24, Oct 2025
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with Max Factor Makeup Kit
India, 24th October, 2025: Max Factor Makeup Kit, This Diwali, gift your loved ones the ultimate glam upgrade with the Max Factor Makeup Kit, a thoughtfully curated set of beauty essentials she’ll adore. Featuring the Masterpiece 2-in-1 Lash wow Mascara for bold, the Facefinity 3-in-1 Foundation for flawless coverage, Masterpiece Nude Palette for on-the-go touch-ups, this kit is designed to elevate every look. Add a pop of color with the Colour Elixir Lipstick. Elegant, timeless, and packed with beauty must-haves it’s the perfect Diwali gift to celebrate sparkle.
Availability – Nykaa, Myntra, Amazon, Tata Cliq, Health & Glow, Dabur NewU and Shoppers Stop
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- By Neel Achary
24, Oct 2025
JMR Infotech Powers AI-Driven Compliance at Cooperative Bank of Oromia
JMR Infotech Powers AI & ML-Driven Compliance Transformation at Cooperative Bank of Oromia with Successful FCC Studio Go-Live
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia / Dubai, 24th October, 2025: JMR Infotech, a global leader in digital transformation and banking technology solutions, has successfully gone live with Oracle Financial Services Crime and Compliance Studio 8.1.2.7 (FCC Studio) at Cooperative Bank of Oromia (Coopbank).
This marks Phase 2 of JMR Infotech’s ongoing Financial Crime and Compliance Management (FCCM) engagement with Coopbank. The latest phase introduces Automatic Scenario Calibration (ASC) an AI and ML-powered system that automatically calibrates detection thresholds based on historical transaction data. ASC delivers optimized alerts across all scenario categories, reducing false positives, minimizing missed critical alerts, and enhancing operational efficiency. By analyzing alert patterns, ASC ensures a balance between risk coverage and workload management, empowering Coopbank to strengthen compliance, make informed decisions, and proactively manage financial crime risks at scale.
Shimelis Legesse, Chief Information Officer, Cooperative Bank of Oromia, said:
“This implementation is a key milestone in our compliance transformation journey. The solution enables us to manage financial crime risks more effectively while improving operational efficiency. We appreciate the dedication and expertise of JMR Infotech and Oracle throughout this project.”
Suresha Ramachandra Iyer, President & Head – Enterprise Risk and Analytics, JMR Infotech, added:
“The successful FCC Studio go-live reinforces our commitment to delivering intelligent, scalable, and practical compliance solutions. By leveraging AI and ML, Coopbank can optimize alerts, reduce false positives, and enhance operational efficiency — allowing the compliance team to focus on high-risk cases and proactively manage financial crime risks.”
This successful go-live underscores JMR Infotech’s focus on providing innovative, intelligent, and scalable compliance solutions that help banks meet evolving regulatory demands while driving digital transformation.
24, Oct 2025
Jonita Gandhi and Progressive Brothers to Open for Enrique Iglesias in Mumbai
October 24, 2025: Multi-Grammy Award-winning music icon Enrique Iglesias is set to illuminate the MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai on October 29 and 30, 2025, marking his highly anticipated return to India. Joining him as the official support acts will be the talented Indo-Canadian singer Jonita Gandhi and the electrifying EDM duo Progressive Brothers.
Jonita Gandhi states, “It’s truly a dream come true to share the stage with Enrique Iglesias. I grew up listening to his music, he’s such an icon. I’m incredibly excited to connect with fans and bring my energy to this concert.”
PRO BROS state, “Opening for Enrique is an incredible honour. We can’t wait to bring our unique sound to the audience and set the stage for an unforgettable show!”
Produced by India’s leading live event company, EVA Live, this mega concert promises an unforgettable evening featuring a nostalgia-filled showcase of Iglesias’ extensive career, including both classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers. This tour marks Iglesias’ third visit to India, following his celebrated performances in 2004 and 2012. With tickets available on the District App and one show already sold out, over 50,000 fans are expected to attend across both days.
Enrique Iglesias is revered as one of the world’s most prolific musical icons, and attendees can look forward to an immersive experience enhanced by a dynamic setlist, world-class production and stunning visuals.
