Top 12 Highest Paying Jobs in Technology in India [2024]

Updated on 27 January, 2024

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Highest Paying Jobs in Technology in India

Summary:

In this Article, you will learn top 12 highest paying IT jobs in India.

  1. Data Scientist
  2. Big Data Engineer
  3. Cloud Architect
  4. Software Architect
  5. DevOps Engineer
  6. Blockchain Engineer
  7. IoT Solutions Architect
  8. Full-stack Developer
  9. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineer
  10. Product Manager
  11. Cybersecurity Specialist
  12. Site Reliability Engineer

Read more to know each in detail.

Technology is ever-changing, and career paths evolve with it. IT professionals are always looking to gain new skills and advance to higher positions. And many others think about transitioning to this sector for some reason or the other. If you, too, are considering an IT career, it would be good to know about the highest paying jobs in technology. We have compiled a list of posts with their job specifications and average salary to guide you better. 

An overview of the Indian IT ecosystem

IT-enabled services include software development, IT consultancy, online services, e-commerce, business process outsourcing (BPO), and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO). Moreover, the applications of IT are not limited to the software sector alone. Hospitals, schools and universities, libraries, banks, prisons, airports, and train stations – almost every establishment can gain from leveraging technology capabilities. 

Learners receive an average Salary hike of 58% with the highest being up to 400%.

It’s anticipated that 500 billion gadgets will be online by 2030. Organizations need data analysts to assess and assist in making decisions on the data from a variety of these sensors. In addition to using them in different sectors and coming up with new use cases, it would also present a chance for those who create these sensors.

Today, IT is a globally thriving industry boasting of 2.8 million employees and exports amounting to nearly $70 billion. A NASSCOM-McKinsey report highlighted that the global position of India’s IT industry depends on five key factors, namely: an abundance of talent, urban infrastructure, operational success, conducive business environment, and continued growth of the domestic sector. 

Here are some of the top recruiters in the field who are hiring for the highest paying IT jobs in India:

  • Wipro Technologies
  • Tata Consultancy Services
  • Cognizant
  • Tech Mahindra
  • Genpact
  • HCL Technologies
  • Google
  • Yahoo!
  • Godrej Infotech

Most of the tech employment in India is concentrated in the major cities and hubs, namely:

Tech hubs in India:

  • Bengaluru
  • Hyderabad
  • Delhi
  • Gurgaon
  • Noida
  • Mumbai
  • Pune

The Indian IT sector has tremendous potential to drive growth in the coming years, just as it has aided transformation in the last decade. Read on to find out what are the highest paying jobs in technology. 

Highest Paying IT Jobs in India

India is a hub of some up-and-coming high paying IT jobs in IT sector. Freshers and experienced IT professionals can land some of the highest paying IT jobs in India. Here is a list of some of the best IT jobs –

1. Data Scientist

Data scientists analyze and interpret complex information to facilitate better and timely business decisions. They know machine learning algorithms, data modelling, and coding (using Python, SAS, and R), among other analytical skills. Data science professionals are highly demanded across industries and geographies, as organizations need people who can make sense of data and assist them in utilizing it competitively. 

Additional responsibilities of top paying software engineer jobs:

  • Identifying highest paying software jobs in India that needs and determining how data science can provide solutions.
  • Acquiring the highest paid IT job in India needs  cleansing data from various sources.
  • Performing statistical analysis and building machine learning models.
  • Developing algorithms and pipelines for data modelling, mining, and integration.
  • Interpreting results and communicating insights to stakeholders.
  • Working closely in top software jobs in India with engineering and product teams to implement models.
  • Monitoring in top software jobs in India with models and results to maintain expected performance.
  • Keeping up with developments in data science technology and tools.
  • Tech jobs that pay well require mentoring junior data scientists and helping build out the data science team.

2. Big Data Engineer

As is clear from the title, their work revolves around big data applications. They manage the entire life cycle of large-scale deployments, utilizing their technical expertise in the following areas:

3. Cloud Architect

Cloud architects supervise the cloud computing strategy and coordinate with different teams to ensure that the deployments are correctly implemented. To perform these tasks, they need knowledge of the following topics:

  • Successful application architectures in the cloud environment
  • Usage of Amazon Web Services and Azure
  • Effective communication with diverse internal and external stakeholders 

Additional responsibilities of trending software jobs in India

  • Designing and implementing cloud architecture to meet reliability, scalability, security and performance goals.
  • Analysing infrastructure requirements for new projects and applications.
  • Migrating legacy systems and data to the cloud.
  • Providing guidance and thought leadership on cloud initiatives.
  • Researching and recommending new cloud technologies and services.
  • Establishing best practices for cloud management and monitoring.
  • Managing costs, capacity planning and automation.
  • Integrating cloud services with on-premises infrastructure.
  • Training developers and users on utilising cloud services.
  • Keeping up-to-date with cloud technology advancements.
  • Working closely with security and development teams.

4. Software Architect

They are responsible for optimizing the development process. To undertake this responsibility, software architects make several design choices and dictate the standard for coding and technical platforms. Moreover, they have to develop prototypes that are in line with customer requirements. Software architects should possess the following qualities to qualify for the job:

  • Understanding of software architecture
  • Data modelling
  • Programming skills
  • Analytical ability

Additional responsibilities of highest paying computer jobs:

  • Highest paying jobs in it sector requires collaborating with stakeholders to define software requirements and specifications.
  • Highest paying tech jobs require designing robust, scalable and maintainable software architecture.
  • Highest paying tech jobs require developing proof-of-concepts and prototypes to validate designs.
  • Establishing coding standards, frameworks, and best practices for development teams.
  • Performing code reviews and overseeing technical debt management.
  • Leading regular architecture reviews and making improvements.
  • Remaining up-to-date on emerging technologies and industry trends.
  • Contributing to strategic technology roadmaps and planning.
  • Mentoring developers and promoting design thinking.
  • The highest paid IT jobs in India require Working closely with QA teams to ensure quality.
  • Documenting architecture designs and decisions thoroughly

5. DevOps Engineer

DevOps engineers can work as a part of the development team or the operations team. They need to be adept in tools like Git, Jenkins, Linux, and Unix. Additionally, they should have familiarity with coding, scripting (Shell, Python, Ruby, etc.) DevOps engineers are also responsible for maintaining the infrastructure and integrating them with cloud services to facilitate automation. Here are some of their main responsibilities:

  • Development team: Participating in deployment and network operations
  • Operations team: Working on application development

Additional responsibilities of highest paying computer jobs

  • Highest paying jobs in it sector requires implementating  and operating continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines.
  • Configuring and maintaining infrastructure monitoring and alerting systems.
  • Performing root cause analysis on issues and outages.
  • Automating deployment, scaling, and management of infrastructure.
  • Collaborating with developers, QA, and ops teams to improve deployment processes.
  • Managing code releases and coordinating deployments across environments.
  • Ensuring high availability and performance of applications.
  • Recommending and implementing automation solutions.
  • Diagnosing performance issues and troubleshooting bugs.
  • Maintaining and upgrading existing systems and infrastructure.
  • The highest paid IT jobs in India require documenting systems and operational processes thoroughly.

