India is facing a deepening crisis in skilled talent, especially in the tech industry.
A Bengaluru CEO Umesh Kumar recently voiced his frustration online after receiving 1,000 applications for a backend engineering role — yet almost none could complete a simple coding task. This is despite the company offering a hefty Rs 50 lakh per annum salary.
"India seriously has a big talent problem,” CEO Kumar mentioned in his post. “We got around 1,000 applications for a backend engineering role in just the last 2-3 days, and guess how many were actually decent? We asked for a basic, simple coding task. The submissions? Mostly absolute trash. AI-generated crap everywhere. But that’s ok. Code that doesn't even run. Running code, libraries needed for the code to work are even missing. Honestly, forget high standards; is it too much to ask for code that actually compiles?”
The CEO's straightforward and fast hiring process still failed to attract competent candidates, underscoring the severity of the talent shortage.
He bluntly called it a “big f***ing problem,” and he isn’t alone; other industry veterans echo similar concerns.
This isn’t just about failed job applications. It’s a disturbing reflection of a generation that is pursuing education without purpose.
Students are chasing degrees mechanically, collecting certificates with no genuine interest or effort in building skills or developing real talent to match with the pace of the world.
There’s little curiosity, creativity, or drive — just time pass learning, and now, a growing reliance on AI to shortcut even that.
The result? A generation with paper qualifications but no practical ability.
And amidst this, a pressing question arises; where is the money poured into government-run skill development programs going? It certainly isn’t showing in the quality of the workforce.
At the same time, unemployed youth lament the lack of jobs that match their education. But private companies aren’t looking for mere certificates; they need skill, drive and competency.
Until this gap is addressed, employers will remain frustrated and graduates will continue to miss out on real opportunities, lamenting about the unemployment in India.
Indian education standards must be raised significantly to match international levels.
India has long been known for producing talent, but with declining academic standards and poor global rankings of Indian institutions, we are falling behind in the very area where we once excelled — and this is a serious danger for the nation.