In the last two years technology’s role in our lives have become more prominent and important. Whether it’s work-from-home or work-at-home, through robots among others, the list is never ending. What this means is that as opposed to a decade where youth had limited options when it came to selecting a career, today that list is exhaustive, with emerging technologies such artificial intelligence(AI), machine learning, Internet-of-things (IoT), big data among others. “The scope of AI and related courses are immense. People from any background, whether it’s finance, marketing, agriculture, can opt for artificial intelligence as a profession as these are application-based programmes,” Neetin Desai, Dean – SDSOS, NMIMS University, Mumbai, said, adding that however, these domains are still new in India and lack awareness among students and parents.
India has witnessed a 45% increase in the adoption rate of AI, and about 94% of companies in India believe AI will help generate more opportunities, according to a PwC report, titled ‘AI: An opportunity amidst a crisis, December 2020’. Catering to this growing demand, educational institutions such as the IIT, IIIT Delhi, SRM Institute of Science and Technology now offer degrees as well as online certification courses. For example, IIIT-Delhi started its Centre for Artificial Intelligence in 2016; it has Btech and Mtech programmes in AI.
Data Science is yet another such emerging field. According to the National Association of Software and Services Company (NASSCOM) India’s data science and analytics industry will reach $15 billion by 2025 or be at par with the global data market by 32%, which is worth $2 billion. The primary reason behind this rise is the day-to-day increase in the volume of data generated across industries. As per the World Economic Forum prediction, data analysts and scientists will emerge as a top role in the world. “Students need to be at par with the new domains such as data science, IoT which will take the world further. These programmes are for progressive and futuristic people who know the importance of being industry-ready. After studying these subjects, the students can enter any sector starting from agriculture to technology,” Lovi Raj Gupta, pro-vice-chancellor, Lovely Professional University, said. Some of the emerging professions within data science include big data engineer, data engineer, data architect, machine learning engineer, data scientist, among others.
Next in line is the sector called IoT other Internet-of-things which combines many industries and thereby provides an opportunity to develop many new age skills. “It is a combination of smart electronic devices such as sensors, electronic equipment, camera, internet, cloud servers, a software application, among others. Wearable IoT devices such as smartwatches and wristbands which show our heartbeat and blood pressure are examples of IoT. IoT is being used across various industry sectors. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global IoT market is projected to grow from $381.30 billion in 2021 to $1,854.76 billion in 2028, thereby growing at a CAGR of 25.4%,”Andrew Thangaraj, professor and coordinator, NPTEL-IIT Madras, explained. According to him, IIT Madras has seen year-on-year growth in the number of certified learners in all the three domains.
And this is just the tip of the ice-berg. As per India Skills 2020 report, the median age of India’s population stood at 26.8 years old. While 45.9% of the Indian youth are employed while 85.92% are in search of internships to kickstart their careers. It is believed that emerging technologies will help in broadening the scope of new-age professions.