Is IIT Losing Its Charm? A Reflection on India’s Formal Education Crisis.

Is IIT Losing Its Charm? A Reflection on India’s Formal Education Crisis

By Akhilesh Sharma, Director, Adamant HR

For decades, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were considered the ultimate institutions for engineering excellence. A seat at an IIT was once a guaranteed ticket to success, opening doors to high-paying jobs, research opportunities, and leadership roles in technology and innovation. However, in recent years, I have observed a drastic shift—many IIT graduates are struggling to find jobs in India, and the ones who do stay back are often not the best talent in their fields.

As a Director in the recruitment industry, I have personally interviewed numerous IIT graduates and observed a troubling pattern:

?? The top-tier talent—those who excel in technical expertise, research, and innovation—prefer to move abroad or secure government jobs rather than contribute to India's corporate or startup ecosystem.

?? Those who stay in India are often candidates who failed to get opportunities abroad or did not qualify for government positions.

?? The candidates who remain lack creative and innovative thinking, struggling to drive meaningful contributions in research, product development, or disruptive technologies.

This raises a serious question: Has IIT lost its ability to produce industry-ready innovators? And more importantly, does this indicate a failure of India’s formal education system?

Why Are IIT Graduates Struggling in India?

1. The Best Talent Is Leaving the Country

The unfortunate truth is that India’s best engineers and researchers are not staying in India. Instead, they are moving to the US, Canada, and Europe, where they find:

? Higher salaries and better career prospects ? Stronger research ecosystems and cutting-edge technology ? Industry collaborations that foster innovation

Countries like the US, Germany, and Canada are benefiting from India’s world-class talent, while India fails to create an ecosystem that retains these top minds.

2. Secondary Talent Fails to Innovate

Since the most skilled IIT graduates either move abroad or enter government services, the talent that remains in India is often:

• Candidates who were not competitive enough for foreign jobs
• Engineers who lack problem-solving skills and creativity
• Professionals who focus on traditional job security rather than innovation

This means that the Indian corporate and tech sector is left with candidates who are not pushing boundaries, leading to stagnation in R&D, product innovation, and high-tech entrepreneurship.

3. Formal Education in India Is Failing to Create Innovators

At the root of this issue is a deeper flaw in India’s formal education system, which is heavily focused on:

? Exam-centric learning (JEE coaching culture) instead of real-world skills ? Theoretical knowledge with minimal industry exposure ? A rigid curriculum that discourages creativity and innovation

Unlike institutions like MIT and Stanford, which encourage interdisciplinary learning, entrepreneurship, and deep research, IITs still function within outdated academic structures.

4. Lack of Industry Collaboration & Research Culture

India’s corporate sector and technical universities do not collaborate as effectively as their global counterparts. Unlike the US and China, where universities work closely with industries, IITs remain isolated from real-world challenges.

• Indian companies prefer cheaper, mid-skilled labor rather than investing in top IIT talent.
• Startups and deep-tech industries in India are not growing fast enough to absorb highly skilled IIT graduates.
• Research and innovation funding remains limited, forcing top talent to look for opportunities abroad.

How Can IITs & India’s Education System Fix This?

If IITs and India’s higher education system fail to evolve, the cycle of brain drain and declining innovation will continue. To change this trend, we need:

? Skill-Based Learning: Move away from degree-based education to real-world, problem-solving skills. ? Better Industry Partnerships: IITs must collaborate with global companies, startups, and R&D centers to provide job-ready skills. ? Encouraging Startups & Innovation: IITs must become hubs for new product development, patent generation, and deep-tech industries. ? Reduce JEE Coaching Dependence: Admission should not be only based on exam scores but also on creativity, innovation, and real-world applications.

Final Thoughts: The IIT Degree Alone Is No Longer Enough

Having worked in recruitment and HR for years, I can confidently say that the job market has changed drastically. IIT graduates who fail to adapt to industry needs, real-world skills, and global competition will continue to struggle.

India’s formal education system must transform, or it will keep producing graduates with degrees but without direction. If we fail to act now, IIT will continue losing its charm, and India will keep losing its best minds to foreign nations. #EducationReform #IIT #HigherEducation #TalentMigration #BrainDrain #SkillDevelopment #JobMarket #IndianEducationSystem #EngineeringCareers #Recruitment #HR #Innovation #Startups #FutureOfWork #CareerTrends

#IIT #IITJEE #EngineeringJobs #EducationReform #CareerGuidance #BrainDrain #SkillDevelopment #Innovation #StartupsIndia #HigherEducation #StudyAbroad #IndianEducation #JobMarket #AkhileshSharma #AdamantHR