The plumber, the developer and the dignity of labour

I met two people on the same day.

One was a software developer earning ₹30,000 a month. The other was a plumber earning ₹40,000.

Both were frustrated. And both made me rethink what the "hottest jobs of tomorrow" really look like.

The quiet repricing of skilled work

For two decades, the aspirational path in India was clear. Study engineering, get into IT, move up. A desk job was a sign of arrival. Working with your hands was what you did if you couldn't do anything else.

That picture is changing, and faster than most people realise. As AI starts reshaping white-collar work, skilled trades such as plumbing, carpentry and electrical work are seeing real demand and real pricing power.

An AI model can write code, draft a contract, or summarise a report. It cannot yet fix a leaking pipe on the fourth floor of a building in Bengaluru, rewire an old house, or fit a kitchen. The physical world still needs people who know what they are doing.

Why AI reprices work this way

There is a well-known observation in AI research, often called Moravec's paradox. Tasks that are hard for humans, such as advanced mathematics or chess, turned out to be relatively easy for computers. Tasks that are easy for humans, such as walking across a cluttered room or picking up an unfamiliar object, turned out to be extremely hard.

Today's AI follows the same pattern. Language models are remarkably good at work done with symbols: text, code, numbers, images. They are far less capable when the work involves an unpredictable physical environment, fine motor skills and judgement made with your hands.

That is reshaping the value of different kinds of work.

• Routine screen-based work faces the most pressure. Entry-level coding, standard documentation and basic analysis are exactly what AI does well.
• Expert screen-based work is being augmented. Senior professionals who can direct and check AI become more productive.
• Skilled physical work in varied environments is relatively protected for now, and often in short supply.

None of this means every developer should become a plumber. It means the old ranking of jobs by prestige is drifting away from the new ranking by scarcity.

The real issue is dignity

In India the bigger issue isn't just employability. It's dignity of labour.

Think about the two people I met. One holds the job our society calls aspirational. The other often earns more, yet is rarely granted the same respect for the work he does.

Blue-collar work isn't unsexy. Our mindset is outdated.

Countries with strong economies tend to respect skilled trades. Electricians, welders and machinists in Germany, Switzerland or Japan are seen as professionals, trained through serious apprenticeship systems, and paid accordingly. That respect is not an accident. It is built through education, certification and culture.

In Germany, the title of master craftsman, the Meister, is earned over years of training and examination. It carries real social standing, and it opens a clear path to running your own business and training the next generation.

The conversation we need

With the AI Impact Summit coming to India, this is the conversation I'd like to hear more of. Not just what AI will replace, but which human skills will become more valuable. And how we make sure dignity follows value.

That means a few practical things.

• Vocational training that is as aspirational as a college degree, with clear paths to mastery and entrepreneurship.
• Certification that lets customers trust a tradesperson, and lets good ones charge for quality.
• Platforms and tools that help skilled workers run small businesses, not just take gigs.
• And at home, conversations that stop treating a desk as the only definition of success.

What employers and founders can do

Companies have a role here too, and an incentive. Construction, manufacturing, energy, telecoms and facilities management all depend on skilled technicians, and shortages show up directly in delays and costs.

• Build career ladders, not just jobs. A technician who can see a path to supervisor, specialist or business owner stays longer and works better.
• Equip people with technology. Diagnostic tools, digital manuals, AI assistants for troubleshooting and simple business software can make one skilled worker far more productive.
• Pay for quality. Platforms that reward ratings, certification and repeat customers move the market away from a race to the bottom on price.

There is also a large opportunity for founders. The tools that help a skilled tradesperson quote, schedule, invoice and grow are still underbuilt compared with the software available to office workers.

Who builds the real world

The future of work won't be built only by people who code. It'll also be built by people who fix, build, install and make the real world work.

Physical AI and robotics will eventually change these jobs too. But for the foreseeable future, the people who can work with their hands, and use technology to do it better, may be the ones with the most leverage. A society that respects them will build faster than one that does not.