There will be fewer IT jobs up for grabs this year. IT industry association Nasscom has forecast that in 2013, the industry would employ 50,000 people less, in the range of 1.30-1.50 lakh jobs compared to the 1.80 lakh jobs created last year.

While Nasscom said the lower number is not because of slowdown, it also said economic uncertainties still remain.

“Deal sizes are getting smaller relatively. The companies need to engage in dialogue with customers. The IT budgets no longer depend on the technology budgets of companies. We are targeting the budgets of Chief Marketing Officers as technology-driven marketing is gaining ground,” he said. It is the non-English speaking markets that will drive the additional growth this year. “We are expecting the Asean, Africa and Latin America to be big market drivers,” he said.

“Last year, the number was more because we were filling up the backlog. Jobs will come this year but the numbers will come down,” Nasscom President Som Mittal said.

He said there was a change in the recruitment process. “It is no longer linear (people with a single skill). Value scale is going up and we are using technology platforms (that indirectly reduces number of jobs),” he said.

Som Mittal, who was here to promote the ‘10,000 Start-ups initiative’ event organised by Nasscom on Wednesday, said the industry would grow at 12-14 per cent in 2013-14, expecting to add $13-15 billion revenues. “You should remember that this growth is on a large base,” he said.

The association had forecast a similar growth outlook for last year. But the industry had to settle for 10.2-per cent growth (dollar terms) as the global economic slowdown impacted the business.

Business frictions

Som Mittal asked the Government to reduce business friction, making it easier to work. He was referring to the issues of taxation, ‘safe harbour’ norms and service tax refunds.

“We should emerge the hub of research and development and innovation. To achieve this, we need to tell the world that we will do everything to reduce the friction,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nasscom on Wednesday signed an MoU with Hyderabad Angels, TiE Incubator and IIIT Hyderabad Incubator to collaborate and support the creation of a vibrant ecosystem to foster technology entrepreneurship in India.

Mittal said applications have been invited from innovative technology start-ups across the country for an insightful engagement with its accelerator and funding partners.

The association has already received over 1,000 applications from various budding start-ups since the launch ‘10,000 start-ups’ programme and is expecting to cross 5,000-applications mark in the next eight weeks.

kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in

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