its focus towards curated AI services rather than using generic AI software, necessitating highly skilled engineers in the workforce.
“This shift is creating a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity for organizations like us,” Amanpreet Singh, founding member of the AI firm, told Mint. “Our hiring drive reflects our commitment to innovate and lead in this rapidly evolving landscape.”
According to Singh, Javis has increased its packages by up to 40% to attract the right minds for roles such as voice AI engineer, agentic AI engineer, and machine learning (ML) engineers—specializing in creating “computer vision and multimodal AI capabilities”.
“Compensation packages ranging from ₹39-52 lakh were offered to attract the best minds into our AI engineering and research teams,” Singh added.
California, US-based AI firm Giga is also scouting for software engineers for its San Francisco office as well as for remote work from India. For the US role, it is expected to offer $210,000 (over ₹2.66 crore), including $120,000 of its stock vested over four years and $30,000 annual bonus. For the India-based roles, Giga is expected to offer ₹25-45 lakh with minimum ₹10 lakh bonus. The hired candidates may also receive Esops.
In an emailed response to Mint queries, the company highlighted that in 2025, it had increased the median salary and bonuses to attract and retain candidates from IITs.
“We’ve made adjustments in response to the exceptional talent we’re seeing from IITs. Our updated packages aim to attract the brightest minds… The offers vary depending on the location and the candidate’s skill level. The maximum range significantly exceeds $150,000 per year,” a company spokesperson wrote in the email.
It also emphasized that Esops have been beneficial in keeping the employees engaged in the past, and expects them to work for their IIT recruits, too.
“We want our new hires to align with us for the long term. When we succeed over time, everyone who holds shares benefits along with us… The most significant rewards come when we establish ourselves as a generational company,” said the spokesperson.
Auxo AI, a San Francisco, US-based AI firm looking for AI engineers for one of its India offices, is expected to pay a little above ₹27 lakh, with a joining bonus of ₹1 lakh, retention bonus of ₹10 lakh after three years, and an annual performance bonus of ₹2.1 lakh.
“Our focus on AI engineering hiring at IITs is not about chasing a trend; it is about building the core engine of our business. By bringing in world-class AI talent, we can transform messy, fragmented enterprise data into intelligent systems that automate workflows, augment decision-making, and create entirely new revenue opportunities,” Deepesh Hiran, AuxoAI’s managing director heading India operations, told Mint.
“An AI‑native team lets us move from pilots to production at startup speed, while still meeting the reliability and governance standards large customers expect,” he added.
Abacus AI, another San Francisco-based AI firm hiring software and ML engineers to work remotely from India, may offer ₹50-60 lakh in annual compensation. “These roles are very core to the tech we are building in an extremely competitive AI/ML space,” said Manish Vora, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, heading the operations in the country for the firm.
Mumbai-based AI and analytics firm Fractal Analytics, which is also exploring an initial public offering, may offer ₹35 lakh for an AI engineering role, accompanied by a retention bonus of ₹3 lakh after 13 months, with a 12-month clawback period, according to the job descriptions reviewed by Mint. The firm declined to comment.
Smaller offers, but larger scale
Meanwhile, legacy firms seem somewhat reluctant to loosen their purse strings. Asset management giant BlackRock is looking for data analyst engineers specializing in AI development for its Aladdin Data team for its Gurugram and Mumbai offices, and is expected to offer ₹22 lakh annual compensation.
Interglobe Aviation, the parent company of India’s largest airline, IndiGo, is hunting for AI engineers to “translate state-of-the-art research around agentic AI, autonomous and adaptable AI and other data science and engineering methods into robust, maintainable,and scalable systems”.It may offer ₹16.5 lakh for the role.
FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd, which is hiring for its leadership programme with an expected salary exceeding ₹35 lakh, is also looking for candidates skilled at “creating AI-led forecasting tools to improve demand planning accuracy in volatile markets”.
Queries emailed to BlackRock, InterGlobe Aviation, and HUL remained unanswered.
