Here’s a blunt fact: India has talent. Massive numbers of engineers, scientists, graduates. And yet when we look at who’s working, you’ll find most people in sales, retail, service—even when they studied science and tech.
Why are we still fundamentally a “sales-nation” in jobs? Why are so few working in core science, deep technology, manufacturing and innovation? What does that mean for our growth, especially in Tier-2 cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, and beyond?
Let’s break it down.
The Imbalance: Service-Growth vs Science/Tech Jobs
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According to a job-market study, STEM roles in India grew from ~6.8 million to ~7.3 million — still a small slice of the total workforce.
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Meanwhile, many educated graduates are stuck in informal service roles, retail, hospitality. A 2024 article noted that despite India’s growth, “graduates struggle to find even low-paying jobs, leading to high youth unemployment”.
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The fact remains: we build fewer core-tech & manufacturing jobs than we consume or assemble. Many Indian firms still import key tech, components, IP.
When you combine these facts, a pattern emerges: Indian job market is skewed toward service, sales, and operations—not deep innovation or production.
Why Does This Happen? Root Causes
1) Education & Academia Misalignment
Our schools and colleges produce many graduates, but few geared for high-end research, product design or manufacturing. The skill gap in deep tech persists. For example, only about 44% of “Human Resources in Science & Technology” are professionally qualified
2) Industry-Structure Lets Sales & Service Jobs Absorb Graduates
Service industries (retail, hospitality, call centres, sales teams) scale fast and need large manpower. These jobs are accessible in Tier-2/3 cities. Meanwhile, manufacturing, R&D, tech start-ups require high capital, systemic infrastructure, which is slower to build.
3) Lack of Scaling in Manufacturing / Deep Tech
Despite policies, India still sources many “hard” parts abroad. The jobs available in manufacturing are often assembly or lower-end. The “higher up” jobs—R&D, product design—stay limited.
4) Culture of Job-Consumption Rather than Job-Creation
Akash (25, Lucknow) studied electronics, but ended up selling phones in a mall. He tells me: “Apne pass koi option nahi tha… sales role mil gaya, hold kar liya.” He’s not unique. Many accept sales/service roles because they’re available now, rather than wait for scarce “science” jobs.
The Consequences for Tier-2 India
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Low value jobs dominate, meaning lower wages, limited upward mobility. In Lucknow or similar cities, a large portion of youth end up in semi-skilled sales/service work, instead of engineering/design/tech work.
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Growth potential capped. A city bursting with retail jobs doesn’t become an innovation hub overnight. Without manufacturing, R&D, deep tech anchors, the ecosystem remains fragile.
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Export potential lost. If you want high-value exports (tech, IP, products) rather than just services or trade, you need the talent and the jobs to match.
What Must Change: Roadmap for Tier-2 India
Here’s the action plan — not fluff, but what businesses, educators and policy-makers need to do:
A) Strengthen Local Ecosystem for Tech & Manufacturing
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Set up skill hubs focused on advanced manufacturing, electronics, EV components in cities like Lucknow, Indore.
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Encourage start-ups by local investors, grants, incubators.
B) Re-Engineer Education to Match Jobs of Future
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Science/tech programs must include design, prototyping, entrepreneurship not just theory.
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Colleges in Tier-2 must link with local industry: real problems, internships, project-based learning.
C) Businesses Shift Mindset from “We’ll Hire the Sales Team” to “We’ll Build the Product/Service & Sales Will Come”
At Trustbridge Ventures, we see this mistake again and again: business owners think, “Let’s sell something,” instead of “Let’s build something people will pay for.” If you build, sales follow. Too many people reverse it.
D) Policy & Infrastructure Must Support Up-End Jobs
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Make power, logistics, supply chain conducive for manufacturing in Tier-2.
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Provide tax, subsidies for R&D and product development, not just “service export”.
Why TBV Believes in the Transition
We aren’t just consultants. We’re watching the future unfold in Tier-2 cities.
For founders in Lucknow, Kanpur, Jaipur: you have two choices:
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Continue hiring sales/service manpower in a model that caps growth.
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Invest in building higher-value products/services now, so you migrate from “salesman economy” to “creator economy”.
Your move matters.
India doesn’t have a lack of talent. It has a lack of structures that channel talent into creation rather than just selling.
Until we shift from “selling other people’s things” to “building our own things”, India’s job market will remain heavy on sales and service.Tier-2 India has the chance now — cheaper talent, rising digital access, growing city-economies. Businesses need to stop asking “Which sales job can I take?” and start asking “What can I build that creates jobs?”
If you’re a business owner in Tier-2 India and want to break out of the sales-and-service job trap, let’s talk. We at Trustbridge Ventures build growth systems that help you create value, not just sell it.
📩 trustbridgeventures@gmail.com 📞 +91 96956 73432 🌐 www.trustbridgeventures.com