6. Blockchain Engineer

As a blockchain engineer, your job is to develop and implement solutions and architectures related to blockchain technology. With the ongoing rise in the adoption of digital payments in India, blockchain is getting noticed as a key innovator in the fintech sector. There are various other avenues for this emerging technology, such as smart contracts. 

Currently, the job market is facing a shortage of skilled professionals. Employers usually look for the following capabilities when hiring for blockchain engineering roles:

  • Programming proficiency
  • In-depth understanding of Etherium, Ripple, R3, and Bitcoin technologies
  • Thorough knowledge of consensus methodologies
  • Command of security protocol stacks and crypto libraries 

7. IoT Solutions Architect

Internet of Things (IoT) solutions architects play a leadership role in strategy-making and overseeing the deployment of IoT solutions in the organization. These professionals must be proficient in programming and have experience in hardware design and architecture. They also participate in other design-related activities and contribute to the process of translating business needs into technological solutions.

Additional responsibilities of best software jobs in India:

  • Researching and recommending new IoT technologies and products.
  • Designing and developing IoT solutions architecture and integration plans.
  • Selecting the most optimal IoT platforms and tools.
  • Identifying security risks and determining mitigation strategies.
  • Guiding IoT data analytics requirements.
  • Working closely with engineering teams during IoT solution development.
  • Developing IoT standards, best practices and reference architectures.
  • Leading technical workshops and training on IoT systems.
  • Monitoring IoT solution performance and looking for improvements.
  • Staying up-to-date on IoT solution advancements and trends.
  • Managing relationships with IoT technology vendors and service providers.

8. Full-stack Developer

They are technical practitioners who are well-versed in every stage of development, including backend and frontend. They design and build APIs with MEAN stack technologies, keeping the code integrity and data security intact. The desired skillet of full-stack development is given below.

  • MongoDB, Node.js, Express, Angular
  • Coding, scripting, and developing API
  • Comprehension of web development fundamentals
  • Acquaintance with database technologies

Additional responsibilities:

  • Teaming closely with product managers, designers and other developers to create high-quality products.
  • Writing clean, maintainable and reusable code.
  • Participating in code reviews and providing constructive feedback to peers.
  • Documenting code thoroughly for future maintainability.
  • Remaining up-to-date with the latest technologies and industry best practices.
  • Troubleshooting and debugging applications to optimise performance.
  • Writing unit and integration tests to ensure robust code.
  • Contributing to continuous delivery and deployment processes.
  • Implementing responsive design and ensuring cross-browser compatibility.
  • Participating in sprint planning and daily standups.
  • Learning new languages, frameworks and technologies as needed.
  • Mentoring junior developers by sharing knowledge and experience.
  • Communicating with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.

9. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineer

The closest description of an AI engineer is someone who develops and drives AI initiatives in any organization. These skilled professionals apply their mathematical and statistical skills to process data, build models, and maintain AI systems. Here are the typical practical requirements for this role in the job market:

  • Python, R, Torch
  • TensorFlow and similar technologies
  • Machine learning, neural networks, deep learning

India is emerging as a formidable force in the technology space. McKinsey places India as the second-fastest digitizing economy after Indonesia. New technologies are improving business models and making them more efficient. 

The scope for technology careers goes beyond the IT and ITes and caters to other sectors like manufacturing and BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance). Even within the portfolios, some areas of proficiency would be in greater demand. And due to the skills gaps, some of the highest-paying IT jobs in India would be related to the use of AI and blockchain across business processes.

10. Product Manager

As the title suggests, a product manager is responsible for looking after the entire lifecycle of the product, starting from communication to the final launch and beyond. The role of product managers is crucial as it helps in bridging the gap between the product development team, the customers, and the stakeholders. The aim is to create successful products that will meet the needs of the customers and generate consistent revenue. Thus, it is apparent that the demand for a product manager in India’s IT sector is constant, thereby making the role one of the highest-paying IT jobs in India.

The key responsibilities of a product manager may typically involve developing a product strategy, conducting market research, collaborating with stakeholders and gathering product requirements, working closely with design, engineering, and other teams to develop the product efficiently, efficiently managing the entire process of product development, providing valuable insights regarding preferences and pattern of behavior of the users, planning and executing product launches and managing risk. An able product manager must possess the following skills to be the right fit for the role:

  • Effective communication
  • Analytical thinking
  • Technical knowledge
  • Leadership 
  • Customer-centric approach
  • Project management
  • Adaptability

11. Cybersecurity Specialist

Professionals working as cybersecurity specialist is dedicated to protecting the information, data, and network systems of the organization from cyber threats and security breaches. With the digital space becoming more complex day by day, the role of cyber security specialists has become excessively critical in order to ensure the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of sensitive information. The role of a cybersecurity specialist is one of the highest-paying IT jobs in India.

The key responsibilities that a cyber security specialist typically entertains include detection and prevention of cyber threats, assessment of vulnerability, compliance with the organization’s security policy, responding to security incidents quickly, designing and implementing secure network systems, conducting training on security awareness, performing penetration testing, ensuring protection of data, and conducting regular security audits. The set of skills that are necessary for an individual to evolve as a successful cybersecurity analyst are listed below:

  • Understanding of operating systems and cybersecurity tools to detect and mitigate security threats.
  • Analysis of complex security issues
  • A keen eye for detail 
  • Effective communication skills
  • Collaborative effort
  • Regulatory and legal knowledge

12. Site Reliability Engineer

This is one of the highest-paying IT jobs in India and entertains a specialized job role in the industry. It aims at ensuring the availability, reliability, and performance of large-scale software systems. A site reliability engineer acts as a bridge between the software engineers and IT operators, alleviating the gap between the both. 

The key responsibilities of the role involve efficient monitoring of the system, forecasting resource requirements, management of changes in a safe and controlled manner to minimize the risk of disruption in service and collaborating with the development teams. One must possess the necessary skill set essential for this job role, which is listed below:

  • Strong software development and programming skills
  • Management of complex infrastructure
  • Diagnosing complex system issues and finding practical solutions
  • Proficiency in various scripting languages like Python, Shell etc. 
  • Familiarity with the multiple tools for monitoring to respond proactively to incidents
  • Detailed knowledge of cloud platforms
  • Through understanding the best practices to ensure the security of the system
  • Ability to analyze the performance of the system

13. Machine Learning Engineer

Machine learning (ML) engineers develop and implement various machine learning algorithms and models to enable systems and software applications to become more adaptive, intelligent, and capable of learning. 

Responsibilities:

  • Understanding business requirements and challenges that can be solved using ML
  • Working with data engineering teams to collect quality datasets required for model training
  • Trying different ML algorithms like regression, classification, clustering, etc. and tuning hyperparameters to build optimised models 
  • Translating model insights into tangible business impacts 
  • Monitoring model drift/degradation in performance over time and maintaining models

Skills Required: Expertise in Python, R, Java, and C++, knowledge of frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch and skills in Calculus, Algebra and Statistics. 

