'no One Wants To Hire You After 40': Investment Banker’s Chilling Insight For Executives In India

The status property successful India’s firm corridors is nary longer 60—and it’s not 55 either. It’s inching disturbingly adjacent to 45. And this time, it's not a manner choice. “I don’t mean it successful a bully way,” warns finance banker and advisor Sarthak Ahuja, who has been search a increasing undercurrent successful India’s master class.

“I’m seeing a number of firm professionals successful their mid-40s mounting up LLPs connected nan side,” Ahuja said. “They’ll show you, ‘This is going to beryllium my consulting entity that I mightiness request successful nan adjacent mates of years.’”

It's a quiet panic. Professionals successful their early- to mid-40s—especially successful sales, marketing, product, operations, and tech—are bracing for a early they ne'er planned for. “Ask immoderate CA patient successful municipality India,” Ahuja adds, “and they’ll corroborate this surge successful LLP registrations.”

Unlike professions wherever acquisition is simply a badge of honour—like rule and medicine—corporate roles now position seniority arsenic an overhead. “People astatine nan apical are seen arsenic really costly and not up to day pinch what’s applicable today,” he says.

And companies aren’t firing them outright. “They’re building parallel departments pinch younger teams—working independently of elder folk, connected little costs, and often getting much activity attention,” Ahuja notes. The result? Promotions barren up. Influence fades. Office authorities spikes. And nan penning connected nan wall becomes excessively clear to ignore.

Faced pinch stalled maturation and nary lateral information net, galore professionals person turned to play consulting gigs, collecting clients complete clip successful hopes of phasing retired of firm jobs entirely. “This surge successful entrepreneurship and financial independency is not driven by excitement,” Ahuja emphasizes. “It’s driven by fearfulness of nan chartless early successful jobs.”

The tilt toward younger talent is besides reshaping elite education. “When I was astatine ISB, nan mean activity acquisition was complete six years. Now, it’s down to four,” he notes. “They’re moreover launching a two-year MBA for undergrads—because consulting firms want fresh, young hires.”

His last take? “If you're successful your 40s, you either upskill to enactment relevant—or commencement a business that helps others for illustration you do precisely that.”

Published on: May 6, 2025 9:45 AM IST