IT Jobs Can No Longer Be Seen as a Safe Bet for India's Middle Class. Period.
Infosys layoffs are the first clear warning that AI will eat up IT jobs in India, writes Aunindyo Chakravarty.
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The dramatic layoffs of nearly 400 trainees at Infosys are the first clear warning that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to eat up middle-class white-collar jobs in India.
IT services ecosystem provides the largest number of well-paying salaried jobs in India – many of which can now be replaced by the various AI platforms. All a company has to do is spend $20 (Rs 1,700) per month to replace two freshers who would have been paid Rs 20,000-25,000 each. If they spend $200 (Rs 17,500) per month, they could get access to a PhD-level AI agent – and replace middle-rung techies who earn anywhere between Rs 70,000 and Rs 1 lakh per month.
IT majors have probably known this for the past two years. When ChatGPT came out at the end of 2022, it was a fascinating, awe-inspiring toy for most of us. But for tech companies, it was both an opportunity and a major threat.
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