A young economics graduate from India’s prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was faced with a unique question during his interview at Nation With Namo (NwN), a political consultancy affiliated with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Neeraj, as he is known, was asked how many tennis balls could fit in a passenger plane. After successfully answering the question, he joined a team of top university graduates tasked with collecting and analyzing voter data in Tripura for the upcoming elections. Their mission was to identify non-BJP voters, categorize them by demographics, and strategize ways to sway them towards the BJP, all while remaining discreet.
The team, which included graduates from India’s top engineering and business schools, utilized their problem-solving skills to manipulate voter data for political gain. With campus recruitment dwindling and layoffs increasing in the corporate sector, these graduates found temporary solace in the world of political consultancies. These consultancies, estimated to be worth around $300 million, offered lucrative fellowships to attract talent from elite institutions.
In Tripura, Neeraj’s team uncovered a pivotal insight in the Amarpur constituency, where tribal voters were leaning towards other parties. By constructing mud boundary walls around the homes of Jamatia tribe members and gifting them pairs of goats, the team managed to sway these voters towards the BJP. Despite the ethical implications of such tactics, these young professionals saw themselves as politically neutral problem solvers focused solely on achieving results.
In another part of India, a team at Inclusive Minds, a consultancy working with the opposition Indian National Congress Party, was engaged in a similar exercise of data analysis and voter manipulation. Led by an IIT engineer named Rajesh, the team utilized a wealth of data to predict voter behavior, target swing seats, and shape campaign strategies. With a significant percentage of staff from IITs and IIMs, these consultancies relied on data as their guiding force in the complex world of Indian politics.
As India geared up for national elections, these young professionals from elite institutions played a crucial role in shaping campaign strategies, pushing fake news on social media, and influencing voter sentiment. While their methods may raise ethical concerns, these politically neutral problem solvers saw themselves as indispensable assets in the high-stakes game of Indian democracy.