The demand for Product Managers (PMs) has surged globally, yet their relevance in the Indian context is often questioned. India, with its thriving startup ecosystem, abundant technical talent, and rapidly evolving industries, presents a unique landscape where the role of a Product Manager must be understood and evaluated critically.
What Does a Product Manager Do?
Product Managers are often described as the “mini-CEOs” of their products. Their primary responsibility is to:
- Define a product’s vision.
- Prioritize features and manage development.
- Align stakeholders (engineering, design, marketing, and sales) toward a common goal.
- Ensure the product delivers value to customers and meets business objectives.
The Case Against PMs in India
Some argue that Indian organizations, especially startups, don’t necessarily need dedicated PMs due to the following reasons:
- Founder-Driven Decision Making: Many Indian startups are founder-led, with founders playing a hands-on role in product decisions. They often feel that a PM adds unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Technical Talent Domination: In India, technical expertise is highly valued. Engineers or developers often double as product decision-makers, bypassing the need for a dedicated PM.
- Cost Sensitivity: For cost-conscious startups, hiring a Product Manager may seem like an avoidable expense. Instead, resources are allocated to direct revenue-generating or operational roles.
- Misunderstanding of the Role: The PM role is still evolving in India, and many companies either don’t fully understand its value or conflate it with project management or operations.
Why India Needs Product Managers
Despite the skepticism, there are compelling reasons why Product Managers are not just relevant but essential in the Indian business landscape:
- Customer-Centric Approach: A PM bridges the gap between customers and the product team. With diverse and complex consumer behavior in India, this role ensures that products meet customer needs effectively.
- Scaling Challenges: Startups in India aim for rapid scale. PMs bring structure to chaos by prioritizing tasks, ensuring scalability, and aligning cross-functional teams.
- Global Competition: Indian companies are not just competing locally but globally. A strong product vision and execution — driven by a PM — are crucial for staying competitive.
- Ecosystem Maturity: As the Indian market matures, companies are realizing the value of innovation, user experience, and strategic differentiation, all of which are championed by PMs.
- Enabling Engineering Excellence: By offloading strategic planning and roadmap prioritization, PMs free up engineers to focus on building high-quality solutions.
How the Role is Evolving in India
- From “Nice-to-Have” to “Must-Have”: As Indian companies grow, especially SaaS businesses and unicorn startups, the demand for experienced PMs has increased significantly.
- Cross-Cultural Dynamics: With many Indian companies targeting international markets, PMs with global exposure help adapt products to diverse user bases.
- Specialization: Product management in India is moving toward specialization, with roles like Technical PMs, Growth PMs, and Data PMs emerging to address specific challenges.
Final Thoughts
The question is not whether India needs Product Managers, but rather how Indian companies can better leverage them. In a world where customer needs are rapidly evolving and competition is intense, a skilled PM can be the difference between a product that thrives and one that falters.
Instead of sidelining Product Managers, Indian companies must redefine their expectations, invest in nurturing PM talent, and integrate the role into their organizational structure. As the Indian startup ecosystem continues to mature, Product Managers will play an indispensable role in shaping the next wave of innovation.
