Why Indian techies stuck on the bench are bracing for a tense Diwali

In Indian IT, the word ‘bench’ isn’t as relaxed as it sounds. For companies, it’s either a comfy cushion or a financial guillotine. When demand is hot, the bench is a readymade army of billable talent. When business dries up, it becomes deadweight, dragging margins into the red.
And let’s call it what it really is: employees. For years now, Indian IT workers have been yo-yoing between prized assets and expendable liabilities at breakneck speed.