No IIT? No Problem! KodNest is Turning Underprivileged Graduates into Global Tech Superstars
In a tech industry long dominated by pedigree and premier college degrees, a quiet revolution is taking place. As top product companies in India and abroad reassess their hiring strategies, skill-based hiring is steadily replacing brand-name bias. A growing number of companies are now looking beyond the IITs and NITs, choosing instead to focus on what candidates can do rather than where they come from. At the forefront of this shift is KodNest, a Bengaluru-based upskilling platform that’s giving underrepresented graduates a fair chance at success in the global tech ecosystem.
India’s booming tech sector, valued at over $245 billion, faces a paradox: while lakhs of engineering graduates enter the job market each year, many remain unemployable due to a lack of practical, job-ready skills. For decades, companies leaned heavily on graduates from Tier-1 institutes, assuming quality by association. But with the growing demand for real-world readiness and hands-on experience, this hiring model is evolving.
“Companies are starting to realize that brand name alone doesn’t guarantee job readiness,” says Rajeev Menon, a Bengaluru-based HR consultant for several tech startups. “We’re seeing a growing demand for candidates who have built something, who’ve solved real-world problems—regardless of the college on their résumé.”
This shift is driving the rise of project-based learning programs across the country. Unlike traditional classroom models, these programs prioritize practical application over rote learning. Students are challenged to build full-stack applications, debug live code, and work on real-time challenges. As a result, candidates emerge with portfolios that demonstrate actual competency—a growing requirement for employers dealing with shrinking timelines and rising expectations.
Recruiters from companies like PayPal, Groww, and Swiggy are beginning to look at GitHub profiles and live project demonstrations with more interest than ever before. “We no longer ask, ‘Where did you graduate from?’ We ask, ‘Can you do the job from day one?’” shared a hiring manager from a top product company on condition of anonymity. This approach is especially resonant with startups and mid-sized firms looking to hire high-impact talent without the premium salary tags often attached to IIT graduates.
Another trend gaining traction is personalized mentorship—especially for students from rural or non-English-speaking backgrounds. Tailored support, including interview preparation and communication coaching, is helping level the playing field. Technology, including AI-based tutors, is also playing a crucial role in delivering adaptive, real-time learning experiences that mimic the flexibility of 1-on-1 mentoring.
Affordability is another driving force in this paradigm shift. Traditional upskilling programs, often priced out of reach for students from modest backgrounds, are now facing competition from platforms offering quality training at accessible prices. This democratization of tech education is critical to ensuring that the next wave of developers and engineers truly represents the diversity of India’s talent pool.
One standout in this changing landscape is KodNest, which has helped thousands of graduates from lesser-known institutions land roles at leading tech firms, some with packages rivaling or exceeding those of IIT alumni. Their success stories underscore a larger industry transformation—one that prioritizes capability, drive, and hands-on learning over outdated notions of academic elitism. As the tech world leans further into this inclusive future, the message is clear: when it comes to building the next generation of tech leaders, it’s not where you start, but what you build that counts.
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