IT workers can expect biggest pay rises in India in 2022
IT and the life science are the sectors most likely to give the highest pay increases this year, according to a survey of Indian businesses by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India. Fintech, IT-product companies, and digital and e-commerce organizations are also expected to give double-digit increments.
The study found that the increments in fiscal year 2022-23 will be higher across all major sectors, compared to even the pre-pandemic level in FY2019-20. Almost all organizations are planning to give increments in FY2022-23: the average increment in India is expected to go up to 9.1% in FY2022-23 from 8% in FY2021-22.
India outlines national strategy to boost 3D printing
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) has set out a national strategy on additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, that is intended to give a major boost to development and use of the technology in India’s manufacturing and industrial production landscape through digital processes, communication, imaging, architecture, and engineering.
The innovation and R&D ecosystem for this will be encouraged through private-public partnerships to develop indigenous manufacturing of 3D printers, printable materials, and 3D-printed products. This will cater to the domestic and international market in various sectors including electronics, photonics, medical device, agriculture, and food processing.
The government hopes the new strategy will add $1 billion to the country’s GDP by 2025 by creating 100 new startups, 10 existing and new manufacturing sectors, and one lakh new skilled workers.
Ukraine-Russian crisis casts shadow over IT service industry
India’s IT giants are paying close attention to how the crisis in Ukraine is unfolding, and the potential effect it could have on them and their customers. One in five Fortune 500 companies relies on Ukraine’s IT outsourcing sector, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
While Indian service providers don’t have a big presence in Ukraine, they do operate in neighboring Poland, Romania, and Hungary, as well as other Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic.
There is also a cyberwar going on between Russia and the Ukraine, so organizations should level up their cybersecurity defense mechanisms to protect themselves from any fallout. An attack on a hosting provider in Ukraine could impact any organization anywhere in the world that is dependent on it.
Analyst research firm ISG told the Economic Times that cyber risks have increased significantly outside Ukraine, and that all enterprises should be prepared, whether they use Eastern Europe as a technology delivery location or not.
Global IT firms concerned about India’s data protection bill
Technology groups including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Google, and Dell have written to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to express their concern about the recommendations of the joint committee of parliament on India’s data protection bill, according to a report by the Economic Times.
They said the recommendations run counter to global standards and asked Meity to launch additional stakeholder consultations before introducing the bill. Their key concerns are around the inclusion of non-personal data in the bill’s scope, restrictions on cross-border data transfers, data localization obligations, and mandatory certification for IoT hardware and AI software. The companies also claimed that the committee’s recommendation to develop an indigenous alternative to the international SWIFT banking system will have a detrimental impact on India’s digital payments ecosystem.
Infosys considers strategy of growth through acquisition
After years of growing organically, Infosys is considering a strategy of growth through acquisition, CEO Salil Parekh told Busienss Today. The company will look to expand through acquisition in some geographies and verticals, Parekh said. He mentioned his interest in deepening the company’s cloud capabilities.
Infosys has a strong presence in North America but needs to expand in Eastern Europe and Australia, one analyst told BT. Another pointed out that past Infosys buyouts have been capability-based, pointing to how its acquisitions of Fluido, Brilliant Basics, Simplus, Stater, and Blue Acorn have given it a start in the automotive industry.