Introduction
Software engineering has become a smart career with lucrative salaries and perks. As the generation is increasingly surrounded by technology, the demand for software engineers has grown tremendously. The future of software engineering is bright as more companies want more workforce in the software department to deal with the technology field.
However, looking at the number of individuals pursuing software engineering, many people wonder, ‘Will software engineering be needed in the future in such a vast amount or not’? The Bureau of Labour Statistics predicts a steep 22% increase in the jobs for software engineers from the year 2020 to 2030.
Let’s have a closer look at the future of software engineering!
Overview of the Software Engineering Industry in India
The demand for software engineers has started growing mostly in the past two decades. The scope of software engineering is widening day by day, and it is considered to be one of the most booming careers in the world at present. Software engineering development has shown steady growth for a long time, and it will continue to be in the future. In fact, statistics claim that India is soon to replace the USA with the largest developer population in the country by 2024.
Current State of the Industry
As per the reports by Opportunity Desk, the demand for software engineering has grown up to 17% in the year 2023. This clearly indicates that the future of software engineering holds a lot of potential. Software engineering is a very stable profession in India and other parts of the world, as every sector and industry takes software professionals on board. Software engineers generate more effective and accurate data and develop the necessary software.
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Emerging Trends in Software Engineering
The technological world is undergoing an unstoppable evolution. To become a successful engineer, it is necessary to master some trends for the future. To learn the required skills and be updated with the emerging trends, consider signing up for upGrad’s Fullstack Software Development Bootcamp. The following are the emerging trends in software engineering:
- Artificial Intelligence: AI is used in almost every aspect of companies, and it is bound to impact software engineering as well. Artificial intelligence allows software engineers to collect the best data and easily squeeze out information from it.
- Cloud services: Cloud is enormously used in organisations today to store data and helps solve data backup problems. Cloud computing is essential for the study of software engineering as it is going to create a big impact in the future.
- Blockchain technology: Blockchain technology is majorly affecting the banking and financial industry. Blockchain technology uses specialised tools and techniques. Hence software engineers are required in almost every sector to manage software that is blockchain oriented. Software engineers should be equipped with the knowledge of blockchain technology and its related software to sustain in the industry.
Technology Advancements in India
India has undergone significant technological changes, and today new technologies are emerging. Some of the major technological advancements in India are listed as follows:
- Metaverse: Metaverse is a technological advancement that has been widely implemented in the travel industry. It allows users to digitally tour a hotel by creating three-dimensional images. Software engineers are required to handle such technology so that people can use it to their advantage.
- Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity is essential in every organisation nowadays to prevent sensitive data from security threats and cyber-attacks. Companies hire software professionals to ensure that data is protected and that new methods are sought to increase security standards.
- IoT: The Internet of Things is one of the largest growing technologies in India that brings wearable or non-wearable devices to implement across different aspects of human lives. From creating health-tracking watches to producing smart household items that collect data to deliver optimum performance, the examples can be easily found in our daily lives.
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Job Market Growth for Software Engineers
The future of software development is experiencing exponential growth across the world. Software engineers have one of the highest placement rates in India, which is 93.5% and have witnessed an enormous salary hike of 120% from 2021 to 2023. It has also been revealed in a leading daily that India is going to see a vacancy of 12 million software engineering jobs in the next five years. The hiring for engineering jobs has already increased, and companies have made it a top priority.
Skills Required for Future Software Engineering Jobs
Having strong technical and analytical skills is a major requirement for software engineers. Here is a list of skills required for future software engineers to make it big in the industry:
- Strong computer programming and coding skills, including Java, C++, Python etc.
- Decent amount of software architecture skills.
- Equipped with the skills of software testing.
Challenges Faced by the Industry in India
With emerging technologies come new challenges. Problems of understanding complex technologies and finding ways to incorporate them into daily operations effectively. To become a successful software engineer and have a competitive advantage over your contemporaries, sign up for the Master of Science in Computer Science course by upGrad.
But first, let’s navigate the challenges faced by the software engineering industry in India:
- Establishing an effective project infrastructure to meet deadlines and the stipulated budget.
- Keeping up with the development of dynamic project trends and attaining the expected outcome.
- Reviewing the codes and generating quality-assured software products.
- Identification of defects in the development stage of a project.
- Integrating operations and updating the management with the latest market trends.
Possible Solutions to Overcome Challenges
Here is a list of possible solutions that will help software engineers and developers to overcome the major issues:
- Software engineers may perform user acceptance testing in the pre-production environment during the development stage of a project.
- The project development team should ensure that the project’s outcomes are in accordance with the expectations and objectives of the same.
- Software developers should incorporate only those procedures that meet quality standards and generate effective output.
- The software developers must plan the project’s test cycles according to the users’ conditions and requirements.
- Software developers should constantly upskill themselves to highlight positive insights in the global market.
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The Impact of Outsourcing on the Future of Software Engineering in India
Outsourcing software engineering services in India has established some clear business advantages. Some of the major advantages of outsourcing software engineering in India are enumerated as follows:
- Rapid outsourcing is fueling the focus on skills development in the country.
- Increased access to enhanced digital solutions to better assimilate and comprehend tech advancements.
- Outsourcing will further enable aspirants to look for lucrative opportunities in Western countries.
- Encouraging national organisations to boost efficiency and meet global market standards to keep pace with the trends.
Government Initiatives to Boost the Software Engineering Industry
The Government of India has taken various steps to promote the software engineering industry and information technology services in the country. The major government initiative is stated as follows:
- Software Technology Parks of India Scheme: The Software Technology Parks of India, in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, have initiated this scheme to specifically increase the export of software development services using communication links. INR. 5.02 lakh crore was the export unit for the year 2020-2021.
- Special Economic Zones (SEZ): The SEZ Act 2005 and SEZ rules support the simplification of procedures in relation to facilitating the export of goods and services, promotion of FDI and creation of infrastructure for increasing economic growth. The export unit for the year 2020-2021 was Rs. 5.1 lakh crore.
- National Policy on Software Products-2019: This policy has been approved by the government of India to establish India as a hub of software products driven by commercialisation, innovative startups, sustainable intellectual property and so on. The aim is to establish a strong ecosystem for the production of Indian software products, which will result in increased employment and the country’s global position.
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Conclusion
Software engineering is a vast and rapidly growing industry, and its demand will only rise in the coming years. Individuals interested in the technical field can definitely consider software engineering as it is a booming career option.
The future of software engineering is very bright as the salary packages are also increasing every year depending upon the skills of software professionals. If you are an interested software professional and want to build a core skill set, upGrad’s Executive Post-graduation Programme in Software Development- Specialization in Fullstack Development is the best course for you. The world requires software engineers to keep up with the latest trends in the industry, and this program equips aspirants with the same!