New Delhi, April 22 -- On that ordinary Monday morning, nothing felt unusual. Nikhil finished his pranayama, walked Misha, his three-year-old Husky, and switched on the coffee machine to enjoy his morning brew. Then, he opened his laptop to check his mail. He saw the subject line and froze.

By the time the sun shone through the window, it seemed like dusk had set on Nikhil's career. In one fell swoop, several thousand people in India were laid off with immediate effect by a leading technology company. For those who received the mail, it felt like the floor had caved in. Rarely does life follows a linear, predictable path. All seems to be going well when suddenly a job loss, health emergency, market crash, war or death can throw life akil...