Salary Range: Due to surging demand for ML skills across industries like banking, retail, healthcare and manufacturing, there is a huge demand for experienced ML engineers in India, with average salary ranging from ₹8 – 15 lakhs per annum for professionals with 3+ years of relevant experience.

14. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Developer  

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) developers are professionals skilled in using leading RPA tools like UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism, etc., to create software robots capable of quickly automating tedious, repetitive business processes without constant human intervention.

Responsibilities: Understanding processes selected for automation, configuring robots by recording process steps, testing robots, troubleshooting issues in bot functioning through exception handling mechanisms and ensuring seamless bot deployment into production environments in alignment with enterprise integration requirements

Skills: Expertise using RPA software tools through hands-on experience in building automated solutions, analytical ability, technical programming skills like .NET or Java, understanding of web service protocols & APIs and knowledge of enterprise integration frameworks. 

Salary Range: The average salary offered to RPA developers in India generally lies between ₹5 – 10 lakhs per annum. Certain high-performing candidates boast salaries of up to ₹30 lakhs yearly, too.

15. Chief Technology Officer (CTO)  

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) represents the organisation’s senior-most technology leadership role. CTOs own the technology vision and digital transformation roadmap for enabling business success through optimal technology leverage.

Responsibilities: Developing long-term technology strategy aligned to business goals, guiding integration of emerging technologies like AI/ML, IoT, blockchain, etc., into existing IT landscape and processes, overseeing new technology research and IP development through innovation hubs and ensuring robust data security and IT infrastructure scalability as per growth objectives.

Skills: Sound technical acumen across multiple domains like cloud, networking, programming, etc., coupled with an astute business perspective, leadership talents like change management and collaboration abilities, technology forecasting skills and an unwavering solutions-centric approach.  Salary Range: Owing to the critical nature of the CTO role, they are among the highest-paid professionals within organisations, with an average salary of INR 50 lakhs per annum, going up to over INR 1 crore per year for CTOs at mature technology firms or unicorns.

What Does The Future Hold For Technology Jobs?

For a long time, India was one of the countries that had enough supply of software programmers. Over the years, it has become more specialized even if the demand is still there. Going forward, most jobs will have some kind of technological element in them. Any IT professional will be able to get some of the highest paying IT jobs in India.

The IT industry of India is standing at an intersection at this point. It is necessary that every company and person related to this business make strategic decisions that will help them enhance their skills and stay relevant.

It is possible that in the coming years, technology like cryptocurrency, blockchain, and robotics will become regular. People related to IT, like data analysts, engineers, and designers, are some jobs that will always stay relevant because they can help in creating a brand, attracting customers, and generating strategies, unlike management consultants, who may become irrelevant. Some of the top companies are offering some of the best IT jobs and high paying IT jobs in India.

The future will see increased demand for skills like AI/ML, data science, cybersecurity, AR/VR, IoT, cloud computing, etc. IT professionals must constantly upskill and reskill to be prepared for future tech disruptions. Soft skills like creativity, empathy, and collaboration will also grow vital. Through forward-looking policies and education reforms, India can become a global tech and talent hub. The tech jobs of the future will require adaptability and lifelong learning as new technologies continue disrupting industries.

Every Job Will Become a Tech Job

Common jobs like doctors and lawyers will still exist in the coming times. However, they will modify into high paying IT jobs in India. In fact, all non-tech jobs will most likely morph into tech jobs. In order to appreciate the consequences of robotic process automation and bots in the workplace, HR professionals will require a solid understanding of business and technology. Things will alter within consumer products as well.

For example, almost 1.5 billion pairs of shoes are purchased worldwide each year. In the future, we’ll be able to customise this based on usage and incorporate the necessary technologies to increase functionality. According to experts, gig workers skilled in one area of technology will be the norm, switching between sectors as needed. This calls for a shift in how some skills are taught in universities, with some fundamental IT skills being a part of the core curriculum, regardless of the stream, preparing candidates to efficiently take over high paying jobs in IT sector. Some high paying jobs in IT sector are available for professionals.

Implications of Tech-Infused Jobs

  • Technical literacy will be imperative across all fields like law, medicine, design etc.
  • Jobs will require a blend of human skills like creativity with digital skills.
  • Reskilling and upskilling will be continuous processes to stay employable.
  • Understanding user needs and behavior will retain importance.
  • Empathy, collaboration and communication skills will be valued.
  • Education systems need major overhaul to prepare digital-native workforce.
  • Focus on making people digitally literate from early ages.
  • Lifelong learning and willingness to adapt quickly will be critical.
  • Tech will augment roles leading to human-machine collaboration.
  • Soft skills and emotional intelligence will balance tech capabilities.

IT in Space

While IT has taken over every aspect of different sectors of jobs, one area which IT has conquered is space. The private sector might help India’s space programme manufacture satellites and rockets to launch them from its space stations. Indian space research organisation (ISRO) will increasingly rely on the private sector to develop and deploy remote sensing satellites as it concentrates on lunar missions, Mars, Venus, and even the Sun and prepares its first human space voyage within the next two years.

Additionally, it aims to establish India as a centre for the production of mini satellites and their launch from Indian land. According to authorities, this industry can potentially challenge the nation’s software sector. A small industry of IT professionals will be generated by space tourism. It will be necessary to view mission preparation, launch operations, and experience creation through a technological lens, producing thousands of jobs needing specialised expertise. Getting to work for ISRO is one of the highest paid IT jobs in India.

Expanding space technology and exploration will require specialised IT skills in areas like satellite development, launch systems, mission control, space communication networks, data analytics, AI/automation, robotic systems, VR simulation, and more. This will open up many lucrative career opportunities for IT professionals in the space sector. India can leverage its technology talent pool to establish itself as a hub for space tech innovation and take a leadership position in the new space race.

In-demand Technology Skills

We have assembled a list of the standard requirements of technology jobs below. You must emphasize practising and building these abilities in your learning journey.

  • JavaScript development
  • MySQL, HTML
  • CSS and Bootstrap
  • Machine learning 
  • Natural language processing
  • Business development
  • Team management
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Digital Marketing
  • Vulnerability assessment, SIEM, and network security
  • Process automation, SQL, UiPath, etc.

Some other critical technology skills that are highly sought-after and can open up lucrative career opportunities include:

  • Cloud computing (AWS, Azure, GCP)
  • Data analytics and visualisation
  • Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
  • Blockchain and cryptocurrency
  • Augmented/Virtual Reality
  • Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning
  • Cybersecurity, including ethical hacking
  • Mobile app development
  • Game development
  • IoT and embedded systems
  • 3D/4D printing and modelling
     

Keeping pace with the latest technology advancements for trending it jobs through continuous learning will be key to staying relevant and seizing the most in-demand tech jobs of the future.

