Byte of the pie

We live in an age of information overload. Our computer systems often crash because of it. But such are the demands of this era that we have to forever stay connected with the world-on phone or on the Net, and sometimes both. That is why, careers in Information Technology (IT) and telecom have become so popular.

Everyone wants to cash in on them. As India's economy moves forward, so does the scope of this industry. According to an estimate by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India added 113.26 million new customers in 2008, the largest globally.

The country's cellular base witnessed close to 50 per cent growth in 2008, adding an average 9.5 million customers every month. This would translate into 612 million mobile subscribers, which means around 51 per cent tele-density by 2012. It is projected that the industry will generate revenues worth $43 billion in 2009-10.

The boom in the IT industry in the last decade has put India on the world map of technology. And now, the government has further plans to give further impetus, with the help of R&D in this sector, to become a significant player in the global knowledge economy.

Telecommunications-the science of images, signals and sounds-is poised to take a greater leap in the years to come. As rural India gets added to the customer base, the need for telecom engineers is only going to grow. "Services like 3G and WiMax have made telecom a lucrative career option.

Their introduction in India has come at an opportune time," says Amit Bansal, a student of telecom engineering. He says he expects a minimum starting package of about `4 lakh per annum. And thanks to the growing demand of trained telecom professionals, many engineering colleges are offering courses in this field, both at undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

A telecom engineer has two segments to choose from: Fixed Line services and Cellular services, though wireless technology has only increased its ambit. In the former sector, the state in the form of MTNL and BSNL is the major player though many private companies have expanded in the field.

However, it is the cellular services that have more to offer, both in terms of job satisfaction and growth. New companies are finding their feet and are on a recruitment drive, especially among freshers. "We can pick and choose at our own discretion. Lot of options are available in the market now, better than the job scene even two years ago," asserts Bansal.

The telecom sector in India is expected to be a largest generator of employment in the years to come- and this is true for both direct and indirect employment. There are opportunities at every level-be it telecom software engineers or telecom equipment designers, there is an entry gate at every level.

According to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the sector has been growing between 20 and 40 per cent since the past three years. And with Internet telephony picking the thread of communication, IT and telecom are crossing each other's paths like never before.

The IT sector may have been a popular career choice since ages, but it never fails to throw up newer options. According to NASSCOM, Indian IT exports are expected to reach $173 billion by 2020, of which the domestic sector will account for $49 billion. "Though IT has never been as popular as software or electronics engineering, we are getting more students now. Information storage and management, networking, hardware services are attracting students," says Aastha Sharma, who teaches the subject in a Delhi school. Sharma also points out the fact that India is an information technology outsourcing haven due to its low labour costs and high technical knowhow.

She is confident that despite all the noises about outsourcing being discouraged in countries worldwide, India's charm in the IT sector will continue to sway the world. Hardware professionals and network administrators are in great demand in IT, software and web hosting companies. There are web developers in this sector too who are raking in the moolah. Their job is to build and design eye-catching websites to suit the needs of the customers.

Then there is research and development, which right now is in a very nascent stage in the country though the government has identified it as the next big thing for growth in the sector. In India the demand for hardware is fuelled by a variety of drivers which include the high growth rate of the economy, the emergence of a vast domestic market catering to the GenNext and the thriving middle-class populace with increasing disposable incomes, with relatively low-cost work force and advanced technical skills. And the growth potential of this sector is all set to increase as the government gives nod to information technology-special economic zones in states like Orissa to bring them at par with the rest of the country.

One can get into this field after doing MCA or BE/B.Tech in IT or hardware engineering. But those who do not have those qualifications can choose from a variety of courses offered by various private computer training institutes like the NIITs. Many of these courses are short,ranging from about three months to a year. To be a web developer, you need to know the basics of Java, Flash, Dreamweaver and other such softwares as well as have a basic sense of aesthetics.

On an average, a fresher IT engineer can expect a starting salary of about Rs 20,000 per month. For a web developer and a hardware engineer, the salary packages are similar- about Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per month. As the country prepares to take the world by storm, both information technology and telecom sectors will take up a considerable amount of space in India's development story.

Courtesy: India Today

Institutes Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, ww.iitd.ac.in Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, www.iitkgp.ernet.in National Institute of Information and Technology Delhi, www.niituniversity.in Birla Institute of Technology Pilani, www.bits-pilani.ac.in Starting salary Ranges from Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000 per month An information technology engineer can earn Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 p.m. A web developer can earn between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 p.m. A hardware engineer can earn between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 p.m.