The Great Fall of IITs: From Building Engineers to Making Movies

Once upon a time, IITs were known as the breeding ground for India’s finest engineers—visionaries who were supposed to lead the nation into a new era of technological supremacy. These institutions were the pride of the country, producing graduates who were expected to revolutionize industries, create groundbreaking technologies, and most importantly, solve real-world problems. And yet, here we are in 2025, witnessing IIT Hyderabad offering a workshop on AI in Film Making. Let that sink in.

Yes, you read that right. An institution that was supposed to produce cutting-edge scientists and problem-solvers is now collaborating to teach students how to use AI for scriptwriting and post-production. Have we truly reached a point where the best minds in the country have shifted their focus from engineering excellence to making better TikToks with AI?

Money Speaks, and IIT Listens

Let’s talk numbers. A 75-crore rupee song in a movie with a 400-crore budget turned into one of the biggest flops in history. Money wasted? Absolutely not! Because for the industry, money isn’t about results, it’s about circulation. Whether the film makes sense or not, whether it contributes to society or not, doesn’t matter—because the money keeps flowing. Smelling this, IITs, once the backbone of India’s engineering marvels, have decided to hop on the bandwagon. Why focus on quality engineering when AI in Film Making is more lucrative?

This is not about adapting to new trends or interdisciplinary learning. This is about selling out. It’s about taking the easiest and most profitable route, regardless of how ridiculous it seems for an engineering institute. IITs, which once prided themselves on producing minds that could have prevented economic collapses, technological failures, and scientific stagnation, are now capitalizing on the entertainment industry.

The Pushpa Phenomenon and India’s Obsession with Brain-Dead Content

Take Pushpa, for example. The first scene features the protagonist, starving and exhausted, reading Japanese and making fun of it. The audience laughed. Indians made the movie a super hit. But let’s pause and reflect. A scene where a man mocks another culture’s language, despite himself struggling for survival, became entertainment. No science, no logic, no intelligence—just raw, brain-dead amusement.

This is what dominates India’s entertainment landscape. And now, IITs—yes, the IITs that were supposed to lead the nation into a technological future—are setting up workshops to enhance the production of such content. The very institutions that were supposed to create an alternative to this degenerative cycle are now enabling it. What does that tell us about India’s priorities?

The Downfall of IITs: Engineering a Crisis

We often hear about IIT graduates running Fortune 500 companies abroad. But let’s ask the hard question—why did they leave? Because the IIT system never created an ecosystem for true innovation. Instead, it produced a cut-copy-paste culture where engineers learned how to crack exams rather than solve problems.

When was the last time an IIT team built something that revolutionized global industries? When was the last time an IITian-led project fundamentally changed the Indian economy? IITs sold a dream—a dream that we were producing the world’s best engineers. But reality tells a different story. Neither could they prevent the brain drain nor could they save their own reputation.

Now, instead of correcting course and investing in real innovation, they have decided to chase trends. If tomorrow, AI-powered astrologers become the next big thing, will IITs offer a course in "AI for Astrology and Kundli Predictions"?

India’s Identity Crisis: Developing or Just Surviving?

India remains a "developing country," not because of a lack of resources but because of misplaced priorities. The best minds are wasted on enhancing entertainment rather than solving infrastructure issues, healthcare crises, or scientific challenges. IITs are now playing their role in this grand deception.

We were sold the dream of an engineering powerhouse, but we are witnessing the rise of a content factory. The question is, will we wake up in time to stop this downfall, or are we too entertained to care?