Jonita Gandhi started her journey by posting covers on YouTube, and has since released over 150 songs in more than 10 languages. She has collaborated with international artists like Ed Sheeran, The Chainsmokers and Michael Bublé, and shared stages with everyone from Shawn Mendes to Michael Bublé; establishing herself as one of India’s most versatile playback singers while successfully navigating a career as an independent artist—an impressive feat in the music industry.
Progressive Brothers, comprised of Sunny Sharma and Karan Bhalla, are a notable name in India’s electronic music scene. They have shared stages with globally recognized artists such as DJ Snake, David Guetta, Dimitri Vegas Like Mike, Tiesto Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Kygo, KSHMR and Martin Garrix, and have played at prestigious festivals like Sunburn Festival, VH1 Supersonic, Road To Ultra and Electric Daisy Carnival. They have released music on global labels such as Edm.com, Tiesto’s Musical Freedom, Spinnin’ Records and Chuckie’s Dirty Dutch Digital.
The event is powered by Mastercard.
23, Oct 2025
Beendani Actress Gauri Shelgaonkar on Bhaidooj: My Brother Is My Biggest Support
Prathaon Ki Odhe Chunri: Beendani Actress Gauri Shelgaonkar on Bhaidooj: My brother has always been my biggest support system
India, 23rd October, 2025: Sometimes, love doesn’t need grand gestures, it hides in the smallest acts of care. For actress Gauri Shelgaonkar, known for her role Ghevar in Sun Neo’s show ‘Prathaon Ki Odhe Chunri: Beendani’, Bhaidooj is more than just a festival; it’s an emotion that takes her back to her childhood memories with her elder brother.
While talking about her brother’s love, she says, “Bhaidooj has always been one of the most special festivals for me because it celebrates the pure bond between a brother and sister. My brother has always been my biggest support system; he’s caring, protective, and always looks out for me. Even during my shoots, he visits the set just to make sure I’m doing fine and looks after even the smallest things about me. This year, I have taken a leave from our show ‘Prathaon Ki Odhe Chunri: Beendani’ for Diwali, and I am so excited to spend these days with my family.”
Gauri further shared her childhood memories, saying, “I still remember one of the sweetest memories from our childhood. Back then, he didn’t earn anything, but he saved up his pocket money just to buy me a small hair clip to gift me on Bhaidooj. It might seem like a tiny gesture, but for me, it meant the world. I’ve kept that clip safely even today. It reminds me how pure and selfless a brother’s love can be.”
Prathaon Ki Odhe Chunri: Beendani is the tale of Ghevar, a fearless and spirited girl from Rajasthan whose life takes an unexpected turn when destiny places a newborn in her family. This twist of fate ties together two contrasting worlds, setting the stage for a journey filled with love, sacrifice, and long-hidden truths. Ghevar’s path is one of courage and resilience as she fights to protect what she holds closest to her heart.
23, Oct 2025
University of Winchester and Oxford International forge strategic partnership to expand global reach
India, 23rd October 2025: In a strategic move to enhance global engagement and attract a more diverse student body, the University of Winchester has announced a new partnership with Oxford International. It is a significant addition to the growing number of universities taking advantage of Oxford International’s rapidly growing Education Services offer. As a result a substantial first intake of students began their studies in September 2025 and there is a strong pipeline of applications for January 2026.
The University of Winchester will benefit from Oxford International’s comprehensive international market development services – spanning student recruitment, overseas marketing, admissions, enrolment, and compliance – all tailored for institutions to enhance and complement their existing in-house international infrastructure. Oxford International’s proprietary Admissions Engine will credibility check and support the application process from end-to-end enhancing effectiveness for students and the University.
By leveraging Oxford International’s global network and technology, Winchester gains a turnkey solution to compete more effectively on the world stage, while ensuring robust quality controls and exemplary student support. This model helps our academic partners remain globally competitive and enhances sustainability, even as the higher education sector faces intensifying international competition and policy changes.
