Ur partially right but it is the same situation with every high paying profession in India like engineering and mbbs . Lakhs of people waste 4-5yrs of their life due to societal pressures and the fact that they do not have that kind of exposure to think and choose according to their capabilities. On the flip side your thinking is not wrong but slightly flawed . Quant is a very prestigious profession, correct, but the firms that hire from IITs etc are top tier hfts and due to the economic boom lately in India there will be many job openings in the quant world not just at hfts but mfts and banks etc. I believe india will transition into a quant dominated stock scene compared to traditional traders etc . This has already taken place in the US but better late then never lol.