For decades, a college degree was considered the golden ticket to landing a great job. But in today’s fast-evolving economy—where agility, creativity, and technical know-how often matter more than academic credentials—this traditional approach is rapidly losing ground. Across India, a growing number of companies are shifting toward skills-based hiring, valuing what candidates can do over where they studied.
A recent feature in The Economic Times highlights this transformation, pointing to startups like Smallest.ai and established players like Zerodha as pioneers of this new hiring paradigm.
📉 Goodbye Degrees, Hello Deliverables
"College does not matter. Resume not needed."
This bold statement was part of a hiring post by Sudarshan Kamath, founder of AI startup Smallest.ai, which recently advertised an opening for a full-stack engineer with a salary of ₹40 lakh per annum. The response? Over 7,000 applications, despite the absence of traditional requirements like a degree or resume.
But the company’s approach is more than a headline grabber. At Smallest.ai, performance and potential matter more than pedigree. Of its small 14-person team, several in core data science and software roles are either self-taught or college dropouts.
Kamath and co-founder Akshat Mandoli—both alumni of IIT Guwahati—emphasize that it's not about where you studied, but how you solve problems. “We don’t want to lose out on any talent,” Kamath told The Economic Times, “including self-taught individuals.”
🔍 Skills-Based Hiring: A Growing Trend
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Jobs Report, 30% of Indian employers are expected to embrace skills-first hiring practices over the next few years. This aligns with broader global trends, where companies are rethinking what makes a candidate truly job-ready in a world where technology changes faster than syllabi.
Zerodha, one of India's leading discount brokers, is another strong advocate. For them, curiosity and a hunger to learn outweigh certifications and degrees. As their VP of onboarding, Mohammed Shoaib, puts it: "Most of the hiring is inbound—candidates apply because they want to come and work with Zerodha." From there, it's about thoughtful evaluations, not checkbox qualifications.
🎯 Why This Matters Now
There are several forces driving this shift:
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Access to learning: With free and paid resources like YouTube, Coursera, GitHub, and open-source communities, anyone can build skills outside the classroom.
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Changing tech demands: Modern roles, especially in tech, require adaptability and up-to-date skills—something traditional degrees can struggle to deliver.
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Hiring efficiency: Skills-based assessments allow companies to evaluate candidates based on what they can do now, not just past achievements.
This new mindset is especially important in fields like software engineering, data science, and AI, where real-world problem-solving trumps theoretical knowledge.
💡 Rethinking the Resume
The traditional resume is losing its dominance. Companies are experimenting with portfolio-based applications, live coding challenges, project-based assessments, and even open-ended problem-solving tasks. The idea is simple: demonstrate your skills, don’t just list them.
And it’s working. Teams built on talent rather than titles often bring more diversity, creativity, and drive—qualities essential in fast-moving industries.
🔮 What’s Next?
As more companies realize the value of skills-first hiring, we can expect:
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Broader adoption across industries beyond tech
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A rise in skills credentialing platforms and micro-certifications
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Growing demand for non-traditional talent from bootcamps, self-learners, and online communities
For job seekers, this is empowering. Your learning path is no longer confined to a four-year degree. For employers, it’s a wake-up call to cast a wider net—and find talent where others aren’t looking.
📌 Final Thoughts
The shift from “fancy degrees” to real skills is more than a hiring trend—it’s a cultural transformation in the workplace. Companies like Smallest.ai and Zerodha are leading the way, but they won’t be alone for long.
As we head into a future shaped by innovation and adaptability, the question for employers isn’t “Where did you study?”—it’s “What can you do?”
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