How the Caste System is Quietly Destroying the US Tech Industry

Career Hub
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Let me share a story from a friend that completely shattered my faith in the so-called “meritocracy” in tech.

My friend works in data, solid skills, strong in SQL, Python, experimentation frameworks, you name it. One day, out of nowhere, a new Indian manager was parachuted into his team.

This guy looked polished, fair-skinned, articulate, and had that “must’ve worked at a top company” vibe. At first, everyone thought he was some FAANG-level hire. But after a few weeks, things started to unravel.

He couldn’t code.
He spoke in vague buzzwords during meetings.
He didn’t understand technical decisions.
But somehow, he kept getting promoted and his status was untouchable.

My friend was confused. How did this guy get here?

Then came the real shocker: this wasn’t just one bad hire. It was an entire system…

In many US tech companies, a large portion of Indian engineers come from specific upper-caste backgrounds. These communities have powerful internal networks—alumni groups, caste-based social circles, and informal referral pipelines.

There are even “coworker review” meetings where only Indian employees are present, and decisions are made about who’s “in” and who isn’t.

It’s not just internal referrals. It’s a full-blown internal monopoly.
Get referred by the network, get hired, then refer the next person in.
Eventually, managerial roles circulate only within this inner circle.

Meanwhile, outsiders—like my friend—who try to succeed based on skills and hard work alone, hit an invisible wall.

People who can’t even code end up leading teams of talented engineers. And those doing the real work are stuck in the shadows, never seen, never promoted.

Let’s stop pretending tech is merit-based. It’s relationship-based, and in many corners, it’s caste-reinforced.
You’re staying up late grinding Leetcode.
They’re getting promoted through a family WhatsApp group.

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I think many would agree “who-you-know” definitely matters more in almost any field, but to hear that there are systems like these established is very discouraging :cry:
Do you have any suggestions as to how people can improve their chances or at least cope with this?

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sorry for hearing this… it happens sometimes…

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That’s a heavy but very real story thanks for sharing it.

I’ve seen similar patterns, and it’s honestly painful when you realize hard work alone isn’t enough. Tech loves to sell the idea of meritocracy, but in reality, who you know often matters more than what you can do. And when those networks are closed off by language, region, or caste it creates a system where people outside that circle barely stand a chance.

It’s not about blaming individuals, but calling out how the system quietly rewards familiarity over fairness. We need to have these conversations, even if they’re uncomfortable especially for those of us trying to break in without a built-in safety net.

Your friend’s story isn’t just one-off. It’s a mirror for what’s happening across the industry.

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Thank you for sharing this story! It’s really insightful in how U.S. workplaces are shaped by employees’ connections in their hometowns.

I remember several years ago there was lawsuit in CA regarding workplace discrimination based on the caste system, which evoked debates around whether the caste system constitutes a sort of discrimination in the U.S. context. And the conclusion is yes. We should keep an eye on this phenomenon so that we can maintain a more inclusive work environment here.

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Happening in other industry as well, just with lower pay

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IIRC Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill blocking caste discrimination in CA :upside_down_face:

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This story is deeply disturbing—and unfortunately, not rare. Many people enter tech believing it’s a meritocracy, only to discover that networks, internal favoritism, and silent hierarchies often override skill and performance.

Caste dynamics being carried over into U.S. corporate structures isn’t something most people expect, but it’s real. The informal systems of gatekeeping—via language, referrals, selective mentorship, or biased peer reviews—create an environment where deserving, talented individuals get sidelined simply because they’re not part of the inner circle.

This isn’t just an “Indian problem,” or a “tech problem”—it’s a structural inequality problem, and it needs visibility, dialogue, and policy-level checks (like anonymous evaluations, fair promotion paths, and awareness around social dynamics like casteism and exclusionary networking).

Skills should matter. Performance should matter.

And if we don’t talk about the unspoken systems operating underneath, nothing will change.

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This is brutally honest and sadly way too familiar. Tech sells itself as a meritocracy, but what we often see is a networkocracy, where power and promotions flow through backchannels, not ability.

The caste-based referral loops you described aren’t just unfair, they’re corrosive. When gatekeeping happens behind closed doors, real talent gets sidelined and mediocrity rises, wrapped in a polished accent and a LinkedIn buzzword salad.

And the worst part? The system protects itself. Anyone who questions it is either labeled “divisive” or quietly pushed out. Meanwhile, the coders carrying the team get no credit, no growth, and no way up.

This isn’t just about caste or culture, it’s about entrenched privilege hiding behind diversity optics. Time to stop mistaking access for merit.