Air India’s massive recruitment drive led to a stampede-like situation in Mumbai on Tuesday. More than 25,000 job seekers flocked to Mumbai’s Kalina area for a walk-in interview at Air India Airport Services Ltd, which advertised 2,216 vacancies for handyman positions that involve diverse repair and maintenance duties. The massive turnout created chaos as applicants overwhelmed the recruitment office despite the limited job openings available.
According to the videos doing the rounds of social media, applicants were seen jostling with each other to reach the form counters. Multiple media reports suggested that the applicants had to wait for a long time without being provided with any food or water, and apparently many of them started feeling unwell.
In response to the overwhelming crowd, Air India administrative officials instructed candidates to submit their resumes and leave, foregoing the scheduled interviews. This decision was aimed to manage the situation and prevent further disorder among the job seekers.
The Mumbai incident occurred shortly after a widely circulated video depicted hundreds of jobseekers pushing and jostling each other at a walk-in interview in Ankleshwar, located in Gujarat’s Bharuch district.