Is degree still enough to get job in India? What employers and educators say

For years, a degree was the ticket into the job market. Employers are now asking what a candidate can actually do with it. As hiring shifts towards practical, digital and adaptable skills, the worth of a traditional qualification is being reassessed.

The question is what could become the new benchmark for employability.

A foundation, not a finish line

Educators say the degree still matters but no longer tells the whole story. "A degree remains an important foundation, but the true value of education lies in the careers it enables and the capabilities students develop along the way," says Dr Sorabh Lakhanpal, Head of Student Welfare Wing, Professor and Executive Dean at Lovely Professional University (LPU).

He says employers are looking for more than classroom learning. "As industries evolve and employers increasingly seek practical skills, critical thinking, digital proficiency, and adaptability, higher education must move beyond conventional classroom learning to prepare students for the realities of the professional world."

What a degree signals now

The hiring side tells a similar story. Sidharth Thakur, Director and CEO of Grassik Search, says degrees still carry weight in India, but a narrower kind. "In the Indian context, degrees haven't lost their signalling value, but what they signal has narrowed."

He says an IIM or IIT degree still shows that a person can clear a tough selection process, but not much beyond that. "It tells you very little about whether they can navigate ambiguity, adopt new tools, or lead a transformation, which is what most senior roles now demand."

The AI factor

Thakur says the pace of technology is also shortening the shelf life of skills. "AI is compressing learning timelines so sharply that a certification earned even 18 months ago may already reflect yesterday's toolkit."

For recruiters, the credential is only a first look. "Clients still notice the credential, but they no longer stop there. They want evidence of applied capability, recent projects, and real outcomes. The degree has gone from being the proof to being the starting point of a conversation."

What could replace it

Both experts say no single credential will take the degree's place. Lakhanpal says "the next benchmark for employability will be a combination of academic knowledge, practical experience and the ability to keep learning as industries evolve.

"In his view, "students should graduate with more than a qualification; they should have projects, experiences and achievements that demonstrate what they can bring to the workplace."

Thakur adds a note of caution. "Skills-based hiring is gaining ground in India, but calling it dominant would be getting ahead of ourselves." In his words, what replaces the degree "is not a single new credential, but a body of proof: demonstrated skills, structured assessment, and judgement tested against real situations."