Runable CEO's Viral Post Exposes Deepening Tech Talent Crisis in India
- Runable CEO Umesh Kumar received 1,000+ applications for a backend role but found fewer than five to be decent, citing widespread use of poor-quality, AI-generated code.
- The post sparked debate on India’s tech talent shortage, with studies showing nearly 50% of engineering graduates lack industry-relevant skills.
- Experts urge stronger industry-academia collaboration and real-world training as startups struggle to find skilled engineers, especially in AI and emerging tech.
Umesh Kumar, CEO of Bengaluru-based startup Runable and an alumnus of IIT Roorkee, has ignited a widespread debate across India’s tech community after revealing a troubling reality, the country’s engineering talent pool may not be as ready as it appears. In a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), Kumar disclosed that his company received nearly 1,000 applications for a backend engineering role in just 2-3 days but fewer than five submissions met basic expectations.
“India seriously has a big f***ing talent problem”, Kumar wrote, expressing frustration with poor-quality submissions filled with non-functional, AI-generated code. “Is it too much to ask for code that actually compiles?” he added.
Runable’s hiring process, which includes a simple coding task followed by short interviews with the CEO and CTO and a paid trial day, is designed to be efficient. Despite not being a 'Big Tech' firm, Kumar said the company offers competitive compensation of up to Rs 50 lakh along with relocation and meal benefits making the lack of quality submissions all the more surprising.
His post, which has garnered over 400,000 views, sparked intense reactions. Several users pointed to the overuse of generative AI tools in college, suggesting it’s leading to a decline in foundational coding skills. “Can’t even make a basic Insta feed frontend without AI”, one user remarked.
Others blamed outdated academic structures. “This has been happening since 2002”, one commenter wrote. Critics of Runable’s hiring model also voiced concerns, arguing that requiring a coding task upfront could deter high-quality candidates. “You filter out ALL good talent and end up with whoever is desperate”, one person said, urging transparency around compensation details in job postings.
Kumar’s concerns reflect a broader industry issue. Studies reveal nearly 50% of India’s engineering graduates lack essential industry skills. According to NASSCOM, India must produce 3.5 million digitally skilled professionals by 2026 to meet growing demand. Meanwhile, startups face an acute shortage of experienced engineers, especially for AI roles with fewer than 2,000 senior professionals available for foundational AI product development.
To counter the skills gap, companies like ixigo and CRED have turned to training graduates from tier-2 colleges through intensive bootcamp-style programs. Hiring experts argue that universities must collaborate closely with industry to align curricula with practical skills and real-world coding experience.
Kumar’s viral post has reopened an important conversation one India must urgently address as its digital economy continues to scale.