The way ahead for technology jobs in India

India is emerging as a formidable force in the technology space. McKinsey places India as the second-fastest digitizing economy after Indonesia. New technologies are improving business models and making them more efficient. 

The scope for technology careers goes beyond the IT and ITes and caters to other sectors like manufacturing and BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance). Even within the portfolios, some areas of proficiency would be in greater demand. And due to the skills gaps, some of the highest paying IT jobs would be related to the use of AI and blockchain across business processes.

According to LinkedIn Business, emerging career options include artificial intelligence experts, robotics automation consultants and software engineers, growth managers, customer success specialists, and JavaScript developers. These insights would be useful in understanding which jobs have leaped into demand in recent years and what could be the possible career paths to these lucrative positions. 

With this, we have made you familiar with the highest paying jobs in technology. You can streamline your preparation with the above resources and target learning avenues that help you develop the required skills. 

The Bottom Line

The technology industry in India is rapidly evolving and presenting lucrative career opportunities across various emerging domains. While software development and IT services have traditionally been attractive roles, cutting-edge fields like AI/ML, data science, cloud computing, cybersecurity, IoT, automation, blockchain, etc., are gaining momentum. To stay relevant and tap into the highest-paying technology jobs, professionals must constantly upskill, reskill and stay updated on the latest advancements. 

Strong fundamental technical and soft skills like creativity, empathy, collaboration and adaptability will be highly valued. India has the potential to become a global technology and talent powerhouse by investing in future-ready education, upskilling initiatives and forward-looking policies. The jobs of tomorrow will require a passion for lifelong learning and the vision to embrace change.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does a high salary guarantee job satisfaction?

Different professionals who come from diverse backgrounds intend to prioritize their job over salaries. When you are satisfied with what you are doing at your job, there is nothing that can beat that. Additionally, employees who are satisfied with their job are always enthusiastic. This automatically enhances creativity, activities, and relationships with other individuals in the workplace. Satisfied employees contribute to a friendly work environment. Moreover, job satisfaction keeps the stress away at work. On the contrary, money is important to lead a happier life. The more money you make, the better you are able to maintain yourself. Many believe that money is one of the biggest criteria that determines job satisfaction. There is no satisfaction without money. Therefore, a handsome salary rewards employees who put 100% into their job.

2. Should location decide the salary of a working professional?

The location of the employee is a dominant factor in deciding one’s salary. Whether it is a professional working for an MNC or workers working in the same MNC but operating from somewhere else. The local economy affects the salary of an individual. However, locations shouldn’t restrict companies from hiring suitable talent. Plus, the location of an individual shouldn’t determine their income too. This could significantly affect the performance of your business if you hire the wrong person for a lower pay.

3. What is software development?

Software development is a field that programmers widely use to write computer code. As a software developer, there are several scope and opportunities that automatically open up if you possess the required skills. The software development process is built on the software development life cycle or SDLC. It is a method that provides a medium for students to design and develop their own products from scratch to meet the technical requirements. The software development aims to achieve the target by building products which are widely used in a defined timeline and a fixed budget. There are six steps in SDLC which are a part of the software development process. They are identification, planning, design, implementation & development, testing, and deployment & maintenance.

Did you find this article helpful?

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is the Program Director for the UpGrad-IIIT Bangalore, PG Diploma Data Analytics Program.

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Online education across segments and students population is emerging as a popular option for individuals. Across age groups, online education is getting adopted. A segment where we at UpGrad feel that online adoption will be rapid, is the working professional segment. And there are multiple reasons for the same – from their ability to pay, their willingness to move up in their career etc. In this piece I want to touch upon a key trend that we are targeting – changing requirements of the industry and the need to continuously upgrade for working professionals. To give an example, a few decades ago – a farmer’s son would be a farmer; a carpenter’s son would be a carpenter. Things changed over time, and a farmer’s son started becoming an engineer. And in today’s world, an engineer goes through 5+ career shifts in his/her career span. There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050, So Get Yourself Skilled NOW! Marketing is not the way it used to be 10 years back. Payment is not the way it used to be 5 years back. Data analysis has undergone drastic changes. And in this digital age, the rate of this change is going to further accelerate. Industry will evolve rapidly, and as working professionals, each one of us has to keep up with this changing requirement. Industry is not going to wait for the individual to get upskilled or upgraded, and a large part of the onus will lie with the individual. Further, the rate at which the needs of the industries are changing; our current university system is not able to cope up. Therefore, individuals have to look for alternate options to add relevant skills to their portfolio. This is where online education comes into the fore. Professionals today do not have the flexibility of leaving their jobs and going to a school to learn new skills. Online education platforms are great options for these professionals who are looking to continuously upgrade, while continuing to stay in their jobs. Unlike offline education, online medium provides the advantage of being able to update the program curriculum and content regularly, and keep it relevant to the industry needs. Online medium also allows real-life problems to come to working professionals learning, where an individual can actually live the real-life situations in the form of case studies. Top 10 Essential Tools For Startup Business in India In the digital age, each individual will have to continuously upskill himself/ herself to stay relevant, and that would provide a large opportunity for edtech startups to create scale platforms. EdTech startups will have to look for opportunities where there is a significant demand supply gap, and look at providing right education programs. The biggest challenge in this will be the ability of edtech startups to design the program content for digital medium, rather than replicate what is being covered in the offline programs. Taking advantage of the digital channel will be key here. So for all edtech startups, keep your ears on the ground, and look for areas and skills that will allow you to build scale learning platform.
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by Mayank Kumar

20 Apr'16
Google I/O 2016 – Day 1 | Recap

5.07K+

Google I/O 2016 – Day 1 | Recap

The most awaited Google I/O 2016 Conference was filled with announcements about improvements in current products and launch of some new products. In this article, we have summarized the biggest announcements from Day 1 of the conference. Google Allo Allo is Google’s new messaging app with resident chatbot. It has features like whisper/shout, expressive stickers, smart replies- which evolve with time and wide range of bot support especially the Google Assistant search bot. One of the most important features of Allo is that all its chats are encrypted but incognito mode offers end-to-end encryption and an option to send messages that self-destruct. Additionally, once you close a chat, the entire conversation is deleted forever. Google Duo Duo is Google’s mobile only companion app for Allo that helps in video calling. One of its special feature is ‘Knock Knock’ which lets users see the incoming video call feed before even answering the call. So, the receiving party can see who’s calling and where they are before they even pick up the call. Google Assistant Google takes search to the next level. Google Assistant supports “conversational understanding” to make search more natural and to better support voice searches. Google Home Home is built on the Chromecast standard, which lets it push media to other Cast-compatible speakers and screens, change temperature or lighting through Nest devices, and integrate with third party services. The entire experience is hands-free, powered entirely by voice. In fact, it doesn’t even have any buttons. Simple voice commands will control every aspect of the Home. Android N Android N comes with new features that include more control over notification size from different apps and a new picture-in-picture mode. Android N uses a new API called Vulkan that lets developers directly control a phone’s GPU for sharper 3D graphics. Android N will also download and install system updates automatically. The name of Android N has not yet been released. It is going to be selected through a crowdsourced contest. Google Daydream Google has a new VR platform built on top of Android N, and the new VR platform is called Google Daydream. It is an optimized virtual reality platform that aims to standardize the mobile-based VR experience. It also spans both software and hardware; Its biggest limitation is that it will be available only in new phones with special sensors and screen. Android Wear 2.0 Android Wear 2.0 can function independently of a smartphone. Apps no longer need a connected smartphone in order to function. Apps can function and even communicate without a phone, as long as the wearable device is connected to the internet via cellular or Wi-Fi. Users can also make data from any app show up on any watch face. Instant Apps One of the most interesting announcement was google Instant Apps. With Instant Apps, users can begin using an app instantly from right within the Google Play store without even having to download and install the app. As we can see, Google has made some big moves in the three hottest areas of tech – virtual reality, messaging, and smart assistants. However it would be interesting to see how these new products will compete with their competitors and how much of market share would they capture after their launch.
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by Dilip Guru

