Indian resume rules vs the US convention

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 institution carries more weight than the score, so a mid CGPA costs you less than it would from a lesser-known college. Note that this is an off-campus rule. On a campus placement resume you have no choice: the placement cell reads your CGPA straight from the institute's academic records, and every other line has to be backed by proof before the resume is approved.

IIT resume credential restrictions — the campus rule that overrides everything above

Every convention on this page assumes you are writing an off-campus resume, where you decide what goes on it. Inside an IIT, NIT or IIIT placement season the document changes character: it becomes a declared document, and the restriction is simple — you may claim only what you can evidence.

Published placement-office guidance converges on the same principle. IIT Kanpur's Students' Placement Office requires proofs justifying each point on your resume, plus verification forms from your project or internship mentor. IIT (BHU)'s placement policy states that any point without a proof or certificate attesting to its authenticity is not permitted, and resumes carrying such points are not approved.

Three consequences catch students out every year:

• A true claim you cannot document is treated exactly like a false one. The freelance project you genuinely did is worth nothing if nobody will put it in writing.
• Ranks and positions are credentials; participation usually is not. The moment you write "national finalist" or "top 5", it needs documentation.
• Verification takes real working days, and a verified resume is generally locked for the phase — so a certification you are two weeks from finishing cannot go on it.

The full mechanism — what counts as proof for internships, self-projects, MOOCs and positions of responsibility, and how the master resume differs from the one-pagers recruiters see — is in the dedicated guide: IIT resume credential restrictions.

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.