Indian resume rules — where they differ from the US convention
Photo or no photo? CGPA or omit? References on request? The Indian resume conventions that actually matter in 2026.
Should you put a photo on your Indian resume?
No, for product companies and modern startups. Razorpay, Swiggy, Flipkart, Postman, CRED — they don't want it; some consider it a slight negative because it invites unconscious bias and serves no parsing purpose.
Maybe yes for traditional industries — banking, consulting, hospitality, family-owned businesses. The convention there is conservative; the recruiter expects it.
When in doubt, omit. Modern ATSes drop the photo anyway.
CGPA / percentage — when to include
Include if you graduated within the last 5 years AND your score is above 8.0/10 (CGPA) or 80% (percentage). Below that, omit. Beyond 5 years post-grad, omit regardless — your work outweighs the marks.
IIT/IIM/NIT graduates: include the institution prominently, the score is less important. The institution is the credential.
Resume length for India
1 page for under 5 years. 2 pages max for 5–15 years. Indian recruiters, like global ones, scan in 7–10 seconds. Length doesn't help density.
Exception: government and PSU applications often expect a longer document with formal sections. For private-sector, stick to the global convention.
Address conventions
City + state is enough. Full address is over-disclosure for a printed resume going to recruiters. If you're applying for a job that requires you to relocate, mention "Open to relocation to [city]" near your contact info — recruiters look for this.
References on request
Skip this line entirely. It wastes space — everyone knows references can be requested. Use that line for one more outcome bullet.
Salary in cover letters / emails
Don't include current salary or expected salary unless explicitly asked. If asked: give a range, anchor at the high end of your research band, and ALWAYS mention "open to discussion given the right opportunity."
LinkedIn vs Naukri presence
Have both. Naukri for traditional/Indian-recruiter searches, LinkedIn for product/MNC searches. Keep them consistent — recruiters check both.
Related role pages
- Software Engineer Resume Example · Software Engineer Interview Questions
- Product Manager Resume Example · Product Manager Interview Questions
- Financial Analyst Resume Example · Financial Analyst Interview Questions
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Start freeThe ApplyVita Career Team builds the resume-scoring and job-matching tools at the core of ApplyVita. Our guidance is grounded in the same four-component ATS rubric our product scores resumes on — content and impact, keyword match, formatting, and skills — and in current recruiter and hiring-manager practice. Every guide is checked against that rubric before it is published, and updated as hiring norms change.