19 May'16
There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050, So Get Yourself Skilled NOW

898.94K+

There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050, So Get Yourself Skilled NOW

This isn’t just a catchy headline meant to shock you, though that would be a justified reaction. If you are 25 years old, have graduated from a reputed institute in a traditional higher education discipline and are looking for a job, you may not be handed one on a platter any time soon. You may be cushioned within the famous Indian demographic that is supposed to yield a “dividend”, but unlike what you’ve been reading everywhere, this does not guarantee you employment. Between 1980 to 2010, 90% of world labour force growth occurred in developing countries and about 500 million new workers emerged in India and China alone (workers went from 260 million to 470 million in India, between this period). India, along with other developing counterparts, is all set to fuel 60% of the global growth in labour in the upcoming years. Keep in mind that enrolment in Indian higher education is only 24% right now. With India attaining almost universal elementary education and increased retention in secondary schools, the projected demand for higher education and jobs thereafter, will only escalate. By 2050, India will be home to more than a billion job seekers. This means providing jobs for over 12 million new entrants annually. There is also the challenge of finding jobs for the backlog, which reached 60 million by 2014. So isn’t this good news? India finally placed on the world map with a solid advantage where labour supply is concerned. Well, it may not all be good news. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable. Currently, only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable. Indian millennials are being touted as the future of jobs and the saviours of the working world. But this won’t hold true if in-demand skills are not imparted to the youth entering the workforce. The world of work is changing and industries are transforming. It’s a fact that we are moving towards a massive labour pool, but we are possibly riding a low-skill, low-wage cycle to get there. The country is on a trajectory that involves a surplus of millions of low-skill workers, whereas most nations, including India, will be increasingly demanding a high-skill workforce. Impacting Education: My Journey and UpGrad Most industries are replacing low-skill jobs with high-skill ones. Skills relating to upcoming technologies like cloud computing, social media, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, etc, are gaining immense relevance. Unfortunately, our education system is not preparing students well enough to enter the workforce as high-skill workers or equipping them with skills in the mentioned emerging domains. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable. Currently, only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The positive connotation associated with our demographic shift has been taken for granted and assigned the term “dividend.” But if we don’t strategically harness this change, we could very easily be faced with a demographic disaster. We don’t want to be stuck in a situation where we have too many job-seekers with inadequate skills, and therefore not enough jobs for them. India is moving workers out of farm jobs at a very fast rate, and this will only add to the burden of providing jobs in other sectors. We need a wake-up call and more concerted efforts towards large-scale skill development and training. We may have a situation of too few high-skill workers and not enough jobs for medium- or low-skill workers. This needs to be rectified by adjusting the education and skilling system to ready ourselves for the jobs of tomorrow. UpGrad develops various programs such as Digital Marketing Certification Program, and Product Management Certification Program in collaboration with IIIT Bangalore, specially designed for working professionals looking to up-skill themselves.  Check out the free courses.
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by Mayank Kumar

20 Jun'16
Only 25% Of Indian Graduates Are Employable, And The Solution Is Obvious

6.57K+

Only 25% Of Indian Graduates Are Employable, And The Solution Is Obvious

Co-authored by: Apoorva Shankar, Business Development Associate, UpGrad The world today has enhanced productivity requirements. Due to this, the demand for highly skilled labour is growing. China and India are set to drive this demand. Globally, the share of low-skill jobs is likely to decline from 74% of employment in 2010 to 62% by 2020. On the other hand, the shortage of highly skilled workers with a tertiary level of education is expected to reach 18 million by 2020, globally. But due to its demographic dividend, India will have a labour surplus of 47 million by 2020. However, this surplus may only be of low-skilled labour. And while the demand for highly skilled labour is increasing, the supply isn’t quite keeping up. The challenge, as well as opportunity, that India faces is how to train such a large reserve of labour and convert low skills to high skills. One solution that immediately comes to mind is providing higher education for all. But at present only 24% of those meant to be participating in higher education, are actually enrolled. Plus, traditional college or university pedagogy has been increasingly criticized for being outdated and irrelevant to the jobs market. If you attended school or college in India, you will have first-hand experience of the ills that plague the system. Some of the reasons for this are: Absence of a customized or personalized approach to education (necessary as different students have different needs and learning capabilities). Restricted resources due to not-for-profit nature of educational institutes and over-regulation. Lack of technology infrastructure. Poor teaching quality. Lack of skills-based learning. Low focus on research and development. Minimal partnerships with industry/foreign academia. Outdated curricula not reflecting requirements of a dynamic market environment. Skill-intensive industries are expected to contribute more than 90% of India’s GDP by 2030. The opportunity is staring at us in the face. Only about 25% of Indian graduates are considered employable by the organized sector. Further, 48% of Indian employers said they were having difficulty in filling jobs, in 2012. Despite employers expressing difficulty in finding employable candidates, in 2009-10 the unemployment rates in India were higher for those who were more educated (graduates had more difficulty finding jobs than secondary or primary level graduates). [b_color background=”#EDFF3D”] Also Read – Technology will surely kill some jobs, but not all of them [/b_color] So Indian education, in its current form, hasn’t proved to be enough training for the incoming workforce. The numbers also prove that just completing higher education in any field is not all it takes anymore. This pinch is being increasingly felt as the world of jobs is turning upside down; which is why we need skill training. Skill-intensive industries are expected to contribute more than 90% of India’s GDP by 2030. The opportunity is staring at us in the face. It’s not just about the potential but also the responsibility we are tasked with — restoring balance to the global supply of labour. The country needs to invest in skill development and training for a large chunk of its population. Exploiting sheer numbers is therefore one major reason to skill our workers. Secondly, the demand for advanced skill-sets in emerging areas is growing. Knowledge-intensive roles such as finance, business, etc, and those related to information technology and entrepreneurship are gaining momentum. The reality that these skills must be acquired will take root for more and more individuals, including drop-outs from the mainstream education system and those who have completed such education. Currently, the actual supply of these workers falls drastically short of matching growing demand. Hence, the gaps in domain knowledge are another reason to scale up the skilling. You are likely to be at a disadvantage, in terms of skill training and thereby employability, when compared to someone your age in China, USA, South Korea… In China about 47% of the workforce has received some kind of skill training, 52% in USA, 68% in UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Comparatively, only about 10% of the Indian workforce received such training in 2008. India is seventh in the category of countries facing maximum difficulty in filling jobs, i.e., 58% difficulty, where the global average is 38%. These figures reflect that just belonging to the young Indian demographic is not enough. You are likely to be at a disadvantage, in terms of skill training and thereby employability, when compared to someone your age in China, USA, South Korea etc. To address these imbalances, India needs unprecedented increase in both education and job creation. At this point, there is no guaranteed advantage for India in the contest for high-skill talent. It will be dependent on skilling. Considering the state of higher education and the skill upgrade required to be carried out in the future, the process will not just be about learning for professionals, but rather unlearning and re-learning.
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by Mayank Kumar

