Archive · 23 Sep 2026
India Inc Warms to Non-English-Speaking Executives Without Dropping English
Many Indian companies are changing how they judge job candidates.
They are learning that speaking polished English does not always mean someone will perform well.
Some candidates from smaller cities may have excellent technical skills but weaker spoken English.
One company hired such a candidate after a strong technical test and allowed them to work with clients in regional languages.
English is still useful for global customers and important senior meetings.
However, Indian languages can help employees communicate with local customers and colleagues.
Experts say leaders need to explain ideas clearly, negotiate and handle difficult situations, not just speak with a particular accent.
Companies are trying to keep English useful without letting it unfairly block talented people.
Companies are increasingly separating English fluency from job competence, especially when candidates show strong technical or domain skills.
English remains important in entry-level screening and roles involving global clients, board discussions, investors or senior leadership.
Employers are placing greater value on learning agility, ambition, confidence, values and strategic communication.
More than 60% of India’s engineering graduates come from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, while over 220 GCC units are located there.
Translation tools may reduce language barriers, but experts say they cannot replace persuasion, trust-building and real-time decision-making.
- Who
- Indian companies, employers, business schools and executives, including representatives from TalentiFi-X, Fingrowth Media, Deloitte India and Accord Group India.
- What
- Corporate India is reassessing whether English fluency should be used as a major filter for hiring and promotion.
- When
- The article describes a current shift in hiring and leadership practices.
- Where
- Across India, including Tier-II and Tier-III cities and corporate workplaces.
- Why
- India’s talent pool is increasingly coming from non-metro and vernacular-medium backgrounds, while employers seek to assess capability beyond language fluency.
Reduce English as a Gatekeeper
Retain English for Specific Responsibilities
Hiring and promotion
Reduce English as a Gatekeeper
English should not be treated as a proxy for competence when candidates demonstrate strong technical, domain or leadership abilities.
Retain English for Specific Responsibilities
English remains relevant in entry-level screening and can become more important as employees take on broader leadership responsibilities.
Language versus leadership
Reduce English as a Gatekeeper
Accent and linguistic polish should rarely determine whether someone advances; regional-language ability can be valuable with local stakeholders.
Retain English for Specific Responsibilities
Senior leaders must communicate complex strategies, negotiate, handle crises and interact with boards, investors and global clients.
Role of technology
Reduce English as a Gatekeeper
AI-powered translation could help reduce language barriers and widen access to corporate opportunities.
Retain English for Specific Responsibilities
Translation cannot fully replace the ability to persuade, build trust and make decisions in real time.
- Entry-level hiring
- English remains an important filter in campus recruitment and initial screening.
- Technical ability
- Fingrowth Media hired a Tier-II candidate with poor spoken English after an exceptional technical assessment.
- Deloitte India approach
- Hiring emphasizes domain knowledge, learning agility, ambition, confidence and values rather than English fluency alone.
- Engineering graduates
- More than 60% of India’s engineering graduates reportedly come from Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
- GCC presence
- More than 220 global capability centers are located in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
- Business schools
- TAPMI reports that around 10% of incoming students come from vernacular-medium backgrounds, while IIM Calcutta offers voluntary bridge programs and business communication courses.
- Technology
- AI-powered translation tools may further reduce language barriers, but experts say they cannot replace persuasion, trust and real-time decision-making.