New Delhi, July 14 -- When Komal Desai, 32, walked out of the KPMG office in Gurugram for the last time two years ago, it wasn't because of burnout, but due to boredom. "I had every checkbox ticked, be it global clients or a salary my parents bragged about," she says. "But every Monday I had the thought-is this all there is?"

Desai now works at a not-for-profit think tank in Pune, where she writes policy briefs on agritech regulations. The pay cheque is humble and the hours are similar to her previous role, yet she calls it her dream job. "I finally feel like the work I am doing has a purpose," she says. "It's not just output on someone else's spreadsheet."

Her pivot reflects a quiet churn in Indian workplaces. Across cubicles and...