13 Jul'16
7 reasons to watch UpGrad Talks today

5.19K+

7 reasons to watch UpGrad Talks today

There is really no secret sauce for success. Provided you have had the opportunity to view the exclusive online tete-e-tete sessions brought to you by UpGrad Talks. With an amazing roster of world-class speakers, some from the top 1000 companies of India such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Sky, Coca Cola, JP Morgan, JWT to start-up poster children such as RedBus, Snadeal, Ola & Zivame and many more, Upgrad Talks provides insights into their formulae for success. The talks also share deep learning from situations that didn’t work out and many valuable nuggets of honest, down-to-earth and practical advice from successful entrepreneurs, experts and industry leaders. While some lip service has been paid to new-age technologies and skill sets, and the evolution of industries because of these, a deeper understanding of what this signifies is missing. Upgrad Talks intends to fill this gap by bringing together thought-leaders from different walks of life and raising the level of discourse in this area, as they share their experiences. Here are the top reasons why you must visit talks.upgrad.com today and make it your daily source of insights and motivation: Get Inspired Inspiration can come from many different sources. You may get inspired when you see a problem that needs a solution, which you are able to ideate, or get inspired when you hear stories of adversity being overcome by sheer willpower. Rarely does the simple existence of wealth inspire us. It may motivate us to work harder, but inspiration stems from a deeper place that needs real stories. Upgrad Talks are stories from the folks who have lived these stories, first hand. Not only does hearing someone’s complete story of challenges, thought process and subsequent outcome inspire, it also gives birth to new ideas and provides impetus to grow in your own space.  Moreover, inspiration also stems from well-put statements such as, ‘attitude will sail you through,’ by Harit Nagpal, CEO of Tata Sky. A key benefit of listening to industry leaders is that it also inspires us to think. ‘What we think, we become,’ is a quote by Buddha that sums up this well. Go ahead, face challenges It does not matter if you are a startup or an established financial organization; challenges, big or small, exist in every level of most businesses. Challenges faced, strategized and overcome is the rite of passage for almost everyone. Not only do Upgrad Talks cover challenges faced by leading industry veterans, it also covers it from various stages of businesses along with discussion of the solutions that helped overcome them. Upgrad Talks speakers’ discuss challenges faced by businesses in different spaces, which makes these talks an interesting listen. Furthermore, is quite motivating to hear the candid conversations of business leaders. So what is the common thought on challenges in the Upgrad Talks? No challenge is too big. It also strengthens the belief that challenges help you grow and become stronger and develops a sense of confidence to take on the next big challenge. Learn from influencers People who can motivate are great influencers. To hear success stories at Upgrad Talks, which have been driven by deep-rooted passion as well as courage of conviction can be a great influence on most people. It is likely to help you push yourself to greater heights and also follow your dreams a bit more diligently. To quote Snapdeal’s Kunal Bahl, ‘ there is a fine line between stubbornness and persistence.’ Upgrad Talks is likely to help you define the lines as an excellent selection of influencers talk also about the key soft skills required to make it a significant mark on the industry that you belong to. Mentoring As you listen to entrepreneurs, business leaders and experts on models that have worked, one can also start drawing parallels to one’s one business or profession. Mentoring of this kind is both subtle and effective as it helps you choose some key takeaways from the shared experiences that are most relevant to you. Follow the series to get premium access to the best mentors in the country as they talk about education, the emerging digital age and its impact on businesses, talent shortages and advice to youngsters. A bit of crystal gazing In the series of Upgrad Talks, one is likely to come across a vast amount of business knowledge which has been converted into digestible insights that can also help you choose the next steps in your career. Speakers’ at Upgrad Talks share their business mantras and what the future is likely to be.  This is crystal gazing of the finest variety and yet another reason to tune into the talks. A healthy dash of optimism One of the unique selling points of the Upgrad Talks is that they also brings out the combined optimism in business from key industry leaders. Apart from that one can learn what is next in the industry, and explore potential future opportunities in the workspace. The upbeat and positive nature of these talks makes them a must-listen. Easily available online Just in case you were wondering how far you would need to travel to listen to such a wide range of speakers, you can breath easy. Upgrad Talks are delivered online and you can listen to them at your own convenience. All you need to do is to long onto talks.upgrad.com and you can access high quality, pre-recorded sessions online. Upgrad is making content richer, bigger and better as it kicks off with 15+ talks delivered by entrepreneurs, experts & business leaders.  You definitely do not want to miss out on the educational transformation that UpGrad is fuelling in partnership with some of the greatest minds. Remember, one can never stop learning. So, if you always aspired to hear great advice and insights from the top Indian business leaders on how you can grow your business, choose a career goal or get inspired, do take a look at Upgrad Talks. They are truly the voices that impact. Join us today and be a part of it at talks.upgrad.com.
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by Omkar Pradhan

