India's IT Sector: An AI-Driven Exodus
India's $250 billion technology services industry, built on a foundation of low-cost engineering graduates, faces a structural crisis. AI is rapidly automating entry-level roles, the very training ground for generations of programmers. This impacts a sector employing 5.4 million, contributing 8% to India's GDP, and a crucial pillar of its middle class. Major IT firms are drastically reducing hiring and even laying off workers, contrasting sharply with an annual workforce increase of 8-9 million. While AI boosts productivity, profit margins remain stagnant due to price pressures and a shift towards higher-cost onshore consulting. India faces a challenge: pivot towards labor-intensive sectors and adapt education to AI-related skills, or risk massive youth unemployment.