Re-engineering the IT pyramid

Every large Indian IT firm has a pyramid. At its base, fresh graduates hired by the thousand from the NITs, IITs, and the vast middle tier of engineering colleges, onboarded in batches, trained in six weeks, and deployed to write code that is reviewed, tested, and shipped by the layers above them. In the middle, experienced engineers managing projects, bridging the gap between client requirements and junior output. At the top, a thin layer of architects, account managers, and domain experts whose judgement the whole structure depends on. This pyramid, roughly 70% junior, 20% mid-level, and 10% senior, has been the defining feature of Indian IT for three decades. It is also, now, a liability.