The Rise of Mid-Career Professionals in India Pursuing Doctorates
India’s mid-career workers are about to enter a time of constant uncertainty. Recent research on job loss shows that senior-level employees are losing their jobs at a higher rate than younger employees, and a significant number of them do not go back to work. Research shows that more than one in ten professionals over the age of fifty who lost their jobs in the last five years have left the job market. Senior employees are also much more likely to lose their jobs than younger employees.
The same trend is visible in large-scale job cuts at tech and service companies. In 2023 alone, over 23,500 tech professionals lost their jobs worldwide. Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Oracle, and Intel all announced reductions affecting thousands, many in senior or specialised roles. These changes challenge long-held assumptions that experience guarantees job security.
At the same time, technology is changing faster than ever before. The World Economic Forum states that by 2027, 44 per cent of the skills needed for jobs will change, and six out of ten workers will require training during this time. Organisational readiness in India has not kept up with investment. Even though spending on AI, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure is going up, only a small number of organisations say they are completely ready to get value from AI.
These factors are changing how professionals think about long-term job security. For an increasing number of individuals with ten or more years of work experience, doctoral education is becoming a systematic response to the risks of redundancy, skill disruption, and evolving standards of professional relevance.
Vulnerability in the Middle of a Career Is Growing
Recent data on the workforce shows that experienced professionals are becoming more vulnerable. Being laid-off for a lot of individuals in their mid-career, especially those over 45, means being out of work for a long time. There are not many formal reskilling programs for senior professionals in India, and transitions are often unsupported. This is important because people in the middle of their careers are not marginal participants in the economy. They know of the organisation, the industry, and how to lead. But when companies are restructuring, especially in tech-driven fields, experience is often seen as a cost instead of a skill.
Doctoral education is emerging as one of the few structured pathways through which professionals at this stage can formally reposition themselves.
Experience Without Renewal Has Fewer Returns
In the last few years, many Indian and global tech companies have laid off a lot of people, showing that simply being senior does not guarantee you are going to retain your job. As companies reorganise around automation, artificial intelligence, and flatter structures, professionals with long careers and specialised skills have lost their jobs.
Experience itself has not lost its value. What has changed is how organisations judge it. Increasingly, companies want people who can step back, read complex systems, think through long-term risks, and shape decisions rather than simply carry them out.
When experience does not show clear intellectual growth, it is more likely to be questioned. This is where doctoral study makes a difference. It builds the ability to research, analyse, and define problems with depth and structure. For professionals who already understand how organisations function, it adds a kind of credibility that short courses and certifications rarely provide.
Technology Adoption Has Outpaced Organisational Understanding
Indian businesses are investing in AI, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure, but readiness lags. Many struggle to measure success, manage risk, and scale initiatives. This has increased demand for professionals who can analyse impact, anticipate consequences, and shape policy. These skills are rarely gained in an operational role alone. Mid-career doctoral candidates focus on these gaps, blending theory and practice, grounded in real organisational challenges, especially in management, public policy, healthcare, and technology governance.
Doctorates as a Response to Skill Disruption
Global workforce studies indicate that a significant share of existing skills will be disrupted in the coming years. This often means that people just starting in their careers have to change jobs frequently and learn new skills in small steps. The situation is different for professionals in the middle stages of their careers. Repeated short-term upskilling can occasionally lead to long-term relevance or authority.
Doctoral education trains professionals to think critically, conduct independent research, and use evidence effectively. It builds skills that stay relevant even as technology changes. For those working another 15-20 years, this depth is a practical investment.
Career Transitions Are Becoming More Common
A lot of mid-career doctoral students in India are reluctant to stay in their current jobs. Some go on to become teachers, academic leaders, or research managers. Some people move into jobs where they give advice on policy, do consultation work, or have analytical authority instead of operational oversight.
The primary difference between this group and regular doctoral students is that they know what they want. They aren’t looking into their options. They are reacting to certain limits they have faced in their jobs. They chose the doctorate because it fits with the type of work they want to do next.
Institutional Changes Have Enabled Access
Higher education has adapted to make doctoral study more feasible for working professionals. Flexible programmes now allow candidates to continue full-time work while conducting research. Blended learning, remote supervision, and applied research formats make it easier to pursue a PhD without pausing a career.
There is also greater acceptance of interdisciplinary research. Many mid-career professionals operate across multiple fields, and programmes that support this integration better match their experience and goals.
The Personal Cost Is Real
Getting a doctorate in the middle of your career is difficult. It takes a lot of hard work to balance work, family and intellectual work. There is also a change in identity. People who are used to making decisions must go back to being learners and deal with uncertainty. Despite these challenges, many proceed because the alternative appears less stable. In a labour market where experience alone does not ensure continuity, formal research training offers a way to regain control over long-term professional direction.
What This Means for Employers
When experienced professionals turn to doctoral study to remain relevant, it highlights a gap in how organisations support learning after the early career stage. Most investment is front-loaded. Senior professionals are expected to depend on accumulated experience, not continued development.
That approach is proving fragile. Organisations that prioritise young hires and short training cycles risk losing people who understand systems, context, and long-term consequences. Once that experience exists, it is difficult to rebuild. There is also a missed advantage. Professionals who combine years of practice with doctoral training bring sharper judgment to leadership, policy and strategy roles. They are better at handling complexity and asking the right questions. In fast-changing sectors, this directly affects decision quality.
A Broader Shift in How Education Is Used
The increase in mid-career doctorates shows that education is being used differently in society. Learning is not limited to when one is young anymore. It is becoming more of a response to changes in the structure of society than just personal ambition.
When experienced professionals conduct research, the resulting knowledge is more closely aligned with actual conditions. This could help bridge the gap between academic research and real-world use, especially in India.
The rise of mid-career professionals in India reflects job insecurity, skill disruption, and changing definitions of professional value. For many, a doctorate is a structured way to stay relevant, credible, and engaged in a job market that grows less flexible with age.
The author Mr. Gitesh Gupta is the CEO of Aimlay