The partnership with Winchester joins a series of new contracts with forward-thinking institutions that Oxford International has launched in our Education Services division. These include Health Sciences University (HSU) – a specialist health university with a 60-year legacy that partnered with Oxford International to expand its international reach and global impact – and Lincoln Bishop University (formerly Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln), which recently rebranded and opened to international students under the same model. Together, these collaborations demonstrate how smaller universities can be empowered to attract talent worldwide and thrive amid global demographic and market shifts.
As part of this strategic expansion Andy Cook, former Vice-Chancellor of Ravensbourne University London, will work closely with Oxford International’s team to ensure academic partners to maximise the benefits of these alliances.
Ravensbourne University was Oxford International’s first Oxford Direct partner and a flagship success story – under Andy Cook’s tenure, the university’s international student intake grew dramatically through the partnership. His first-hand experience in leveraging Oxford International’s model to transform Ravensbourne’s global student community will be invaluable in guiding Winchester and other partners to similar success.
David Pilsbury, Chief Development Officer at Oxford International, said of the partnership: “This partnership represents an exciting new chapter for the University of Winchester and for our Education Services portfolio. By combining Winchester’s academic excellence and community ethos with Oxford International’s global reach and recruitment expertise, we are opening up new opportunities for students and ensuring the University thrives internationally. We’re proud to support Winchester’s ambitions and help sustain its success in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape.”
Sam Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor of University of Winchester stated: “We’re thrilled to partner with Oxford International to welcome more students from around the world into our inclusive and values-driven community. Together, we’re creating new pathways to success for the next generation of global graduates.”
The new partnership’s first cohort of international students has begun their studies in September 2025, with additional programmes and intakes being developed for the coming academic year. Applications for the January 2026 intake are open and growing strongly.
23, Oct 2025
Samir Shah of Dvara Holdings selected for the 2025 Meaningful Business 100
Chennai, India, 23rd October, 2025: Samir Shah of Dvara Holdings has been named as one of this year’s Meaningful Business 100 (MB100), the annual award programme championing leaders combining profit and purpose to tackle complex social and environmental issues.
Evaluated by a panel of expert judges representing organisations like Google, Mastercard, Unilever SAP, Temasek and the World Economic Forum, winners were selected from over 900 nominations, across 86 countries. These outstanding social entrepreneurs, sustainability leaders, Corporate CEOs and impact investors were scored across five key areas: equity, impact, innovation, leadership and scalability.
As part of the ongoing MB100 programme, now in its 7th year, winners will gain access to investment opportunities, capacity-building resources, and pro-bono services from a range of leading organisations, including EY, Hogan Lovells, Forster Communications, Green Frontier Capital, Kenya Climate Ventures, and The Portman Estate. They also join the Meaningful Business community – a global network of social entrepreneurs, impact investors, and corporate sustainability leaders.
Commenting on the 2025 MB100, Tom Lytton-Dickie, Founder & CEO, Meaningful Business, said: “Firstly, a big congratulations to Samir Shah, whose inspiring work at Dvara Holdings demonstrates how combining profit and purpose can tackle complex social and environmental issues. The calibre of this year’s applications was exceptionally high, and we’re honoured to have Samir join our global community. We are looking forward to supporting their work in the coming years, as they scale their influence and impact.”
On being selected as part of the MB100 2025 cohort, Samir Shah, Executive Vice-Chair & Co-Founder, Dvara Holdings, said “This recognition is deeply meaningful—not just for me, but for the entire Dvara ecosystem. Our journey has been about building institutions that take the long view, solve deeply entrenched problems, and prioritise customer-centricity, trust, and resilience. I’m grateful to the MB100 community for celebrating this kind of impact, and I look forward to learning from and contributing to this community. I hope it encourages more mission-driven founders to stay the course, even when the road is complex.”
As one of the MB100 judges, Stasia Mitchell, EY Global Entrepreneurship Leader, added, “Congratulations to the MB100 Class of 2025! These inspiring leaders in social entrepreneurship, sustainability, corporate innovation and impact investing show how entrepreneurial thinking can be truly transformational. Chosen from over 900 nominations across 86 countries, they are delivering scalable solutions to global challenges by aligning purpose with profit. It was an honor to serve as a judge and see firsthand how they are shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future.”
