India Today – August 13, 2018

52 INDIA TODAY AUGUST 13, 2018

India’s demographic dividend will not
last long if we as a nation do not keep
pace with next-generation technology
skills or Digital Skills. It is a choice
India has to make now, whether as
a nation it wants to lead the digital
revolution or be a follower.
We are looking at a future where
physical and digital lines blur to
enable an all-pervasive connected ex-
perience. This engaged worldview will
not only require reskilling of human
resources to front the digital revolu-
tion but also bring to the fore human-
machine collaboration, where robots
and drones will need reskilling as well
as upskilling. Jobs will certainly be
created, but in new areas. Deep learn-
ing, unlearning and adapting to a new
normal will hold the key to the success
of individuals and nations.
Disruptive technologies like
Augmented Virtual Reality, Block-
chain, Cyber Security, Artificial

Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning,

5G and Internet of Things have been

unleashed in the digital realm; it is up

to us to ride the exponential growth

wave they offer. Using these technolo-

gies innovatively will need a tremen-

dous amount of expertise. It is in this

context that India and the world at

large are staring at a widening digital

skill gap.

IS THERE A DIGITAL

SKILL GAP?

A recent report by global research and

advisory firm Gartner points out that

almost 60 per cent of Indian com-

panies, while gearing up to boosting

their data and analytics capabilities,

are facing a severe challenge with

non-availability of talent. The recent

NITI Aayog National Strategy for

Artificial Intelligence states that the

country will have a demand-supply

gap of almost 200,000 data analysts

in a couple of years.

It is imperative to understand the

nuances of the skill gap in India’s IT

and digital industry. Not all reasons

are technical—the ability to under-

stand business problems, articulate,

collaborate, co-innovate and co-create

have never been more relevant than in

the current shifting sands of technol-

ogy and its usage worldwide. A few

things that need immediate attention:

lFuture skills supply gap. The supply

of required skill sets is out of sync

with market demand. We are still pro-

ducing engineers with the same skills

as we did a few years back. IT jobs are

increasingly becoming automated

and call for different skill sets, such as

in the fields of Robotics, Automation,

AI and Machine Learning. A high-

quality market-aligned workforce is

the need of the hour.

lBusiness skills gap. Understanding

business problems, solving complex

issues and critical thinking are a

prerequisite in the digital era where

solutions are time- and space-agnos-

tic. People skills and emotional intel-

ligence will be crucial to be part of a

society based on ‘evolved intelligence

and collaborative disruption’.

lLearning and unlearning skills.

Every day I meet young and bright

minds; many of them actually reverse

mentor me to stay relevant to the

needs and thought processes of Gen

Next. One of the key messages I

have for young friends is ‘learn fast,

unlearn faster’. Today, professionals

across sectors are expected to apply

domain and digital expertise to solve

business problems. The rules for the

future workforce have changed.

THE RE-SKILLING

REVOLUTION

According to a recent report by FICCI,

NASSCOM and EY, 9 per cent of

THE WIDENING

SKILL DIVIDE

EDUCATION SPECIAL

In a future where machines will increasingly replace

humans, the existing work force needs reskilling

and upskilling, not just to follow but to lead

I

C.P. GURNANI