Technological changes that seem disruptive at a time have gone ahead to create many jobs, Saurabh Tandon, Partner, Alpheas Advisors, said.
“Technological improvements increase the base for employment,” he said at a panel discussion on ‘How digitisation will change India’s future’ at the Start-up India initiative here on Saturday.
On whether automation will lead to fewer jobs, Pratyus Patnaik, Co-founder, Appurify, added, “When horse-carts were replaced by motorised vehicles, people lost jobs but jobs were also created as roads had to be built. When driverless cars come in, you will need sophisticated vehicles, which would require sophisticated skill sets, which would, in turn, create jobs.”
The panel also touched upon the aspect of ‘work-life balance in start-ups’. “One doesn’t get work-life balance in start-ups. Companies which can ensure this balance have healthy, productive employees,” Patnaik said.
On the overall impact of digitisation, Rajat Tandon, Senior Director, Nasscom, said people are now using the Internet to book taxis, pay bills and order services. “Start-ups are helping us do things better without wasting a lot of time. That’s a positive aspect.”
On a question from the audience on how a start-up can create the need for its product, Deepinder Goyal, Founder, Zomato, said the need for a product must exist and should not be created. “You need to find the latent need for your product. If there is no need, then you are just force-feeding your product/ service to the customer.”