23, Oct 2025
Operant AI Discovers “Shadow Escape”: The First Zero-Click Agentic Attack via MCP
Bengaluru, 23rd October, 2025: Operant AI, the world’s only Runtime AI Defense Platform, today disclosed the discovery of Shadow Escape, a powerful zero-click attack that exploits Model Context Protocol (MCP) and connected AI agents. The exploit enables data exfiltration via popular AI agents and assistants, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other LLM-powered agents.
As enterprises rapidly adopt agentic AI through MCP servers and MCP-based integrations to connect large language models (LLMs) to internal tools, APIs, and databases, Shadow Escape demonstrates a new class of threats that operate entirely inside the firewall and within authorized identity boundaries, making them invisible to conventional cybersecurity monitoring.
“The Shadow Escape attack demonstrates the absolute criticality of securing MCP and agentic identities. Operant AI’s ability to detect and block these types of attacks in real-time and redact critical data before it crosses unknown and unwanted boundaries is pivotal to operationalizing MCP in any environment, especially in industries that have to follow the highest security standards,” said Donna Dodson, the former Chief of Cybersecurity at NIST.
According to McKinsey’s 2025 Technology Trends Outlook, nearly 80% of enterprises are now using generative or agentic AI assistants for critical business functions many of which depend on MCP for secure access management and workflow automation. Operant AI’s research estimates that trillions of private records may be at risk of exposure through such zero-click MCP-based data exfiltration chains.
Operant AI has formally reported this security issue to OpenAI and initiated the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) designation process. Critically, this is not a vulnerability specific to any individual LLM or Agent provider; it represents a fundamentally new attack path that affects any AI agent or AI application that utilizes MCP.
The Attack Chain
Unlike traditional prompt injection or data leaks, this attack doesn’t need user error, phishing, or malicious browser extensions. Instead, it leverages the trust already granted to AI agents and AI assistants through legitimate MCP connections.
The attack unfolds in three stages:
- Infiltration: Malicious instructions are embedded invisibly in documents uploaded to AI agents documents that appear completely legitimate and pass standard security scans
- Discovery: AI agents proactively discover and surface sensitive data across connected databases without explicit user requests, leveraging MCP’s powerful cross-system access capabilities
- Exfiltration: Hidden directives instruct the AI agent to transmit entire datasets to external endpoints, disguised as routine performance tracking or analytics uploads
The attack first enables the AI agent to access and display critical PII data to any human interacting with it, violating basic data governance standards, including HIPAA and PCI compliance. It then uses an invisible zero-click instruction to extract that PII, including Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, and other personally identifiable information (PII) to the dark web, all without IT or standard security measures blocking or detecting the breach. Using the Shadow Escape attack path, malicious entities are able to gain everything needed to perpetrate identity theft, Medicare fraud, financial fraud, and more, all without users or IT organizations realizing the exfiltration is happening.
Shadow Escape Is Not Limited to One AI Provider or Platform
Shadow Escape affects any organization using MCP-enabled AI agents or MCP-connected AI assistants, including ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), Gemini (Google), Custom AI agents built on various LLM backends, Open-source alternatives like Llama-based assistants, and Industry-specific AI copilots across healthcare, finance, and customer service. The common thread isn’t the specific AI Agent it’s the Model Context Protocol that grants these agents unprecedented access to organizational systems.
Beyond Traditional Security
“While MCP has become a foundational protocol enabling powerful AI integrations, our research reveals that standard MCP configurations create unprecedented attack surfaces that operate beyond the reach of traditional security controls,” said Vrajesh Bhavsar, CEO and co-founder of Operant AI. “Shadow Escape demonstrates how AI agents can be weaponized through 0-click attacks that are invisible to both users and conventional security methods. The attack happens entirely within authenticated sessions, using legitimate credentials, making the blast radius potentially catastrophic given the scale and speed at which agents can operate.”
Shadow Escape can impact many highly sensitive, privacy-regulated, and commonly used AI/Human interactions, including medical assistants using AI to access patient records, insurance databases, or treatment protocols or banking representatives using AI copilots connected to transaction systems, credit databases, or fraud detection monitoring systems.
