IITs were created for advancing the engineering and technology prowess of India by building a pipeline of skilled engineering workforce who would innovate and build for India. Even after more than seven decades, IITs are still struggling to inspire and educate the incoming classes about prioritising Indian innovation and building India than prioritising personal financial interests and build the US.

By their own admission, directors of older IITs have often raised concerns of students opting for careers in non core fields and choosing banking, finance and consulting roles than working on foundational technology innovation or core engineering problems in the country – a choice which is driven by personal financial interests than working to prioritize nation-building. Many students have often stated that the eagerness to get into an IIT is driven largely by the remuneration than by genuine engineering interest. And even if someone has a knack for core engineering fields, it is often deviated or killed by excessively competitive environment in IITs that values the air-conditioned white collar armchair careers more than the sweating field careers that would actually help build India.

This also brings us to a bigger question – what education really is? Certainly not the degree certificate paper pieces – for it shouldn’t be a surprise if chemical engineers from IITs are doing accounting for Britain’s KPMG, EY, PwC or Deloitte. You cannot expect such an engineer to make a breakthrough in drug discovery for several health ailments India faces. Neither can you expect an IIT “educated” mechanical engineer to solve the transportation woes of the country when she/he would be busy making presentations for an investment bank client of McKinsey, Bain or BCG.

Many experienced management professors would agree that the “consultancy” services provided by these firms are of no-extraordinary value compared to the fee they charge from gullible Indian businesses and the government departments. Nevertheless, these firms have continued to manage and shape the perception amongst business firms and governments of providing extra-ordinary cognitive solutions to their problems when all their offerings are just as good as an advice by any experienced management practitioner in India.