A viral Instagram video has ignited a nationwide conversation on the deepening employment crisis in India’s tech sector, after a Noida-based IT engineer—jobless for over two months—reportedly began working part-time as a Rapido rider to manage his home loan EMIs. The clip, shared by Instagram user Nomadic Teju, shows him in Greater Noida’s Gaur City describing his friend’s decline from salaried engineer to gig worker struggling for financial stability amid shrinking job opportunities and increasing concerns about AI-driven workforce displacement.
From Tech Dreams to Two-Wheeler Rides in Gaur City
Teju explains in the video that his engineer friend resigned from his IT job hoping for a better role, only to face a harsh reality—minimal hiring, stiff competition, and a slowdown in the industry. Once a resident of the premium apartments in Gaur City—where flats reportedly range from ₹1 crore to ₹2 crore, and average rents hit ₹30,000–35,000 per month—the engineer had to rent out his own home after losing steady income. He then shifted his family into a rented flat while continuing to carry the burden of home loan EMIs.
With no full-time job, the engineer is now reportedly relying on part-time Rapido rides across Greater Noida along with intermittent freelance projects to sustain his household. The video highlights the stark pressure on mid-career tech professionals navigating layoffs, stagnant hiring, and long-term financial commitments like housing loans.
Netizens Warn: ‘It Will Get Worse With AI’
The emotional clip has triggered intense reactions online, with users debating how AI adoption is reshaping white-collar jobs while hiring freezes squeeze opportunities for even skilled engineers. A commenter wrote that large-scale job losses have only begun, predicting faster and wider disruptions ahead. Others advised tech workers to consider relocating abroad if they hold the opportunity, citing global job markets and long-term career stability.
Some warned against high-value purchases during the current climate of AI expansion, while others urged immediate financial damage control. Suggestions ranged from selling high-cost housing assets now to switching loan strategies, holding cash reserves to pay off EMIs faster, or exiting major loans altogether to stay stress-free.
The video also snowballed into discussions referencing recent layoffs at global tech giants, including Apple and Amazon, which have reportedly cut thousands of jobs as companies accelerate AI integration and operational restructuring.