Operant AI’s Security Research team recommends organizations take immediate action to assess and secure their MCP deployments by conducting comprehensive audits of all AI agents and AI assistants with MCP access to organizational systems, databases, and APIs; implementing runtime AI defense guardrails capable of detecting and blocking zero-click data exfiltration attempts; establishing MCP trust zones with explicit allow-listing of authorized servers and real-time blocking of untrusted connections; deploying sensitive data flow monitoring with in-line auto-redaction capabilities for PII, PHI, and financial information; and reviewing and governing MCP tools access following least-privilege principles.
23, Oct 2025
How lifestyle changes can reduce breast cancer risk
BY: Dr Gaurav Goel, Surgical Oncologist, HCG Cancer Centre, Jaipur
Every parent wants to protect their family’s health, especially when it comes to serious illnesses like breast cancer. Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers among Indian women, but the positive aspect is that simple lifestyle changes can significantly lower the risk. Taking steps today not only helps safeguard the health of mothers, daughters, and grandmothers but also sets an example for future generations about the power of prevention. Understanding how everyday choices from diet to physical activity, impact breast health can empower families to act before cancer develops.
Understanding Breast Cancer Risk
Breast cancer risk in India is shaped by a complex blend of genetic, reproductive, lifestyle, and socio-economic factors. Recent studies highlight that women who experience delayed marriage and first childbirth, have fewer children, or start menstruation early face higher breast cancer risks due to prolonged exposure to estrogen. Postmenopausal obesity is another major risk factor, as excess fat tissue produces estrogen, increasing cancer growth likelihood. Lifestyle habits such as physical inactivity, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption also contribute independently to raising risk. Conversely, protective factors include multiple pregnancies, extended breastfeeding, and maintaining a healthy body weight. These risk profiles vary significantly across regions in India due to cultural, dietary, and socioeconomic diversity, which also impacts the prevalence and stage at which breast cancer is detected.
Data from the Indian Council of Medical Research and population-based cancer registries emphasize that metropolitan areas like Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Telangana report higher breast cancer incidence compared to rural regions. Urban lifestyles characterized by sedentary behaviour, obesity, and lower breastfeeding rates partly explain this disparity. The risk peaks in women aged 40 and above but is increasingly seen in younger women under 50, underscoring the need for targeted awareness and early detection programs. Socioeconomic barriers such as limited health literacy, delayed symptom disclosure, and inadequate healthcare access often result in late-stage diagnosis in many parts of the country. Hence, comprehensive strategies considering these diverse risk factors, lifestyle modifications, and enhanced screening are essential to effectively reduce the breast cancer burden in India.
The Link Between Lifestyle and Breast Cancer Risk
Studies from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) highlight how modifiable lifestyle factors play a crucial role in breast cancer risk. Excess body weight, especially after menopause, raises risk by increasing estrogen levels that fuel cancer growth. Physical inactivity also adds to this risk, while regular exercise reduces it by helping hormone regulation and improving immune function. Diet is another key area; consuming too much processed and high-fat food may increase cancer risks, while a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains offers protection. Alcohol consumption and tobacco use further elevate risk by causing DNA damage and immune suppression.
Acting: Simple Lifestyle Changes
Adopting a healthier lifestyle does not require drastic measures but rather steady, manageable changes. Aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, like brisk walking or yoga, not only cuts cancer risk but enhances overall wellbeing. Focusing on a plant-based diet that includes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and limits processed foods and red meat helps control weight and supports a strong immune system. Women are encouraged to limit alcohol intake to safe levels and avoid tobacco entirely. Supporting breastfeeding mothers and educating communities on reproductive health choices form an essential part of prevention. Programs by MoHFW and community health workers are successfully promoting these shifts even in rural areas, where challenges remain. Family involvement is key, parents and caregivers can lead by example, reinforcing these habits in children and relatives to nurture a culture of health.
