From manually updating job listings via floppy disks to redefining online recruitment, Naukri.com’s journey shows the power of insight over infrastructure
India, June 30, 2025 — In a world where startups raise millions before even launching, it’s almost unbelievable that Naukri.com, India’s pioneering job portal, began without an internet connection—or funding. But that’s exactly how Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder of Naukri and Executive Vice Chairman of InfoEdge, laid the foundation for what would become India’s hiring backbone.
Speaking candidly with Pushkar Bidwai on the Humanscope podcast by People Matters, Sanjeev revealed how a simple observation in a 1990s marketing office sparked the idea. Each time Business India magazine arrived, colleagues skipped to the job ads at the back—just out of curiosity. Sanjeev recognized the universal human interest in opportunities, and that insight became the seed for Naukri.com.
Without internet access, the first version of Naukri was updated manually: job listings were entered into floppy disks and uploaded at a friend’s home with internet. Sanjeev’s team subscribed to 29 newspapers across India to gather job ads, committed to maintaining a minimum of 1,000 active listings, and saw organic traffic grow rapidly. Naukri offered what India’s fragmented job market lacked—a single, searchable hub with jobs from every major city, accessible anytime.
Even the name came by chance. After obvious English domain names like jobsindia.com were taken, Sanjeev called his brother in the US and impulsively asked about “naukri.com.” It was available. Friends thought it sounded “downmarket” or “too Hindi,” but the simplicity and relatability of “Naukri” became the brand’s biggest strength.
Today, Naukri.com is a key part of InfoEdge, which also created successes like 99acres, Jeevansathi, and Shiksha. But Naukri’s early days carry valuable lessons. Sanjeev’s approach wasn’t about building a unicorn, but about solving a real problem—and doing it sustainably. A single salesperson generating more revenue than their cost helped Naukri scale profitably, reinforcing the idea that hiring intentionally beats hiring endlessly—a principle that’s even more relevant as India’s hiring shifts from quantity to quality.
Sanjeev’s story is a reminder to entrepreneurs and HR leaders alike: you don’t need fancy tools, million-dollar funding, or the perfect plan to create impact. What you need is authentic insight, determination, and the courage to believe that a name like “Naukri” can one day become a billion-rupee brand—even if it doesn’t sound impressive at first.