06 Aug'16
Evolving online education: Learning Together

5.36K+

Evolving online education: Learning Together

Technologies in online learning have been making promises since early 20th century. From radio to present day MOOCs,  multiple new technologies were seen as silver bullet in revolutionising education. These promises were indeed laudable, to make education accessible to everyone, affordable for everyone and more effective. Yet, the same history of unmet expectations has been repeated every time*. Although a lot has happened over the past decade in terms of growth and expansion of online education, there are many challenges yet to be solved before we can say online learning has truly arrived. We, at UpGrad, believe the following three challenges are the biggest hurdles to the success of online education. Isolation: Online learning is solitary experience   Acceptability: Online learning’s validity in the Job Market   Not Engaging: Interplay of distractions and motivations in learning online The dismally low completion rates and high failure rates are reflection of these challenges [1]. Our goal at UpGrad is to fight these challenges and provide an unmatched learning experience for the working professionals. We believe, with the flexibility of online learning, every working professional can “UpGrade” himself without going back to full-time formal education. Hence, we need to to make online learning mainstream. In this article we would be sharing how are setting the online learning as a ‘Social Experience’ for our students, ie the first of the three mentioned challenges. In 2000s, internet surfing was mainly an individual experience and on the other hand, in 2016 almost all of internet time is a social experience. We do not feel alone in 2016 version of internet. We believe online education will have much higher engagement and completion rates once it becomes a social experience. An average student’s e-learning journey is an individual experience making him/her feel isolated. Learners move through the course with limited interactions with both their instructor and classmates. We at UpGrad, are building a new learning platform specifically designed keeping our students and their needs in mind. We believe this would be key to provide the kind of engagement levels the students deserve. The perception of social presence (or lack of) is a big concern among students and teachers in online learning. Teachers develop courses in isolation and the students take the courses in isolation. Researchers have found strong correlation between the sense of social presence facilitated by the course and student’s perceived learning [3,4,5]. Also there is good re correlation between withdrawal in the course and student’s perceived lack of social interaction and instructor presence [3]. Lack of social interaction in e-learning increases the distraction, since a learner would look for social interaction elsewhere which is usually Twitter, Whatsapp or Facebook. If there is another learner doing the same course in my apartment building, there are limited chances that I would know about him. As learners of online courses, we are oblivious of everyone else’s presence except few replies on the discussion forum. They do form Facebook groups or Whatsapp groups organically, yet the whole online learning format ends up being mostly a solo experience. Here are the steps we are taking at UpGrad in making our online programs a social experience.: Profiles : The first step in ‘social’ e-learning is knowing your classmates. We have learner profiles with education and work history along with other details. Almost everyone is encouraged to fill in their full profile along with a descriptive ‘bio’ section. There are multiple points where learners are nudged to click on the profiles. To improve discoverability of relevant profiles we not only leverage cohort social graph but also use interest graph, performance graph, complementary skills graphs. Combined with other semi random** algorithms like who was recently online, learners bump into each other in interesting ways. In the first month of Data Analytics Program, an average engaged learner viewed peer profiles 110 times. Discussions: We have a discussion forum which is contextual and relevant to the course content. We designed it from the ground up to involve learners during the course. They help each other, solve doubts, ask questions, have healthy debates on the forum. Only when there is no consensus a Teaching Assistant gets involved in clearing the doubts. Last 3 months data shows that on a daily basis 50% of the students who are engaged on the platform, also engaged actively on the discussion forum. As most professionals have different backgrounds, sharing of experiences on the forum is much valuable to everyone in the cohort. We have seen learners fall into three buckets on the forum. First is the majority producers, the top 30% of forum content producers are responsible for around 70% of the discussions. The next 50% do the rest of 30% of the content but continue to voice their opinions through upvotes. Rest of the 20% are mere observers. These numbers are highly encouraging and we will be investing more time in finding out how student-student social interactions can help in overall engagement. Figure 1: Forum topic distribution in one of our programs. Share in the pie is (questions * votes) for each topic. Bigger share of the pie is a proxy for doubts. This lead us to start live sessions on those topics. Thought Leader AMAs: Initiating and maintaining engagement on the forum is hard. To set the ball rolling, we started the discussion forum for a new cohort with getting a thought leader to do an AMA on the platform. This way not only the students got a product onboarding experience but also the social expectation was set amongst the peers. In some months, the total content creation during AMAs ended up around 20% of the total cumulative content. We also observed a side benefit of starting the program with thought leader – that learners are more helpful, behave with more civility and show much more respect for each other. This is not very unusual because it is known that a group’s eventual social dynamics are very much impacted by behaviour in initial few days. In a way, it sets the trend which follows upto the end of the course. We also explored bringing in external motivations to see how does it impact on engagement levels. At times, there were small gifts for top forum contributors and at times we included forum participation in the grading. Our primary observations show that this is to be used cautiously. We are working on establishing a balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations for social involvement. Facebook Groups: For all cohorts we have Facebook groups for students apart from the platform discussion forum. We were not very confident how much our forum will be used for non academic discussions and generic social sharing. However, we found more and more discussions of generic nature and sharing of articles & blogs also started happening on the forum. Hence facebook group ended up becoming redundant. We are thinking of doing away with a cohort’s facebook group with this expanded use of discussion forum In summary, having a strong sense of community within the students is a big predictor of learning outcomes. This has been researched multiple times [7, 8]. Our platform’s usage data of course progress and social interaction activity strongly confirms this research. At a time, a learner who is socially engaged on our platform has usually completed 4 times (Figure 2) course materials than a learner who does not participate in social discussions. This high correlation has been repeated across multiple cohorts. Figure 2: At a snapshot of time course completion rates for learners active on forum vs non active. Apart from the student isolation e-learning content creators and facilitators tend to work in isolation, reflecting and sharing of best practices is minimal[6]. We at UpGrad are aware of this problem, and making sure different program teams collaborate and share solutions to common problems. We do not have complete solution to isolation in learning yet. We as a company are focussed on solving this problem, we are testing out few ideas and are willing to share the results with the community. With these changes we are expecting online learning experience to be more engaging, more involving and eventually pushing up the low completion rates of online learning. These are early days of online education and we have miles to go. Bibliography [1] http://collegequarterly.ca/2007-vol10-num03-summer/rolfe.html [2] Online Social Networks as Formal Learning Environments: Learner Experiences and Activities, The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol 13, No 1 (2012) [3] Tello SF (2007). An analysis of student persistence in online education. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education [4] Herbert, M. (2006). Staying the course: A study in online student satisfaction and retention. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 9(4). [5] Morris, T. A. (2009). Anytime/anywhere online learning: Does it remove barriers for adult learners. In T.Kidd (Ed.), Online education and adult learning: New frontiers for teaching practices. Hershey, PA:IGI Global. [6] Duncan, H & Barnett J (2009) Learning to teach online. [7] Kaulback, B (2015). Learning Together : Community and Network from the perspective of designers of online learning. (Doctoral dissertation) [8] Bernard, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Borokhovski, E., Wade, C. A., Tamim, R. M., Surkes, M. A., & Bethel, E. C. (2009). A meta-analysis of three types of interaction treatments in distance education. Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1243–1289.
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by Ankit Mittal

08 Aug'16
Skill deprivation: Education alone won’t guarantee a job, in-demand skills need of hour

898.95K+

Skill deprivation: Education alone won’t guarantee a job, in-demand skills need of hour

