High-frequency trading (HFT) firms in India are offering record-breaking salaries for entry-level roles, with monthly pay packages going as high as ₹12.5 lakh. This comes even as India’s market regulator, SEBI, continues to tighten oversight on the country’s equity derivatives market.
According to Bloomberg, Amsterdam-based IMC Trading BV offered Indian interns up to ₹12.5 lakh a month this year — a threefold jump from 2024. Similarly, Quadeye, one of the country’s largest HFT recruiters, has raised entry-level salaries to as much as ₹7.5 lakh a month, a 50% increase from last year.
The demand for quant researchers, trading system engineers, and profitable traders remains extremely high. “We are getting inquiries to set up new desks almost every month,” said Daniel Vaz, co-head of quant and trading tech recruiting at Aquis Search, highlighting the growing competition for top IIT and tech talent.
This hiring spree comes at a time when derivatives trading volume has dropped by over 40% from last year’s peak, partly due to SEBI’s tighter regulations aimed at protecting retail investors. Yet, the potential for profit remains immense — foreign funds and proprietary trading desks made around $7 billion (₹62,300 crore) in gross profits in the year ending March 2024.
In July, SEBI accused New York-based Jane Street Group LLC of manipulating prices on expiry days and temporarily banned the firm from Indian markets. Jane Street has denied wrongdoing and is seeking to overturn the ban, claiming lack of access to key documents.
Despite this scrutiny, firms like Estee Advisors, iRage Broking, and Optimus Prime Securities are expanding their HFT operations. Even billionaire Ken Griffin’s Citadel Securities is scaling up its India presence, hiring traders and executives to strengthen its Gurugram office.
Around 70% of equity derivatives trades are now algorithm-driven, compared to 60% three years ago. As competition heats up, strategies have shorter lifespans, forcing firms to adapt rapidly. “Alpha decay is faster than ever — strategies that worked for six months earlier now work for only two months,” said Rajib Borah, CEO of iRage.
For India’s top engineering graduates, HFT continues to be one of the most lucrative career options — far outpacing salaries offered by other sectors.
