Job Fair for Ex-Servicemen to be Held in Bengaluru

- This event is part of a broader initiative by the Directorate General Resettlement (DGR), which is organizing 18 job fairs for ex-servicemen across India during the 2025-26 fiscal year. Previous fairs in other cities, such as Guwahati, have seen participation from over 50 leading corporate organizations offering around 700 job vacancies. - Approximately 60,000-70,000 military personnel retire from the Indian armed forces annually, most between the ages of 34 and 48, creating a large pool of experienced and disciplined candidates for the civilian workforce. Many of these veterans are increasingly being sought after by the corporate sector for their ingrained traits of self-discipline, ownership, and strategic thinking. - Tech companies and Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are increasingly hiring military veterans. The number of veterans employed in GCCs in India grew from 10,000 a decade ago to 24,000 in the 2023-24 financial year. Companies like Amazon, Infosys, IBM, and Wells Fargo have established specific programs to hire and integrate ex-servicemen into roles including IT operations, cybersecurity, and project management. - To bridge the gap between military experience and corporate tech demands, the Indian Army has collaborated with NASSCOM to help orient veterans to the specific needs of the IT sector. Additionally, premier institutions like IIM Ahmedabad and the Indian School of Business (ISB) offer business management and transition programs for retired armed forces personnel. - The Bengaluru startup ecosystem includes several ventures founded by ex-servicemen. Examples include myGate, a security management solution founded by an ex-IAF pilot, and Jumbotail, an online wholesale marketplace for kirana stores co-founded by an ex-Army officer who previously worked at Flipkart and eBay. - Another local example is Olive Planet, a Bengaluru-based online and offline platform for military-style gear, co-founded by a retired Major who identified a market need from his own service experience. This highlights a trend of veterans leveraging their direct experience to build niche businesses. - For ex-servicemen interested in entrepreneurship, organizations like 'I Create India' run workshops in Bengaluru to provide skills, mentorship, and financial guidance, having already helped numerous veterans launch their own businesses. - The job fair will utilize an AI-powered platform, esmhire.com, for both ex-servicemen and potential employers to register for the event, streamlining the connection process. The platform aims to give employers free access to a pool of skilled and "mission-ready" professionals.