Another round of job loss looms for mid-level IT employees

AI-based project management tools can eventually reduce the dependency on project managers   -  istock.com

AI increasingly taking over the role of project managers in software firms

Mid-level IT employees in the software services sector could be staring at another round of job losses as Artificial Intelligence (AI) takes over their roles, especially in the area of project management.

In the $167-billion Indian IT industry, project managers constitute 5-7 per cent of the 3.8-million workforce. Though all of them may not be rendered redundant, a large chunk of them might struggle to retain their jobs because of the increasing role played by AI.

Role of project managers

Project managers play a key role as they are in charge of a specific project or projects within an organisation. Typically, their job entails ensuring that projects are completed on time, carrying out analyses across a range of projects from maintenance to application development, giving updates on the status of projects, and sharing insights on the number of people required for the project and other factors such as kind of expertise needed, explained AV Sridhar, CEO and co-founder of Digité, Inc, an application lifecycle management company.

All that can change quickly. Project management tools, which have been gathering data over decades and now have an AI layer as well, may eventually reduce the dependency on project managers, making many of their roles redundant.

“In effect, what this means is that the machines will do a majority of our tasks,” said Syed M, a project manager with one of the top 10 outsourcing companies in Bengaluru.

Most project management products show a rear-view mirror image of projects. Companies now look for technology to predict and enhance employee productivity, said Kris Lakshmikanth, CEO, Headhunters India.

The top five software majors — TCS, Infosys, HCL Tech, Wipro and Cognizant — work on 9,000–12,000 projects. While companies do not provide granular data on how many project mangers are deployed for each of these projects, industry watchers believe a project typically requires between three and seven such managers depending on the complexity and the value.

Cost-saving tech

AI’s benefits can be gauged from a Deloitte case study, which said that with technology, a bank can expect to save $40 million in three years as the use of automation is directly linked to margin improvements, 70 per cent cost reduction (against employing people), and higher productivity.

According to Vasumathi, President of Forum for IT Employees (FITE), Chennai chapter, the association does back the use of technology as the nature of jobs changes rapidly. “However, we believe that the benefits (which companies accrue from technology) are not shared with employees,” she said.

According to FITE data, around 60,000 employees in the technology sector were forcibly asked to leave in 2017.

But according to industry body Nasscom, around 1.8 lakh jobs were added in 2018, which opens up the debate of whether employees made redundant by technological advancement should be allowed to go or retained because of their age profile.

Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/another-round-of-job-loss-looms-for-mid-level-it-employees/article26514653.ece (Accessed on 13 March, 2019)

Industrial growth slows down in January, inflation hits a 4- month high

 NEW DELHI: Industrial growth slipped in January, failing to build on modest recovery in the month before while consumer inflation inched up in February though remaining well below the central bank’s target, strengthening the case for another rate cut in the next monetary policy review. Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose to a four-month high of 2.57% from 1.97% in January, data released by the statistics office on Tuesday showed.
The simultaneously released Index of Industrial Production (IIP) showed a 1.7% rise in industrial output in January. Industrial growth was 2.6% in December, revised upward from 2.4% estimated initially. Retail inflation has stayed below the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) medium-term target of 4% for the seventh straight month and has opened up the possibility of more rate cuts as industrial growth remains tepid. “With inflation remaining below RBI’s target, inflationary expectations declining and growth profile weakening, RBI may frontload its monetary easing in the beginning of FY20,” said Devendra Kumar Pant, chief economist, India Ratings. The RBI last month lowered the benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points, its first rate cut in 17 months. Poor Start to the Fourth Quarter One basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point......

To read the full article, visit
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/industrial-growth-slows-down-in-january-inflation-hits-a-4-month-high/printarticle/68384387.cms (Accessed on 13 March, 2019)

करुया पुस्तकांचे आदान प्रदान

Source: Maharashtra Times dated 13 March, 2019

Vacancy in St. Francis Institute of Technology for Workshop Instructor, Workshop Attendant and Lab Assistant

Source: Loksatta dated 13 March, 2019

The teachers who are learning a lot

Teach India’s volunteers feel rewarded when they see the difference they have made to their students’ lives

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

‘He who can, does. He who can’t, teaches,’’ is a saying often used to dismiss those in the teaching profession. Yet Teach India initiative proves that even author George Bernard Shaw could be wrong sometimes. Among the illustrious list of people who volunteer their time for teaching in the programme are corporate executives, homemakers and entrepreneurs who have never taught before.

