- The Core
- Posts
- Death Of Middle Management?
Death Of Middle Management?
In partnership with
Good Morning. There was a time when reaching your 40s meant you’d be vying for the corner office. But now, it's starting to look like the exit door. Be it banks or the tech sector, the middle management is being quietly replaced with young people, making it an existential crisis for middle managers in India.
In other news, India has reportedly hired another lobbying firm to pursue the trade deal with the US. Meanwhile, China’s dam project could affect the water supply to the Brahmaputra.
DECODE THE NEWS
Middle Managers On Road To Perdition As Tech, Age, And Slowdown Eat Up Jobs
What?
Around eight months ago, 44-year-old A (who did not wish to be named) was ready to take on the threat of artificial intelligence (AI). He was leading the sales coordination team at a top private bank in Lucknow and wanted to shift to a more sales-focused role. The backend, he thought, would be taken over by technology.
Since the bank encourages employees to apply for internal job postings, A did so with no luck.
In the meantime, his boss replaced him with a junior and forced him to take a posting halfway across the country — in Ahmedabad. Dejected at the situation in the new city and missing his family, he quit with no job at hand and spends most of his day scouring social media for appropriate jobs, and there are very few.
This isn’t an isolated story. In another era, employees in their late 30s and 40s started grooming for top-level jobs. In the new era, however, their experience matters very little.
News that tech major Tata Consultancy Services is set to lay off 12,000 senior and mid-level managers sent shockwaves through the job market.
Like the IT sector, many others are going for such downsizing too.
Why?
Experts believe that managers in the middle are at the most risk of facing job cuts due to their salaries, and also, unfortunately, their age. Neeti Sharma, CEO of Teamlease Digital, told The Core that companies believe that younger employees would be easier to train, to deploy to newer segments and locations, as they are unencumbered.
“People in their 40s have children who are in the middle of education and settled at a place. It would be hard for them to go to a new place,” she added.
Experts also believe that organisations will look different in the near future, with the pyramid structure becoming more cylindrical and horizontal.
MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
Quick, hard-hitting business news.
Morning Brew was built on a simple idea: business news doesn’t have to be boring.
Today, it’s the fastest-growing newsletter in the country with over 4.2 million readers—thanks to a format that makes staying informed both easy and enjoyable.
Each morning, Morning Brew delivers the day’s biggest stories—from Wall Street to Silicon Valley and beyond—in bite-sized reads packed with facts, not fluff, and just enough wit to keep things interesting.
Try the newsletter for free and see why busy professionals are ditching jargon-heavy, traditional business media for a smarter, faster way to stay in the loop.
CORE NUMBER
18.56 million metric tons
That’s how much crude India imported in July, an 8.7% month-on-month drop. This is the lowest since February 2024. It was a 4.3% fall year-on-year, with India having imported 9.40 million tons in July 2024, said Reuters, quoting Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell data.
The Context: India is the world’s third-largest oil consumer and importer. This comes after the US imposed a total of 50% tariffs on India, 25% of which was for continuing to buy oil from Russia. US president Donald Trump and other US officials have called it “unacceptable” and said that this was helping fuel the war in Ukraine.
What Now? Indian refiners have continued to buy Russian crude. The Reuters report said that Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum have placed purchase orders for delivery in October and December. Russia is the largest oil supplier to India.
FROM THE PERIPHERY
India Hires Lobbying Firm With Trump Ties
The Indian embassy in Washington DC has hired Mercury Public Affairs LLC — known for its Trump administration ties — at $75,000 per month to handle lobbying, media relations, and strategic communications, according to a Bloomberg report. This is the second lobbying firm India has hired amid the tariff row.
Catch Up Quick: The move comes soon after a US deal that once seemed imminent suddenly collapsed. Not only is there no agreement on the horizon, but India now faces looming 50% tariffs set to take effect from August 27.
The Pivot: The sharp swing, from near-deal optimism to punitive duties, has left New Delhi hedging its bets, drawing it closer to Beijing and Moscow as it seeks leverage in an increasingly fractured global trade order.
India’s Forex Strength
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Sanjay Malhotra said India’s $695 billion forex reserves can cover 11 months of exports, providing a crucial buffer amid global uncertainty. Speaking at FIBAC 2025 in Mumbai, he credited prudent policies, structural reforms, and strong infrastructure for this strength, Business Standard reported.
Flashpoint: Malhotra reaffirmed the RBI’s focus on curbing inflation while supporting growth, emphasising regulatory flexibility when needed.
What’s Next: He warned of risks from trade disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and looming US tariffs — set to double to 50% on Indian exports from August 27— urging India to “push the frontiers of growth.”
A Dam-ned Threat to China-India Thaw?
China has begun building the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, sparking alarm in India. New Delhi fears the project could slash Brahmaputra flows by up to 85%, threatening water security in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. In response, India is fast-tracking the Upper Siang dam, though tribal communities fiercely oppose displacement.
The Backstory: This comes at a time of improved relations between India and China. Pilgrims resumed the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra after five years, direct flights and border trade talks are underway, and high-level negotiations have eased troop tensions, too.
What This Means Going Forward: India’s foreign minister, S Jaishankar, reportedly raised the issue of this dam in his recent meeting with his Chinese counterpart. Experts also worry since this area is prone to earthquakes–China constructing this dam could cause landslides, mudslides and flooding.
Data Via E-com Platforms?
India to source price data from e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, reflecting the growing role of online shopping in household spending. The move could make India’s retail inflation data more robust by accounting for prices on online platforms as their share in household spending rises, Reuters reported.
Flashpoint: Statistics ministry secretary Saurabh Garg said the government has begun scraping online prices in 12 major cities and is asking platforms to share weekly averages, which will be cross-verified against broader datasets.
Impact: The updated consumer price index (CPI), expected early next year, will include online airfares, streaming prices, and revised weightages. This revamp is part of broader statistical upgrades, including a new gross domestic product (GDP) base year, more frequent employment data, and a quarterly services output index.
PODCASTS
Is India the Only Major Market Now Running on Fundamentals?
On Episode 663 of The Core Report, financial journalist Govindraj Ethiraj talks to Prabhakar Kudva, Director and Principal Officer - Portfolio Management Services at Samvitti Capital.
Is India the only major market now running on fundamentals?
India braces for tariff bomb. RBI Governor assures support
India’s oil imports fall year on year and month on month
India’s hotting surfing destination also hosts a rising fund manager who is pulling in money from the rest of the country
MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
Seeking impartial news? Meet 1440.
Every day, 3.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a brief 5-minute email. Enjoy an impartial news experience.
THE TEAM
✍️ Zinal Dedhia, Kudrat Wadhwa | ✂️ Rohini Chatterji | 🎧 Joshua Thomas
🤝 Reach 80k+ CXOs? Partner with us.
✉️ Got questions or feedback? Reach out.
💰 Like The Core? Support us.