The Benefits Beyond Prevention
Beyond reducing cancer risks, these lifestyle changes improve quality of life by lowering the chance of other illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Early detection remains critical, but empowering families with knowledge and habits that prevent cancer in the first place is even more effective. Indian data suggest that lifestyle interventions, when widely adopted, could shift breast cancer trends positively over decades, saving lives and reducing treatment costs. Healthcare providers play a vital role in counselling and supporting individuals on these changes, tailoring advice to cultural and socioeconomic contexts. Technologies such as fitness apps and telehealth offer promising future tools to enhance accessibility and motivation across diverse Indian populations.
Building a Hopeful Future
Breast cancer is a challenge that no family wants to face, but the power to reduce risk lies within everyday choices. By adopting healthier eating, staying physically active, avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol, and supporting breastfeeding and reproductive health, families can take meaningful steps together. This not only protects women but raises a hopeful generation aware of their health. Protecting your loved ones starts with action today, embrace these lifestyle changes to build a healthier tomorrow.
23, Oct 2025
Biopeak and Modern Mayr Medicine Join Forces to Redefine Preventive Health in India
Aims to bring, 150 Years of Preventive Health Wisdom Tailored to Indian Lifestyles and Ethnicity
Bengaluru, India, October 23, 2025: Biopeak, India’s first full-stack precision health and wellness platform, announced a landmark strategic partnership with Austria’s Modern Mayr Medicine, a global pioneer in gut health and natural preventive medicine. This collaboration brings the 150-year clinical legacy of Dr. F.X. Mayr’s systemic health philosophy to India in the form of Modern Mayr Medicine, seamlessly blending time-tested principles with Biopeak’s cutting-edge, data-driven personalized health model. This partnership will create advanced, culturally attuned health & wellness programs tailored to Indian ethnicity, lifestyle, and long-term health goals.
“India is on the cusp of a medical revolution. Consumers today are concerned about their physical and mental wellness. The next frontier of healthcare lies in prevention, healthspan and longevity, not just correction.” said Rishi Pardal, CEO & Co-Founder, Biopeak. “By uniting Modern Mayr Medicine’s wisdom with the precision of AI, we aim to transform preventive healthcare in India, enabling people to move from reactive treatment to proactive health ownership. This is just the beginning of a new era in understanding and managing well-being.”
This partnership marks the next chapter in Biopeak’s ongoing association with Prof. Dr. Harald Stossier, and Irina Sharma, global authorities in Modern Mayr Medicine and members of Biopeak’s advisory board. Under the partnership, experts from Modern Mayr Medicine will work with Biopeak to further develop its flagship programs across nutrition, therapeutics, and lifestyle medicine. In parallel, Biopeak will invest in training physicians and clinical teams in the Modern Mayr Medicine protocol, ensuring authority, clinical fidelity and local adaptation. A Biopeak- Modern Mayr program is slated for launch in 2026.
“Modern Mayr Medicine is proud to bring its rich heritage to India, where longevity and personalized health are rapidly becoming part of the mainstream,” said Pioneer of Modern Mayr Medicine Prof. Dr. Harald Stossier. “Through our collaboration with Biopeak, we will offer customers our most prized tool; Modern Mayr comprehensive diagnostic approach, along with science-backed methods that empower individuals to take control of their long-term health and wellbeing. Our goal is to provide healthy longevity.”
A Shared Vision for Preventive and Longevity-Focused Health
Modern Mayr Medicine places intestinal health at the core of overall wellness, focusing on digestion, balanced nutrition, and metabolic harmony. Its approach resonates with emerging science on gut health and personalized nutrition, which increasingly shows the link between digestive wellness, immunity, metabolism, and longevity. Biopeak’s advisory board and panel of global experts collectively shape programs rooted in data, diagnostics, and personalization.
Together, Biopeak and Modern Mayr Medicine aim to set a new benchmark for preventive and longevity-focused healthcare in India, uniting legacy and innovation, experience and evidence, to empower individuals to take control of their health. The announcement was made at Biopeak’s flagship Media Day in Bengaluru, where the company also outlined its roadmap of upcoming health innovation initiatives.