Like Gurugram-based Pooja Widhani who works in a garment-buying house and has more than 20 years of experience working with international brands. “I had held meetings, travelled the world but never taught. My son said ‘Mom give it a shot’, and I did,’’ she recalls. That was 2014. From training a batch of 20 students Pooja has moved on to training and mentoring teachers for the Gurgaon and south Delhi region.

Despite long years in the corporate sector, the fact that 20 lives were in her hands was a responsibility that made her nervous. The turning point came when 80% got a job. One student touched her feet and said that she had changed his life. “That changed my life. It motivated me so much and has made me feel better about myself than all those fancy jobs I have held over the years.’’ The Teach India campaign this year is in partnership with the American Express and will impact the lives of 1,400 learners who will be given training in communication and English to improve their employability.

Launched in 2010, the programme has had significant success. It has so far trained 80,000 learners over the last eight years. Of these, 52,800 learners have secured jobs. The programme aims to reach 100,000 learners by 2020.

This has been due to the earnestness of people like Pooja Widhani and Pradeep Jain. Jain, 58, spent more than three decades working in operations as a senior VP. After a hectic career, he was looking for a change. “I started working with Teach India in 2014. My thinking has changed a lot since then. I started working with an NGO for differently abled children near Bhikaji Cama Place, as well as an NGO in Mehrauli in a Muslim-dominated area,” he says. He hadn’t seen that kind of poverty before. “You read about it, but it’s a completely different experience to see the reality of it.”

He convinced his wife Jyotsna to join Teach India as well. “My husband would tell me how much he enjoys it, and how content he feels doing this work. I was inspired by him and decided to become a part of it,” says the 63-year-old homemaker-turned- teacher. “Recently, I’ve been working with a Gurugram-based NGO that teaches women who are homemakers. The experience has changed my life.’’ Pradeep Jain adds, “Seeing the willingness of these children to learn and make something of themselves against all odds has been an inspiration.”

More recent volunteers include Gurugram-based designer Aakriti Verma, who joined Teach India in 2016, soon after completing her graduation in apparel export in the UK. “I had just set up my brand and was struggling to establish it,” says Verma, 26. “It was busy but I thought the starting point of my career was the right time to volunteer and it could help me bring a fresh energy to what I did.”

Since then, Verma has worked with NGO Sahyog, Gurugram Traffic Police and Indian Army jawans’ wives. She says the sessions have also helped her become more confident in her professional life. “I have to talk to a lot of people as part of my work, and when you talk to so many people on stage, you become fearless,” says Verma.

She also forged a personal bond with students, and says the programme offered her an opportunity to interact with people she would’ve otherwise never met. “For example, we don’t really interact with the police,” she says. She continues to be in touch with many of her students, such as a Gurugram policeman who tells her how learning spoken English has helped him figure out when people are making fun of him. “Many still call to wish me on my birthday. Even if I’ve made a small difference to someone, it’s been worth it,” she says.

LEARNING CURVE: Volunteers from diverse backgrounds ranging from corporate executives to homemakers are part of the Teach India initiative

Source: The Times of India dated 13 March, 2019

Vacancy in St. Francis Institute of Technology for Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor

Source: The Times of India (Ascent) dated 13 March, 2019 

IOT India Congress 2019 to be held on August 22-23

It will include tracks on segments such as healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, smart cities and agriculture

The Internet of Things (IoT) India Congress, an event which will see digital technology leaders converge to discuss and explore business opportunities in mainstreaming IoT, will be held in Bengaluru on August 22-23, 2019.

The IoT India Congress 2019 will include tracks on segments such as healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, smart cities, energy, retail, cyber security, skills and development, IoT Standards, legal and regulatory, and agriculture.

To read the full article, visit:

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/iot-india-congress-2019-to-be-held-on-august-22-23/article26507640.ece (Accessed on 13 March, 2019)