Indian telecom industry’s talent demand-supply gap at 2.41 million, to jump 3.8 times by 2030

India has emerged as the fastest nation to rollout 5G network in the world, but at the same time the telecom industry is facing severe talent crunch. Currently, the telecom demand-supply gap is at 2.41 million, which is expected to jump to 3.8 times by 2030, says a report released by Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC). 

The report, ‘Telecom Talent in 5G Era: Demand Supply Skill Gap Report 2023-24’ by TSSC, India’s premier skill development institution for the telecom sector, in association with Draup, says a key challenge lies in the fact that only 40% of India’s graduates in computer science, IT, and math are employable in the technology sector due to the mismatch between academic requirements and industry demands. 

Arvind Bali, CEO of TSSC, said, “The telecom sector is the third-largest industry in India that accounts for roughly 6.5% of all FDI inflow and also by 2027, India is anticipated to account for 11% of all 5G subscriptions worldwide. India has a good chance to close the growing Demand-Supply gap by 2030 with the proper reskilling and hiring strategies that target adjacent talent in Tier-II & III cities and university supply. We are elated to launch this report, which gives a clear view of the current state of the sector and the possibilities ahead for the industry in terms of the potential workforce that we can leverage to narrow the growing demand-supply gap”. 

The total number of employees in the Indian telecom industry is currently 11.59 million, with 2.95 million corporate and 8.24 million blue-collar employees. The demand-supply skill gap report further highlights that across 15 top streams, Network Operation and Maintenance and Project Engineering have the most corporate talent, while Network Operation and Maintenance and Sales and Distribution - Service Segment have the most Blue-Collar talent.  

It is estimated that India will require 22 million skilled workers in 5G-focused industries by 2025, in areas such as cloud computing, robots, and the Internet of Things (IoT). India is the only country expected to have a skilled labour surplus, with 1.3 million workers in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) sector by 2030. 

As technology moves into the Web 3.0 era, the proportion of software in the telecom sector will triple. Trends also indicate that, with the help of AI, and even more powerful 6G Network Technologies will emerge by 2023 and by harnessing the value of IoT & RPA, AI/ML, Metaverse, and 6G, telecom and tech industry stand to reach new heights. 

To address the shortage, Atul Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “The telecom industry, with its vast potential, demands specialized skills and continuous upgradation. Engaging the industry, we’re fostering on-the-job training, internships, and apprenticeships, aligning our skilling efforts with the latest standards. In anticipation of the upcoming 6G era, our focus remains on aligning our skilling initiatives with cutting-edge technologies, ensuring a workforce ready for the future of telecom.” 

Even industry leaders have called for collaboration and concerted efforts to bridge the gap.