About 72% of India's fresh tech graduates and working professionals, representing almost equal numbers of men and women, are currently looking out for jobs even as the country remains under extended lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said a survey on Tuesday.

Nearly 25% of the working engineers who were planning to switch their jobs are currently stuck as the pandemic has affected the hiring process in organisations across the country, said the survey by IP-driven incubation lab BridgeLabz Solutions.

The survey also revealed that nearly 85% of the total respondents, engineers and tech graduates are learning new technologies relevant to the jobs they seek.

"An obvious impact of the pandemic-led lockdown can be seen in the employment space. Today, fresh tech graduates and experienced professionals are equally facing the challenges arising out of the demand for newer skill sets in the industry," Narayan Mahadevan, Founder, BridgeLabz, said in a statement.

"Viewing the current market situation and the inevitable competition in the near future, it will be only wise to strive to improve your learning curve. However, it is good to see that a majority of candidates are utilising this period to enhance their knowledge and accentuate their portfolios to succeed in the impending competition," Mahadevan said.

The survey involved over 1,500 fresh tech graduates and working professionals during the lockdown.

The findings reinstate the need for enhancing industry-relevant skills that could better the job prospects of engineering candidates.