A Bengaluru-based CEO has kicked off a fiery online debate over the state of tech talent in India, and his blunt assessment is getting a lot of attention. Umesh Kumar, an alumnus of IIT Roorkee and head of a growing tech company, recently vented his frustration on X after sifting through a mountain of applications for a backend engineering role.
“We got around 1,000 applications in just 2-3 days,” he wrote, “and guess how many were actually decent? We asked for a basic, simple coding task. The submissions? Mostly absolute trash. AI-generated crap everywhere.”
What sparked even more discussion was Kumar’s blunt disbelief that candidates failed to meet even the most basic expectations. “Code that doesn’t even run. Running code, libraries needed for the code to work are even missing. Honestly, forget high standards; is it too much to ask for code that actually compiles?” he wrote.
Kumar also contrasted his company’s hiring process with the drawn-out gauntlet often seen at big tech firms. “Here’s our process straightforward: 1. Simple coding task 2. CEO call (15 mins) 3. CTO call (45 mins) 4. Paid one-day trial with the team. Offer. Done.”
He also said that the role pays well – a Rs 50 lakh base salary, plus perks like relocation and food – and that, at that level, “expecting code that actually runs is justified.”
See the post:
India seriously has a big f***ing talent problem. We got around 1000 applications for a backend engineering role in just the last 2-3 days, and guess how many were actually decent? < 5.
We asked for a basic, simple coding task. The submissions? Mostly absolute trash.…
— Umesh Kumar (@itsumeshk) June 30, 2025
The post quickly gained traction on X, crossing over three lakh views and sparking a flood of responses, many from fellow recruiters who echoed Kumar’s experience. One user said, “I totally get you, Umesh. I’ve manually reviewed 300 resumes in the last 2 months, 15 were decent, 2 got the offer.”
Another user commented, “Its gonna get a lot harder to find great talent with students using AI in college.” A third person wrote, “Been happening since 2002. I remember interviewing dudes who’d remembered every axiom and design pattern off by heart but couldn’t actually code anything.”
Story continues below this ad
“There are good talent out there. When you post a role, LinkedIn without a proper corporate Recruiter account is already limiting who can view, hence what you need is Discovery of Talent who haven’t seen it (Recruiters reaching out). Second, think of the role to be remote with travel as needed. Your budget is not a constraint here at all,” a fourth user wrote.
