Is India, a global tech hub, producing engineers equipped for the future? Can its engineering talent pool sustain its reputation as a world leader in technology?
In 2018, Dhiwakar left his village of Dindigul in southern India, dreaming of a bright future in the metropolis of Chennai as an engineer. With the burden of a £8,000 loan, the son of farmers pinned his hopes on the college’s promise of guaranteed job placement. Yet, two years after graduating with first-class honours, Dhiwakar finds himself juggling a food delivery job by day and a call centre position by night. His college’s failure to deliver on their promises has left his family in deeper financial distress, forcing him to choose blue-collar jobs out of sheer desperation.
“I was tricked and cheated,” said Dhiwakar. “We barely had teachers come to class and were left to learn everything by ourselves. Before joining, we were promised to receive so much exposure and experience, with hands-on training programs, but none of this happened.” Sadly, his story is not unique. The rapid privatisation of engineering colleges in India has turned education into a profit-driven venture, often compromising on the quality of engineers produced.
In the past few decades, India has witnessed a dramatic surge in the privatisation of engineering education. In 1970, only about 3% of engineering institutions were privately owned. Today, approximately 72% of the recognised engineering colleges are privately owned.
Dr. Chandru Nair, an education policy expert from the Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP) said, “The landscape of engineering education has changed a lot; it is nothing like it used to be. The number of high-fee private colleges has surpassed government colleges following liberalisation, which opened up the Indian economy to more trade and investments in the 1980s.” Despite this growth, concerns about the quality of Indian engineering education persist, indicating it hasn’t been improving. The implications of this issue aren’t confined to just India.
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Sarah Kneubuhler, recruitment manager at the London-based firm Wisteria Solutions, said, “India’s engineering sector is a crucial cog in the global tech machinery and issues within it can disturb the entire ecosystem. India is a massive contributor to the global tech workforce. If there is a shortage of skilled engineers it will affect companies worldwide that rely on Indian talent.”
India is the foremost outsourcing destination in the world, with companies worldwide hiring engineers from the country to perform various functions. India’s Information and Technology (IT) industry, driven by engineers, is projected to generate a staggering £275 billion in revenue by 2025, up from £139 billion in 2022. The United States is India’s largest outsourcing market, with 59% of American companies using Indian services. This positions India as a pivotal link in global tech supply chains. A decline in engineering capabilities could disrupt these chains, deter foreign investment, and damage India’s global reputation.
A particularly alarming finding is that 95% of Indian engineers are deemed unsuitable for programming or coding jobs—one of the most fundamental skills expected from engineering students preparing for the IT sector, according to a recent survey. This raises serious questions about the value of the degrees thousands are pursuing, exposing significant flaws in the educational system. Sandhya*, a software developer and recruiter at HSBC in London, says, “Indian engineers are in high demand due to lower labour costs, but their practical skills often fall short. They excel in theory but struggle to apply their knowledge in real-world settings.” This glaring skills gap is a major setback for India’s aspirations as a global tech hub.
A 2023 NASSCOM report found that only 25% of the 1.5 million engineering graduates possess the necessary skills required by the industry. The report highlights a significant mismatch between the skills taught in engineering colleges and the actual demands of the job market. Dr. Sridhar Mahalingam, former head of BTech Computer Science at Dhanalakshmi College of Engineering, Chennai, said, “The main issue lies in India’s outdated engineering curriculum, which prioritises memorisation over practical application.” This, and the gap between industry requirements and academia leaves many Indian engineering graduates ill-prepared for the workforce. “The problem is the lack of emphasis on soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, in engineering curricula,” he adds. Consequently, these graduates struggle to adapt to the challenges posed by the modern workforce.
One of the main reasons for this issue is that the rapid expansion of private engineering colleges in India has outpaced regulatory oversight. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), responsible for maintaining standards in technical education, has faced criticism for its inability to regulate this growth effectively. Dr. Nair said, “The AICTE has compromised teaching standards by prioritising quantity over quality. The fact that hundreds of new universities seek approval and certification each year only worsens the problem.” According to him, this regulatory lapse has created a fertile ground for substandard institutions to flourish.
Many private engineering colleges in India are also known for their strict and often harsh treatment of student well-being. Even prestigious institutions like Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), ranked 13th in the country, are not immune to this problem. Deepika*, a final-year BTech Computer Science student, describes a climate of fear. “If you cross management, your future is over,” she says. A tragic incident two years ago underscores this point. A student jumped from the sixth floor, reportedly after being caught cheating during an exam.
“While cheating is unacceptable, the handling of the situation was very wrong. The university imposed a strict information blackout, threatening students with academic repercussions if they shared details of the suicide. We had no choice but to comply, as they could affect our grades,” said Deepika. This incident highlights the need for fair and transparent assessment practices that prioritise the mental well-being of students.
The relentless pressure from private engineering colleges in India is taking a severe toll on students’ mental health. The obsessive focus on finding jobs, often at the expense of holistic education, has created a breeding ground for anxiety, depression, and suicide. Dr. Ananya Mukherjee, a sociologist specialising in analysing education trends, says, “I have seen even well-performing students crumble under the pressure. The current system prioritises outcomes over well-being. Students are under constant stress to perform, which can lead to serious mental health issues.” She adds that the fear of failure, coupled with the stigma surrounding mental health in Indian society, often prevents students from seeking the help they need.
According to a recent study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), suicide rates among students in India are alarmingly high. “Our study found that one in five participants experienced substantial depressive symptoms, while one in four reported significant anxiety symptoms, indicating a considerable burden of mental health issues. Academic pressure and stressful life events were identified as major stressors, and the study highlights a pressing need for crisis support services,” said Anish V. Cherian, Additional Professor of Psychiatric Social Work at NIMHANS and lead author of the study, in an interview with The Hindu.
