It was in the late 1970, the nascent stages of IT revolution was spreading across the globe. The mainframe monopoly had just ended and broken with robust online transaction processing available on super mini computers running multi user, multi processing systems. The Personal Computer revolution had begun with MS DOS and windows from pioneers like IBM, Microsoft and Apple. Subsequent evolutions in the network and advent of internet meant paradigm shift in the way of computing and hence software development and deployment. Computing and Computers moved out of closed enclosures called computer rooms/data centers to desktops and even to homes.
With distributed computing and connectivity via networks (also internet), it was expected, that the demand for software applications would explode and there would be opportunities for companies specializing in customized software development. While looking for cost optimized solutions and large pool of trained man power India was in an ideal position to exploit the situation.
This was adequately proved while tiding over Y2K problem in the late 1990s. Many Indian companies contributed immensely and in the process made a mark for themselves, thus putting India firmly on the world IT map.
Indian IT industry has gained worldwide acceptance as a growing hub of high quality IT services and solution provider. Analysts and experts are upbeat about the huge potential of growth in the IT industry in India. NASSCOM strategic review report shows the current IT BPO landscape of USD 88 Billion (FY 2011) is expected to grow by USD 250 Billion at the end of this decade. Despite gaining recognition for its readily available talent, broad portfolio of IT services and high customer focus, the industry has not been acknowledged as a hot bed of innovation.
Being engulfed by lot of such challenges, we need to stay ahead of the competition by adding better value for money to our customers through reliable, robust, low cost and high quality products, services and solutions. Because, today's customers are more demanding than ever and no longer accept products with glitches, time delay on delivery and cost overrun.
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In order to attain and maintain these factors, today's organizations must shore up and strengthen their human resources. As per the data from a large IT organization, huge investments are being made which may vary in the range of US $34000 to US $110,000 per annum and the focus is also shifting towards engaging employees to understand the customer's customer and becoming deployable from being employable.
However, such huge training costs can be controlled by systematically inculcating and inducting the fresh graduates through Industry and academia collaboration. i.e. students have to be trained on emerging technologies and business areas rather than coached to focus only on typical curriculum. Academic projects, technical and soft skills development, sheer class room lectures to application of technical knowledge, academic qualification to additional certifications, aligning curriculum to the industry expectations and by bringing industrialists/industry experts on the academic lecture hall to bring in industry trends (Remember the "Summer Internships", "Industry Visits", "Final year projects" strengthen and revitalize them, they are the foundation of the industry connect programs. For this we will need close cooperation between the academia and Industry with investment from both).
To sum up, despite the unprecedented economic downturn, the industry will witness sustainable growth. Companies are trying to adopt a culture that encourages innovation, embrace new trends and deliver solutions that are focused on re-engineering and transformation.
About the Author
Chandrakumar Raman – Lead Quality of HP Chennai and Hyderabad Centers and drives Quality initiatives. He has 21 years of experience which includes stint in IBM and WIPRO . He is an Engineering graduate with a PG Diploma in Mgt with a Master Black belt and currently leads the Lean sigma initiative at HP. He has Software Quality Engineering for ME students at Anna university .He is current President of SPIN Chennai and Program Chair of ASQ Chennai and also he member in board of studies of ICTAT