India’s MEI sector posts 6.6% net employment gain as hiring intent rises - ETHRWorld.com

Another month, another headline declaring AI will replace us all. Yet here in India, the MEI sector—Manufacturing, Engineering, Infrastructure—has posted a net employment gain of 6.6% for HY1 FY2026-27, up from 5.5% last year. That's right: while Silicon Valley types preach automation, actual humans are being hired to build things. Groundbreaking.

The 6.6% figure is modest, but it's a 1.1 percentage point increase from the prior period—a stat that would make any HR director blush with excitement. One wonders if the AI doomsayers have considered that the economy still runs on nuts and bolts, not LLMs. Hiring intent is rising too, which means more people will be doing jobs that involve real-world stuff, not just prompting. The sector is called 'Manufacturing, Engineering and Infrastructure'—the very things that make modern life possible, and apparently still require actual humans.

So when the next tech bro tells you that AI is coming for your job, just point to the MEI sector numbers. But don't get too comfortable—the robots are probably eyeing those construction sites too, once they get dexterity. Enjoy the hiring spree while it lasts.