Nithya David Built a Recruitment Firm by Trusting Instincts—and Backing People Before Profiles

At Upstream, this Bengaluru-based founder proves that careers are shaped by insight, not algorithms.

For Nithya David, recruitment has never been about volume. It’s about judgment.

In 2007—long before hiring platforms, keyword screening, and automated shortlists became the norm—Nithya founded Upstream Human Resource Solutions in Bengaluru with a simple idea: the right career move can change a life, but only if someone is willing to truly see the person behind the résumé.

Her path to entrepreneurship was unconventional. Nithya began her career inside leading advertising agencies such as JWT and Ogilvy, where she discovered a natural ability for identifying people who fit—not just functioned. That instinct became the foundation of Upstream, a boutique recruitment firm that now partners with some of India’s most respected corporate brands and creative agencies, including Titan Group companies, Target, Maersk, Amazon, Zivame, Ogilvy, Dentsu, DDB Mudra, and Webchutney.

Operating primarily across digital advertising, media, marketing, and corporate roles, Upstream has carved a distinct niche: helping professionals move seamlessly between creative agencies and large organizations—two worlds that often struggle to understand each other. Nithya’s strength lies in translation: decoding ambition, potential, and readiness on both sides of the table.

Unlike scaled recruitment firms, Upstream remains intentionally founder-led. Nithya works directly with candidates, mentoring them through self-doubt, career pivots, and confidence gaps—an approach shaped by her own early academic struggles and later transformation through resilience and self-belief.

“A recruiter’s real job isn’t placement—it’s perspective. Once people see what they’re capable of, the role follows.”

In recent years, Nithya has expanded her work beyond placements into mentoring, helping professionals think long-term about careers rather than chasing titles. Her impact has been recognized with honors including the Karnataka Women Award and recognition by global women leadership forums.

For Women Story, Nithya David represents a different kind of leadership—quiet, intuitive, and deeply human. In an industry racing toward automation, she continues to prove that careers still move upstream because of trust, timing, and someone who believes before the market does.

Upstream

Founded: 2007

Industry: Recruitment · Talent Advisory

Website: www.swimupstream.in

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/nithyadavid/