You’ve hopped jobs, climbed the ladder, and now you’re pocketing a cool 30 lakhs per annum (LPA) within just five years. Your parents are proud. Friends call you lucky. You feel unstoppable. But here’s the truth no one tells you — that fat paycheck might be the exact reason you’re first in line when layoffs hit.
Big IT firms like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro know the math better than anyone. You bring in revenue worth 20 lakhs or more a year for them, but your salary is creeping towards that line. The second you become a cost burden, they’ll let you go faster than you can update your LinkedIn status.
Layoffs in 2024 have been brutal. Infosys froze hiring in multiple verticals. Capgemini paused lateral hiring altogether. Cognizant and Wipro both pushed performance-based exits targeting mid-level engineers. Even the so-called stable giants are trimming teams. IBM slashed over 3,900 jobs this year, Microsoft laid off 10,000, and Accenture cut 19,000 last year. That safety net? It’s thinner than ever.
Why is this happening? Simple. Automation and AI are eating jobs. Projects that once needed ten developers now need four, and those four are either freshers on 6 LPA or seniors who bring niche cloud and AI skills. If you’re sitting in the middle with 25-30 LPA, doing work AI can automate next year, you’re disposable.
Mid-level engineers are getting squeezed the hardest. You’re no longer cheap like a fresher, and you probably don’t have the high-end cloud or machine learning skills that make you indispensable. You’re the middle child — easy to overlook, easier to replace.
But here’s the good news — you can still turn things around. You just need to stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like someone who can’t be automated.
What can you do?
- Get cloud-certified: AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect, or Google Cloud Professional Architect. These are still the gold standard in India. Cloud isn’t a buzzword; it’s survival.
- Learn AI fundamentals: You don’t need to become a data scientist overnight, but knowing how machine learning works will make you future-proof.
- Pivot into solution architecture or automation roles: Companies value those who can streamline projects and reduce costs.
- Build a reputation internally: Be the person who solves the tough problems, not just another coder.
The days when switching jobs guaranteed you a bigger paycheck are ending. Now, switching without upgrading your skills is like playing musical chairs — the music will stop, and you might not have a seat.
The IT market in India is shifting. Companies don’t need more coders; they need problem-solvers who understand cloud, automation, and AI. You need to decide: are you building a future-proof career, or are you just waiting to be replaced?
FAQs
Q: Are mid-level IT jobs really at risk in India? A: Yes. Companies like TCS, Wipro, and Capgemini are focusing on reducing costs by automating tasks and hiring cheaper freshers. Mid-level engineers with stagnant skillsets are the first to be let go.
Q: Is AI actually taking jobs? A: It already is. In 2024 alone, over 100,000 IT jobs were cut globally, driven largely by AI and automation. Basic coding and support roles are the first to go.
Q: What certifications matter most in India right now? A: AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Professional Architect. For AI, Microsoft Azure AI Engineer and Google Cloud Machine Learning Engineer are leading the way.
Q: Can I survive in IT without learning cloud or AI? A: You can survive, but you won’t thrive. These skills are becoming the industry standard. Without them, your options will shrink every year.
Q: How urgent is it to upskill? A: It’s critical. Layoffs are already targeting mid-level engineers. The market is shifting now, not five years from now.
