'Modi can't hire him as...': Netizens recall failed lateral entry move as Trump picks Indian-origin Sriram Krishnan as AI advisor

In a significant move, US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday appointed Indian-American entrepreneur and author Sriram Krishnan as Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The announcement sparked online debates, with comparisons drawn to India's struggles in recruiting domain experts through lateral entry into its bureaucracy.

Author and columnist Sadanand Dhume noted that it was easier for the US to hire Krishnan for a senior White House position "than it would be for Modi to hire him as a joint secretary in some ministry that nobody has heard of."

Security analyst Sushant Sareen countered the sentiment, pointing out that hiring a foreign citizen as a Joint Secretary in India is neither feasible nor advisable. He said: "Clearly, hiring a foreign citizen as a Joint Secretary is not something that Modi or anyone else can do/ should do in India."

Nevertheless, many social media users echoed Dhume’s criticism of India's bureaucratic system. An IITian said, "The USA is great because it respects talent. Meanwhile, in India, a few months ago, we saw what happened with Lateral Entry into Civil Services. One country values talent, while the other embraces mediocrity."

Sriram, a graduate of SRM Valliammai Engineering College in Tamil Nadu, has an impressive career trajectory. He has led product teams at Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo!, Facebook, and Snap, and was a founding member of Microsoft's Windows Azure team.

In his new role, Sriram will focus on maintaining American leadership in AI, shaping policy across government, and collaborating with the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Joining the debate, Krishnan, a social media user, said that the US recognises and rewards talent like none else. "Sriram went from India and built products across FAMT and now lands a top role as WH advisor. Here one lateral hire policy for experts in govt get torpedoed in an already bureaucracy-captured govt."

After coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attempted to recruit private sector experts into ministries. In August this year, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced plans to recruit 45 joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries through lateral entry. However, opposition parties criticised the initiative, accusing the government of bypassing reservation policies. Facing pressure, the government withdrew the advertisement for lateral entry appointments.

Prayag Gandhi, another social media user, placed the blame on Congress, alleging that India's bureaucratic inefficiency and red tape stemmed from policies implemented during Indira Gandhi’s tenure. "Red tape bureaucracy and corruption is the gift of Indira Gandhi to the nation. You have always enjoyed bashing Modiji. Maybe for once, be honest to yourself and write an op-ed about how Congress screwed India," he wrote.