A 24-year-old Machine Learning Engineer at AI startup Krutrim died by suicide earlier this month, the company confirmed.

The employee, Nikhil Somwanshi, joined Krutrim in August 2024 after completing his Master’s in Business Analytics from the Indian Institute of Science.

Krutrim said Nikhil had taken personal leave starting April 8, 2025 and extended it on April 17, 2025, mentioning he needed more time to recover.

The company described him as a valued colleague and expressed deep condolences over his passing.

Krutrim added it is supporting his family and cooperating fully with authorities.

🔗 Source: YourStory

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Tech industry faces a disproportionate mental health burden

The tech sector has a significantly higher rate of mental health challenges compared to the general population, creating a concerning industry-wide pattern.

Tech workers are five times more likely to experience mental health issues than the average population, with 50% of professionals in the industry reporting such struggles 1.

Among entrepreneurs specifically, 49% surveyed reported mental health conditions, with depression (30%), ADHD (29%), and anxiety (27%) being most common—a stark contrast to the 7% depression rate in the general U.S. population 2.

The post-pandemic tech environment has exacerbated these issues, with research showing anxiety and depression rates increasing by 25% and 89% of tech professionals reporting they feel immense pressure at work 3.

Young tech workers are particularly vulnerable in high-growth companies where the culture often normalizes overwork and considers burnout a badge of honor rather than a serious health concern.

2️⃣ High-profile suicides highlight systemic workplace issues

The incident at Krutrim joins a concerning pattern of suicides in high-pressure professional environments that extends beyond individual cases to reveal industry-wide problems.

McKinsey consultant Saurabh Kumar Laddha’s suicide at age 25, explicitly linked to workplace stress according to police investigations, demonstrates the deadly consequences of extreme work pressure in elite professional settings 4.