Sidharth Agarwal explains how emerging technologies like cybersecurity and the Internet of Things can create millions of opportunities for tech graduates in India.
The new future of work has emerged disrupting many traditional sectors including IT.
There is no denying that the aftermath of the pandemic affected jobs and employment opportunities in a way that no one had expected. However, the industry has been relatively unscathed, and in fact, many tech companies have reported increased demand for their products and services.
This is good news for freshers who are looking to enter the IT industry.
According to reports by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, there is a decline in the unemployment rate which stood at 9.2% in June 2021.
As of January 2022, the unemployment is 6.57% and much of the credit goes to the IT industry.
Emerging technologies like cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT) have the potential to add 1.4 million new IT jobs in India by 2027, according to a report by Cisco and the International Data Corporation.
The IT industry has opened a host of lucrative career opportunities for freshers and aspiring tech professionals, some of which are listed below:
1. IoT Architect
The IT industry is one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing industries. And with the advent of new technologies, the demand for skilled IT professionals is only going to increase.
The IT industry accounted for 8% of India's GDP in 2020. And with the government's push to promote digitalisation, this number is only going to grow in the years to come.
An IoT Architect is responsible for the design, development, and deployment of IoT solutions.
They work with cross-functional teams to create scalable and secure IoT systems. IoT architects need to have strong technical skills and a good understanding of networking concepts.
Average annual salary: Rs 19 LPA (lakhs per annum)
2. Software Architect
A software architect is responsible for the design and development of software applications.
They work with engineers, clients and developers to create high-quality and scalable software processes and tech to solve different problems.
These professionals need to have a strong understanding of computer science concepts and applications that are structured and customised to solve real-world problems.
Average annual salary: Rs 22 LPA
3. Product Manager
Product managers are responsible for the planning, development, and launch of new products.
They work with cross-functional teams to ensure that the product meets the needs of the customer.
Professionals will require a degree in business administration, management, computer science, engineering with experience in product development and testing.
They need to have strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Average annual salary: Rs 17 LPA
4. Blockchain Engineer
A blockchain engineer is responsible for developing and implementing decentralised applications (DApps) on the blockchain platform.
They work with the development team to create new features and functions for the DApp.
To make a career in blockchain engineering, aspiring professionals need to have strong programming skills and a good understanding of cryptography.
Average annual salary: INR 8 LPA onward
5. Data Scientist
We all know that data is the new oil.
The demand for data scientists has been on the rise in recent years. Around 93,000 jobs in data science were vacant at the end of August 2020 in India, and 70% of these vacancies were for positions with less than five years of experience.
One of the most in-demand skills today, a data scientist is responsible for analysing data and extracting insights that can be used to improve business decisions.
They use their skills in statistics, machine learning, and programming to solve complex problems.
Average annual salary: Rs 8 LPA onward
6. Artificial Intelligence Engineer
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineer is a tech professional who works with algorithms, machine learning, and deep learning to develop AI solutions.
They design and implement AI systems that can learn and solve problems on their own.
AI engineers need to have strong programming skills and a good understanding of statistics and mathematics.
Every industry today is using these modern-day technologies and products, which has made the demand for AI engineers rise exponentially.
Average annual salary: Rs 7-8 LPA onward
Sidharth Agarwal is director, Spectrum Talent Management.