22, Oct 2025
Tier 3 College Grads Thrive at Zoho, Apple, NVIDIA, Say “Anyone Can Be a Tech Rockstar”
Over one‑third of Zoho, Apple and NVIDIA employees come from Tier 3 colleges, proving that “anyone can become a tech rockstar”
India, 22nd October, 2025: While elite college names still open doors, a new survey by Blind, the anonymous community app for verified professionals, shows that they are no longer the golden ticket many assume. According to the survey of 1,602 Indian professionals conducted between September 17–24, 2025, graduates from lesser-known ‘Tier 3’ colleges comprise over one-third of the workforce at top global tech firms like Zoho, Apple, and NVIDIA.
Colleges were grouped into four tiers based on National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025: Tier 1 (IITs, IISc, top IIMs, BITS Pilani), Tier 2 (NITs, DTU, Jadavpur University, and similar), and Tier 3 (other state or private universities), with an additional category for overseas institutions.
While traditional financial firms still place value on college names, major tech firms tend to prioritize skills. At companies like Zoho, Apple, NVIDIA, SAP, and PayPal, where many respondents said college had no influence on their careers, an average of 34% of surveyed employees were Tier 3 graduates.
In contrast, traditional financial and other tech firms such as Goldman Sachs, Visa, Atlassian, Oracle, and Google still rely heavily on campus hiring. Yet even there, an average of 18% of respondents came from Tier 3 colleges. The message is clear: in today’s job market, talent speaks louder than your alma mater.
How people judged the importance of pedigree often reflected their own backgrounds. While the vast majority of Tier 1 and Tier 2 alumni agreed that campus recruitment shaped their careers more than any other factor, 59% of Tier 3 graduates and 45% of overseas graduates said their college was no more than another line on a résumé.
When asked about salary, only 15% of Tier 3 alumni reported a strong benefit from their education; 74% said it helped only early on or not at all. More than half of overseas graduates (53%) also felt college had little or no effect on their earnings.
These findings align with global trends. A recent Forbes analysis notes that 90% of companies see better hiring outcomes when they prioritise skills over degrees, describing the rise of skills‑based hiring as a “fundamental transformation”. For Indian professionals from lower-ranked universities, it’s proof that global tech careers are no longer out of reach, as long as they can demonstrate relevant skills.
A Salesforce professional who noted that they’ve taken over 300 interviews shared their observation on Blind: “In general, people from IIT/IIIT/NIT do better in the interviews…50% of the screened candidates from IIT/IIIT/NIT usually end up getting an offer. The other lot, the success rate is around 20%.” Yet a Goldman Sachs employee emphasized that opportunity is not closed off to others: “Companies aren’t just looking at IITs anymore, they’re hunting grads from small towns and Tier 3 colleges. They’re literally betting that with some training, anyone can become a tech rockstar.”
Methodology
Blind surveyed 1,602 verified Indian professionals via its app between September 17 and 24, 2025, to examine how college background influences career outcomes.
Questions asked:
- Which category best describes your college?
- Tier 1 – IITs, IISc, top IIMs, BITS Pilani, etc. (41%)
- Tier 2 – NITs, DTU, Jadavpur, other leading state/private universities (30%)
- Tier 3 – Other Indian state or private universities (25%)
- Overseas university outside India (4%)
- Which opportunity from your college has had the greatest impact on your career?
- Campus placement (49%)
- Strong entry into tech roles (13%)
- Access to global career opportunities (5%)
- Higher starting salary (7%)
- None of the above, it’s just another line on my CV (26%)
- How much has your education affected your salary?
- Strong – Major factor in salary offers and growth (36%)
- Moderate – Other factors matter equally (19%)
- Slight – Helped early, but performance counts more (25%)
- None – No link to salary (20%)
Colleges were grouped into four categories based on the NIRF 2025 university ranking, which lists the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru first, followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE):
- Tier 1 includes perennial top performers like the IITs, IISc, top IIMs and BITS Pilani.
- Tier 2 covers reputable institutions such as NITs, DTU, and Jadavpur.
- Tier 3 consists of all other state or private universities in India.
- A separate category for overseas institutions.
Breakdowns by tier, company, and detailed response ratios can be found in the accompanying data sheet: full dataset
