Job boards are the lowest-conversion channel for Indian tech roles. LinkedIn DMs and warm referrals win by 8x.

Track the source of every interview an Indian engineer gets in 2026, and the data is consistent: job boards convert at 1-2% application-to-interview. Warm referrals convert at 25-35%. Cold LinkedIn DMs to engineering managers convert at 8-12% when written well. The math is overwhelming. The rational job-hunt motion is: 60% of your time on referrals through your network, 30% on cold LinkedIn outreach to specific managers, and 10% on board applications as a baseline. Naukri exists, but treating it as your primary channel is leaving 8x of pipeline on the table.