Start-ups tap campus, social media for talent

“If you have had enough of your 9-5 corporate job and are looking for something refreshing and challenging, we will gladly welcome you,” says a tweet by Nayi Disha, a start-up founded by BITS students.

The start-up, which develops educational computer games, is among scores of new-generation firms scouting for talent through word of mouth and social media.

A start-up company, Virtual Computing, has just joined the campus hiring schedule of International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) here.

It offered a student in his final year a package of ₹19 lakh. The start-up is among 20 small firms that made a beeline for the institute this year to recruit young candidates.

The trend is gaining momentum. With top-tier IT and IT-enabled services companies drastically reducing hiring, engineering students are turning to start-ups. Though the start-up ecosystem is still at a nascent stage, the top IT hubs in the country are witnessing the birth of small companies, giving hope to job aspirants.

“The number of start-ups (listed for hiring in the campus) has almost doubled over the last year. They have hired 40 students so far this year,” TV Devi Prasad, Head of Placements at IIIT (Hyderabad), told Business Line .

V Srinivasa Rao, Senior Vice-President and Global Head for Digital Enterprise Solutions at Tech Mahindra, feels that start-ups will need mobile developers, data scientists, cloud and social analytics specialists over the next few years. “I also foresee a great demand for business consultants and domain consultants,” he says. Rao believes India needs to develop at least 50 start-ups across cities and towns.

“In India the start-up ecosystem is still emerging and has a long way to go. The Government has to revisit and refine policies to encourage building an entrepreneur ecosystem in such hubs,” he adds.

Ramesh Loganathan, Vice-President (Products) and Managing Director of Progress Software India, however, feels that it would take a while before start-ups emerge as a bankable alternative for job seekers. “Start-ups initially start off with one or two people, including the promoter. They will be in a position to take more people only when they attain the next level,” he says.

Loganathan, who plays an active role in the start-up ecosystem in Hyderabad, says there is a need for a database of start-ups to track their growth.

Experts see a change, though small, in the mindset of job seekers. A good number are looking at options in product firms, hoping for a longer stint on the job.

“You are not suitable for a start-up if you aspire to own a flat or a car the day after tomorrow. Start-ups need people with unshakable determination and perseverance. But in order to bank on them, you need to have a vibrant ecosystem,” says Rao.

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