A Reddit post has triggered a massive online debate after an IIT alumnus revealed how he went from earning â¹70 lakh a year to having “just two months of runway” following a sudden layoff from a Nifty50 company.
The post has struck a chord across the internet, highlighting the deepening crisis in India’s white-collar job market.
The user, an alumnus of an “old IIT” with 18 years of experience across multiple industries, said he had worked on major “boardroom digital transformation projects” that delivered strong results. Yet none of that protected him when his job vanished overnight.
“Was making around â¹70 LPA seven months back. Now I am back to zero,” he wrote, calling the last few months “really depressing.” “I have a family and everyone is stressed and sad.”
His financial troubles mounted quickly. He had bought a larger house recently and spent all his family’s savings in the process. After losing his job, he could no longer afford the EMI and had to rent out the new home just to stay afloat.
“Within a month of this large expense, depleting all our savings, I was laid off,” the post said.
The job hunt hasn’t been kinder. Despite using every possible platform — LinkedIn, Naukri, consultants, references, and even paid services — he has received only a handful of calls and just two interviews in seven months.
The IITian described the grim reality for mid- and senior-level professionals: “At this level, even friends can’t help much… options are few. I am okay with lower pay, but I am not even getting calls.”
He ended the post saying, “It’s all crashing down and I am hopeless now.”
Thousands responded, agreeing that his struggle was far from unique. One user wrote that even highly relevant experience doesn’t guarantee opportunities anymore, calling it a “tough market.”
Another noted that while new MNC data centres and US H-1B restrictions could give temporary relief, the number of high-paying tech jobs is shrinking.
Many commenters echoed that mid-career professionals with solid resumes are increasingly finding themselves stuck, despite years of hard-earned expertise.
The viral post has become a stark reminder that even employees with elite degrees, high salaries, and strong track records are not insulated from the uncertainty gripping India’s private-sector job landscape.