On the other hand, IT firms, which typically hire in large numbers, have slowed their intake from engineering colleges. Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Wipro are expected to hire 42,000, 20,000, and up to 12,000 freshers, respectively, in 2025-26, according to their management commentaries. In contrast, HCL Technologies plans to hire more than 7,800 freshers, albeit in specialized, skill-based roles, Mint reported earlier.
Meanwhile, beyond engineering, top management consulting firms are eyeing talent from top B-schools such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) to hire management talent specializing in AI, Mint reported earlier.
This comes at a time when a global employment squeeze is prompting many graduates to return to India without securing work abroad, leaving them to repay loans that are now costlier than they had budgeted for in rupee terms.
The Indian rupee’s (INR) slide past 90 per US dollar will hit students at various stages of their study-abroad journey, with their overall costs jumping sharply, said Victor Senapaty, founder of Westbridge Capital-backed education financier Propelld.
“The same hundred thousand dollars suddenly becomes much more expensive in rupee terms,” Senapaty said.
After breaching the 90-per-dollar mark on Wednesday, the rupee slipped further to an all-time low of 90.56 on Thursday before pulling back to close at 89.98. The domestic currency settled at 89.94 on Friday.
The average ticket size for a loan from a non-bank lender for studying in the US is ₹40 lakh. An average loan size at a bank is similar, although there is a provision to avail higher loans.
A four-year undergraduate degree could cost as high as $55,000-$100,000 a year for certain Ivy League institutions.
Senapaty said Indian students will now have to work harder for outcomes. “The entire thing hinges on one question: do you get a job or not? If yes, great. If not, it becomes an all-or-nothing game.”
The development also comes at a time when a large batch of students prepare to head abroad in February to join universities this spring.
Typically, fall (August-September) and spring (February-March) are when the largest batch of students depart for higher studies. Most of 2025 was a flip-flop as the US government increased its scrutiny of visa approvals.
Double whammy
Tensions between several US universities and the government have unnerved many parents in India and this led to a 25-50% drop in applications for loans to study in the US in the first half of the year. The result was that many deferred their course by a semester, while others opted for destinations such as the UK, Canada, and Australia.
A weaker rupee will add to their troubles, as well as for those who have graduated and returned to their hometowns while still searching for a job.
“The rupee breaching the 90 mark is not a ‘no-go’ for students who have plans of studying abroad, but those who are repaying loans taken in dollars will face the pressure,” said Ankit Mehra, co-founder and chief executive officer of GyanDhan, an NBFC that focuses on loans for overseas education.
“This is especially for the batch of 2022-2023, many of whom have graduated and are working from India. Their loan payment would have started and now they have to repay a higher than factored amount.”
Key Takeaways
The rupee’s slide to ₹90 per dollar has sharply increased the overall cost of studying abroad for Indian students.
Graduates who returned to India without overseas jobs now face higher-than-expected loan repayments due to the weaker rupee.
Visa scrutiny and geopolitical tensions had already reduced US-bound student loan applications by 25–50% this year.
While the rupee’s fall hurts INR borrowers, students earning in dollars abroad are seeing their repayment burden ease.
Sonal Kapoor, global chief business officer of Prodigy Finance, an international student lender, said currently, “students who are taking loans in rupee may need to reconsider their options”.
They may eventually earn in US dollar. “The initial stages of their journey can be confusing and some may end up taking a larger loan than they expected just to manage daily living expenses abroad. The first few months can feel confusing simply because the numbers keep shifting with the exchange rate,” Kapoor said.
Students have the option to take dollar loans when they are confident of earning abroad. “The depreciation of the INR can actually be beneficial for international students, especially those who are working, as it offers significant financial relief since they earn in dollars. Their families will receive more money in INR as a result,” she added.
However, Senapaty of Propelld cautioned that it could be a risky choice without possibility of definite employment in the US. “If they don’t get a job and return to India, they’re in trouble because they’re earning in INR but repaying in USD while the rupee keeps weakening. That’s the worst combo.”
According to data provided by the government in Parliament in March, 750,000 Indians were studying abroad in 2022. That number shot up to 892,000 in 2023, but dipped to 759,000 in 2024 in the wake of geopolitical crises and visa curbs.