If you are 25 years old, hold a degree in a traditional arts discipline from a well-regarded institute and are looking for a job, you may not be handed one on a platter any time soon. You may be cushioned within the famous Indian demographic that is supposed to yield a ‘dividend,’ but unlike what you’ve been reading everywhere, this does not guarantee you employment. Between 1980 to 2010, 90% of world labour force growth occurred in developing countries and about 500 million new workers emerged in India and China alone (workers went from 260 million to 470 million in India, between this period). India is all set to power most of global growth in labour in the coming years. Enrolment in Indian higher education is 24% right now. With India attaining almost universal elementary education, and increased retention in secondary schools, the projected demand for higher education and jobs will only escalate. India has finally been placed on the world map with a solid advantage where labour supply is concerned. Impacting Education: My Journey and UpGrad It’s not all good news though. Indian millennials are being touted as the future of jobs and the saviours of the working world. But this won’t hold true if in-demand skills are not imparted to the youth entering the workforce. The world of work is changing and industries are transforming. It’s a fact that we are moving towards a massive labour pool, but we are possibly riding a low-skill, low-wage cycle to get there. The country is on a trajectory that involves a surplus of millions of low-skill workers, whereas most nations, including India, will be demanding high-skill workers more and more. Most industries are replacing low-skill jobs with high-skill ones. Skills relating to upcoming technologies in advanced areas – think AI, robotics, data science and mining – are gaining immense relevance. Unfortunately, our education system is not preparing students well enough to enter the workforce as high-skill workers nor equipping them with skills in emerging domains. Curricula is outdated and pedagogy poorly-developed. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable (currently only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable). This applies to all sectors of the economy, as most industries and businesses are adopting new-age technologies and going digital within most functions. There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050! The positive connotation associated with our demographic shift has been taken for granted and assigned the term ‘dividend.’ But if we don’t strategically harness this change, we could easily be faced with a demographic disaster. We don’t want to be stuck in a situation where we have too many job-seekers with inadequate skills, and therefore not enough jobs for them. India is moving workers out of farm jobs at a very fast rate, and this will only add to the burden of providing jobs in other sectors. Realising this, even the government has begun focusing on skill development and training. Creating an entirely new Ministry and launching the Skill India Mission are clear indications of this. Another sign that skill training is gaining momentum is reflected in the growth of the Indian education and skills industry at an average rate of 13% over four years. From Rs 1.21 trillion in 2008 to Rs 2.35 trillion in 2012. However, these measures have not been enough to successfully skill India’s young. Only 2% of the Indian workforce has received some kind of formal skills training so far, and 8% have received informal training. Comparatively, 47% of China’s workforce is skill trained, 52% in USA, 68% in UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Almost half of Indian employers find it difficult to fill jobs and a similar proportion of employed youth suffer from some degree of skill deprivation. By 2050, India will be home to more than a billion jobseekers. This means providing jobs for over 12 million new entrants annually. There is also the challenge of finding jobs for the backlog, which reached 60 million by 2014. The pace of accretion to the labour market will keep increasing, given our demographic profile and declining age-dependency ratio. Our working age population (15-64 years) will peak in 2050 and till then pressures for jobs will only become worse. We need a wake-up call and more concerted efforts towards large-scale skill development and training. We may have a situation of too few high-skill workers and not enough jobs for medium or low-skill workers. This needs to be rectified by adjusting the education and skilling system to ready ourselves for the jobs of tomorrow. Article Source: http://www.firstpost.com/business/skill-deprivation-education-alone-wont-guarantee-a-job-in-demand-skills-need-of-hour-3020568.html
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by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16
Why The Growth Of Higher Education In India Hinges On The Private Sector

5.13K+

Why The Growth Of Higher Education In India Hinges On The Private Sector

For the sake of simplicity, let’s say that the public sector’s role in education can be identified as a three-fold one. Firstly, it is tasked with universalizing access to education. Its next responsibility would be to regulate the sector and finally, to ensure quality education for all. In the context of the access provider role, estimates show that just in terms of physical infrastructure, more than a US $100 billion spends would be required in higher education alone, to double enrollment, from where it stands today (24%). Where regulation is concerned, bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other higher education regulators are in-charge but leave much to be desired in terms of quality checks and monitoring, accreditation, etc. In fact, the UGC merely acts as a grants disbursing body now for universities and colleges, rather than a regulator. This is despite the fact that about 16% of the Ministry’s budget (2016-17) was allocated to UGC. Regarding quality, the government struggles to set standards and measure outcomes. Accreditation in the country is irregular and sub-optimal. In addition, unlike school education, where a certain level of learning outcomes may be gauged, this is difficult to do in higher education – especially assessing employability of a student post completing such education. So is there a role the government should prioritise? Further, because the government is entrusted with these roles, does it necessarily mean that they are its exclusive mandate? Or should the government act as an enabler and allow external participation if it means better execution and a higher success rate? The education and training industry is extremely large today and has strong further growth potential. With total educational spending of $2.7 trillion, the industry accounted for about 4.25% of the world’s GDP in 2010. In India alone, the spending on education and skilling has touched approximately Rs 74,000 crore. This may seem like a daunting figure but is still not sufficient. India spends about 4% of its GDP on all of education (about 1% on higher education), whereas globally the minimum recommended expenditure on education is 6% of GDP. Most of the public expenditure on higher education is used upon salaries and maintaining existing institutions, leaving very little to be spent on curriculum, research, and technology. However, spending on education still has enormous scaling to do and this is where the private sector comes in. Private players will have opportunities from rising demand in segments not well covered by the public education system (like adult education and vocational training). They bring in additional capital and are able to make huge investments, especially when government spending is insufficient and results in substantial infrastructure and investment deficit. For instance, the government had set a target of achieving a 30% enrolment ratio in higher education by 2020. The enrolment ratio currently is 24%. Judging by historical trends, and the current pace of rising enrolments, this target seems difficult to achieve. We may need a better, plan to succeed. Plus, the demand for higher education is only set to accelerate with growing population, higher enrolment as well as retention of students in schools. The private sector could play a crucial role in plugging these gaps and matching demand. In fact, it is already capturing the market in a big way, as can be seen in the adjacent graph. Enrolment in, and share of, private higher education institutions has surpassed that of government institutions (data as on 2013). Even the online education market in India expected to grow to US $40 billion by as soon as 2017. Unlike the education sector, which is legally mandated to operate on a not-for-profit basis, for-profit skill training institutes can be set up. This, coupled with initiatives of the National Skill Development Corporation, has encouraged the private sector to set up vocational training institutes. Corporate interest has also increased in the skill development space because of the benefits that accrue to businesses themselves, in the form of adequately trained manpower as a ready pool for future hiring. Majority of institutions offering professional disciplines are now in the private sector. There is a tendency of the public sector to view the private sector’s involvement in the education space with scepticism. But the private sector is necessary because of its ability to match industry demand for superior skilled manpower. It supplements infrastructure, facilities, technology and pedagogy and has an added advantage of escaping bureaucratic control and retaining autonomy to a large extent. Private players often collaborate with reputed international universities for faculty and other benefits which can be attractive to prospective students. They are also heavily investing in research-based education. As consumers of skilled manpower as well, the private sector is in a position to understand what type of skill training is to be imparted, and eventually benefit from it. This makes skill-training more efficient and effective. All three education-related roles of the government are equally important. However, while regulation should remain outside the purview of the private sector, nothing should stop them from assisting the public sector in maximising enrolments and improving quality of education. Public needs to work with private and create a level-playing field, in order to uplift the overall quality of education. Article Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/mayank-kumar/why-the-growth-of-higher-education-in-india-hinges-on-the-privat/
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by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16