Worsening the issue is the scarcity of mental health support on many campuses. Dr. Ravi Kumar, a retired mental health counsellor from PSG College of Technology in Tamil Nadu, said, “Not every college has physiological counselling. The intense pressure to succeed in engineering colleges can lead to anxiety, depression, and feelings of inadequacy. The lack of adequate mental health assistance services only adds on to these issues.”
Tragically, this crisis is underscored by a series of student suicides. Most recently, on 16 May 2024, a 21-year-old BTech Computer Science student at PES University, Bangalore, died by suicide, marking the fourth such incident at the university in less than a year. The University Grants Commission has ordered an investigation into the matter. Even India’s prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are not immune; a recent Right to Information (RTI) query revealed 37 student suicides across 11 IITs in the past five years, despite the presence of on-campus mental health resources.
The focus of engineering education is on profits, not educating students.
Dhiwakar, engineer graduate
Beyond mental health challenges, students face a daunting job market. While universities often promise lucrative careers, the reality is far harsher. “My job interview lasted for twelve hours,” Deepika said. “And at the end, I was offered a salary of £4,000 per annum – a significant drop from the £8,000 offered for the same position last year.” This stark decline highlights the impact of the pandemic on the tech industry’s salary offerings.
As of January 2024, the tech startup with the most layoffs was Amazon, with over 27,000 layoffs, followed by Meta and Google with around 21,000 and 12,000 job cuts announced respectively. In the first quarter of 2023 alone, more than 167,000 employees had been fired worldwide, a record-breaking number of layoffs across industries, surpassing the total for the entire previous year. This bleak job landscape casts a long shadow over students’ career prospects.
In addition to fresh graduates struggling to find suitable employment, final-year engineering students are bearing the brunt of the challenges posed by private colleges. Mohammed Fazil, a final-year engineering student at SRM University, shared his experiences: “The job placement cell was presented as our saviour, but the reality was far from it. We were subjected to endless coaching classes and mock interviews, which felt like full-time jobs in themselves. When I finally secured an internship, it was unpaid and exploitative.” Many students like Fazil find themselves caught in a cycle of inflated expectations and harsh realities. The pressure to secure placements often overshadows the core purpose of education – acquiring knowledge and skills.
Challenges persist within universities themselves. Faculty members at private engineering colleges in India face numerous challenges that often hinder their ability to effectively teach and mentor students. The intense pressure to meet administrative, research, and teaching demands has created a stressful work environment. “The need to publish or perish has become overwhelming,” said Priya George, an associate professor at a private engineering college in Chennai. “We are constantly writing papers, getting published and attending conferences, leaving little time for the classroom. While research is essential for academic growth, it should not come at the expense of quality teaching,” adds Ms George.
The relentless pursuit of quantity over quality is evident in the rampant practice of fake faculty recruitment. A 2020 study by J. B. G. Tilak, former Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Educational Planning and Administration, revealed a shocking reality: over 90% of private engineering colleges employ at least one teacher who is simultaneously listed on another institution’s payroll.
This systemic issue has led to an estimated 50,000 ‘duplicate’ teachers nationwide. The problem of ‘duplicate’ teachers highlights a deeper issue. “There aren’t enough faculty members to finish portions or meet deadlines on time. We are to spread themselves thin,” said Ms. George. “We know this compromises the quality of education, as we are unable to give our full attention to students, but from our end, there’s nothing we can do,” she added.
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The brain drain from engineering colleges is another pressing concern. “Many of my talented colleagues are lured away by research institutions and industries offering better salaries, research facilities, and career growth opportunities,” said Ms. George. “This leaves a void in our institutions, impacting the overall academic environment.” She explained that the challenges faced by faculty members directly affect the quality of education.
“When professors are overburdened with research obligations, and low salaries, it inevitably affects their ability to engage with students,” Ms. George said. “To create a thriving academic ecosystem, we need to prioritise faculty well-being and support.” The departure of experienced faculty members creates a ripple effect, diminishing the quality of education provided to students. With fewer seasoned educators available, students miss out on valuable mentorship and academic support, and the loss of institutional knowledge can hinder research and innovation.
The convergence of intense academic pressure, a challenging job market, and inadequate mental health support has created a perfect storm for the mental well-being of engineering students in India. “Looking back, I realise how naive I was. The system is designed to churn out graduates, not engineers. And somewhere along the way, I lost myself in the pursuit of a degree that promised much but delivered little,” Dhiwakar said.
Despite these challenges, there is a silver lining. According to a Bloomberg report, India’s technology sector will need more than 1 million engineers with advanced skills in artificial intelligence and other emerging fields over the next 2-3 years. “This presents a golden opportunity for India to transform its engineering landscape,” said Dr. Nair. “However, to capitalise on this potential, the government must invest heavily in education and training, focusing on industry-relevant curriculum, practical exposure, and skill development.” He further emphasises the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the regulatory framework: “The AICTE must adopt stricter quality control measures and hold institutions accountable. They should also properly investigate the issue of ‘duplicate’ faculty and ensure adequate teacher-student ratios.”
As Dhiwakar navigates the city streets on his scooter, delivering food to make ends meet, a stark contrast emerges between his aspirations and his reality. Once dreaming of designing complex engineering solutions, he now finds himself caught in a cycle of survival. Yet, a flicker of hope remains. “I yearn to apply my knowledge,” he said. “I believe there’s still time to build the future I imagined.” After all, India is the same country that has produced tech titans and CEOs like Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and Neal Mohan. Dhiwakar’s story, among others, is a chapter in the ongoing narrative of India’s potential.
*Name changed on behalf of interviewee’s request to stay anonymous