Despite the muted and hazy outlook for the $167-billion Indian IT industry in the 2019 fiscal, a coordinated push into automation, robotics and so on could help recapture its glory days. But that’s a big ‘if’.
Industry body Nasscom has downplayed the real factors behind its guarded outlook for the industry, which employs 3.8 million engineers, in addition to many indirect jobs. It has cited the usual suspects — protectionism (H1-B), Brexit, US tax reforms and global stock market volatility.
The real problem is the struggle to adapt to not just the changing economic environment, but also the advance of robotics. Nasscom’s roadmap is far from convincing. While at the outset, noises have been made about skilling programmes’ such as setting up of a training web portal for re-skilling to cope with AI and the like, the ability to execute this plan from schools or colleges to the workforce level is a big question.
The Government has repeatedly said that it is putting its weight behind these skilling or re-skilling initiatives and seeks the help of bodies like Nasscom. With as many as a million people entering the workforce every month, the Government needs to figure out the extent to which it will subsidise the skilling programme.
Meanwhile, robotics and machine-learning technology will continue to make advances — regardless of whether people re-skill or not. China has already stolen the lead with tech giants like Alibaba, Baidu and others building open source-based alogrithms. China’s first publicly available machine-learning platform, PAI, is a suite of tools and AI software algorithms that allows businesses without an AI background to make practical use of Alibaba Cloud’s programme. This can solve complex problems such as ways to ease traffic congestion in Chinese cities. These solutions would require fewer workers, and differently skilled ones. Is India ready?
Venkatesh GaneshSenior Assistant Editor