Death of an Indian Tech Worker

The tragic death of Nikhil Somwanshi, a 24-year-old machine-learning engineer in Bengaluru, has revealed the severe mental health crisis brewing within India’s booming tech industry. After securing a prestigious position at Krutrim, an AI startup, Somwanshi faced overwhelming workloads, clocking 15-hour days, indicative of a broader trend where 83% of tech workers report burnout, and 20% of patients seeking organ transplants in Karnataka are tech employees. The rise of AI and escalating demands for productivity are contributing to a culture of anxiety and fear among workers, many of whom are concerned about job security as automation threatens their roles.

This heartbreaking incident highlights a serious issue as the tech sector is increasingly scrutinized for its working conditions, where an alarming number of suicides have been linked to job pressure. Reports cite at least 227 instances of tech worker suicides between 2017 and 2025, illustrating a workforce that feels trapped under the duress of relentless deadlines and mounting expectations. As AI technology reshapes the employment landscape, the implications for workers are dire, with fears that lower-level programming and project management roles will become increasingly vulnerable. The situation underscores the critical need for industry reform and mental health support within one of the world's largest tech labor forces.