The corporate world has long been a cushy haven for a certain breed of professional: the middle manager who rakes in ₹2-3 lakhs a month, armed with little more than a fancy title and the ability to herd a team through endless meetings. Their contribution? Often negligible—leading without innovating, delegating without creating, coasting on the efforts of those below them. But the age of artificial intelligence is here, and it’s exposing these paper tigers for what they are. Gone are the days when a fat paycheck could be justified by a corner office and a knack for PowerPoint. In this new era, these figureheads should be lucky to pull in ₹60-90k—tops. It’s time for a reckoning.
The Overpaid Relic of a Bygone Era
For decades, middle management has been the backbone of corporate inertia. These are the guys—and let’s be honest, it’s usually guys—who climbed the ladder not through brilliance or results but through tenure, charisma, or sheer luck. Their job description? Vague at best. “Lead the team,” “align stakeholders,” “drive strategy”—jargon that sounds impressive but often translates to forwarding emails, nodding in boardrooms, and taking credit for the real work done by engineers, analysts, and frontline staff. At ₹2-3 lakhs a month, they’ve been living the dream, insulated by a system that rewards presence over performance.
But AI is rewriting the rules. Tools like generative models, predictive analytics, and automation are doing what these managers never could: streamlining processes, crunching data, and delivering insights at lightning speed. What took a ₹3-lakh-a-month manager a week of “strategizing” can now be done by an AI in hours—and better. The days of justifying bloated salaries with vague leadership platitudes are over.
AI’s Ruthless Efficiency
Consider the evidence. AI platforms can now handle project management, track team performance, and even suggest optimizations—all without a coffee break or a motivational speech. Companies like Atlassian and Monday.com integrate AI to automate workflows, while tools like Copilot and ChatGPT draft reports and emails faster than any manager could dictate them. Leadership? AI-driven sentiment analysis can gauge team morale more accurately than a manager’s gut feel. Strategy? Machine learning models forecast trends with precision no human intuition can match.
This isn’t a distant future—it’s happening now. A 2024 McKinsey report estimated that 30% of tasks in management roles could be automated by AI, with that number climbing as the tech evolves. Why pay ₹2 lakhs for someone to “oversee” when an AI subscription costing a fraction of that can do it smarter? The writing’s on the wall: if your job is to lead without adding tangible value, you’re obsolete.
The ₹60-90k Reality Check
So what’s a fair wage for these erstwhile high-flyers? ₹60-90k a month feels right—enough to live comfortably, but reflective of their diminished utility. At this level, they’d be paid for what they actually do: basic coordination, a bit of human touch, and maybe some morale-boosting banter. The rest—the heavy lifting of decision-making, analysis, and innovation—is increasingly AI’s domain. Companies aren’t charities; they shouldn’t be shelling out six figures for glorified babysitters.
This isn’t about dehumanizing work—it’s about fairness. The coder grinding out algorithms at ₹1 lakh a month, the sales rep hitting quotas for ₹80k, the designer crafting campaigns for ₹70k—they’re the ones driving value. Why should a manager who merely “leads” them earn triple? In the AI age, compensation should mirror contribution, not hierarchy. The gravy train has derailed, and it’s about time.
The Pushback and the Push Forward
Of course, the ₹3-lakh brigade won’t go quietly. They’ll argue they’re indispensable—culture keepers, vision setters, the glue holding teams together. But let’s be real: culture thrives on results, not pep talks, and vision comes from innovators, not overseers. AI doesn’t replace human leadership entirely, but it exposes the fluff. The managers who survive will be the ones who adapt—learning to wield AI, upskilling in data science, or pivoting to roles that demand creativity over bureaucracy. Those who don’t? They’ll cling to their titles until the layoffs hit.
Companies, too, must wake up. Bloated payrolls are a liability in a competitive world where AI-driven firms like Tesla and Google set the pace. Trimming the fat isn’t cruel—it’s survival. Redirect those savings to R&D, frontline talent, or customer impact, and watch the bottom line soar.
The New Corporate Order
The age of AI isn’t just a tech revolution—it’s a cultural one. It demands we rethink who gets paid what and why. The days of ₹2-3 lakhs for steering the ship while others row are done. ₹60-90k is the new ceiling for the title-toting, low-impact manager—and even that’s generous. The future belongs to the doers, the builders, the ones who create value, not just claim it. Middle management had a good run, but AI’s here to collect the bill. Pay up or step aside.
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