Middle-class meltdown? Why white-collar India faces a brutal decade ahead

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

White-Collar Whiplash

In 2025, IT jobs shrank while AI bots expanded. Hiring slumped 3% in March alone. Automation isn’t coming—it’s already editing the corporate org chart.

AI Shockwave

A staggering 68% of white-collar workers believe AI will replace their roles. The question isn’t if—but how soon. An IIM-A study confirms: a workplace reckoning is underway.

Corporate Coldness

Profit-first thinking is back. Companies are slashing admin roles, freezing hiring, and investing in AI tools. Even HR isn’t safe—bots now screen, onboard, and even fire.

Skill Cliff

40% of Indian professionals admit their skills are heading for irrelevance. Entry-level grads are especially vulnerable, trapped in degrees not built for the AI age.

IT’s Fade-Out

Once India’s white-collar engine, the IT sector now bleeds jobs. Infosys, Wipro, and HCL have all downsized. The era of mass coding jobs may be nearing its sunset.

Automation Avalanche

ILO and Bank of Baroda estimate up to 25 million Indian jobs could vanish by 2030. And no, not just low-end roles—white-collar jobs are front and center.

AI or Die?

Tech founders now warn of a “white-collar bloodbath.” Arindam Paul says up to 50% of current jobs could disappear. It’s not dystopia—it’s Q4 planning.

New Jobs, But Fewer

Yes, AI will create roles—but not fast enough. Most workers expect net job losses in the short term. Displacement is outpacing opportunity.

Education Gap

The biggest blindspot? Training. Most colleges still churn out grads for yesterday’s jobs. Without urgent upskilling, India risks a crisis of educated unemployment.