The report by Gallup, commissioned by AWS, shows workers in India, who use advanced digital skills, contribute an estimated $507.9 Billion to India’s annual GDP
A detailed report conducted by Gallup and commissioned by Amazon Web Services (AWS), shows workers in India, who use advanced digital skills – including cloud architecture or software development – contribute an estimated $507.9 Billion to India’s annual GDP (gross domestic product). This is attributed to the 92 percent higher salaries that these workers earn compared to those with a similar education who do not use digital skills at work.
The report titled ‘Asia-Pacific Digital Skills Study: The Economic Benefits of a Tech-Savvy Workforce’, examined how building a technology-enabled workforce has significant benefits for workers, organizations, and the economy. The study found that advanced digital workers in India are benefitting from more than just a boost in their income. Over 91 percent of workers who use advanced digital skills express higher job satisfaction, compared to 74 percent of workers with intermediate skills and 70 percent of workers with basic digital skills.
Some 2,005 working adults and 769 employers were surveyed in India across a variety of public and private sector organizations and industries. The study classifies basic digital skills as the ability to use email, word processors, other office productivity software, and social media. Intermediate digital skills include drag-and-drop website design, troubleshooting applications, and data analysis. Advanced digital skills include cloud architecture or maintenance, software or application development, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning.
“As the Gallup research shows, India has the opportunity to seize immense economic benefits from building a strong pipeline of cloud talent to support the country’s ongoing digital transformation. AWS is working with organizations such as Tech Mahindra Foundation, Perfios, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to help bridge the digital skills gap. AWS has trained more than four million people with basic, intermediate, and advanced cloud skills in India since 2017, and our work doesn’t stop here,” said Amit Mehta, Head of Training and Certification, AWS India Pvt Ltd.
“Digital skills drive tremendous gains for individuals, organizations, and economies, which is why AWS is committed to expanding our digital skills training programs for workers and employers across India. We are excited to continue to collaborate with local public and private sector employers to help them upskill and reskill their employees, and take full advantage of the cloud to accelerate their business growth, productivity, and innovation,” added Mehta.
Gallup Principal Economist, Dr. Jonathan Rothwell, said, “People in India are increasingly going digital, from the way they work to the way they live. This research shows that digital skills provide immense economic value to India at the individual, organizational, and macroeconomic level. “As more organizations move their IT to the cloud over the next decade and new technologies emerge, digitization is going to fuel a vast number of new jobs. The opportunity for India to be competitive in the digital economy depends on having a robust and highly skilled workforce to support current and future innovations,” elaborated Rothwell.
Also, employers that rely heavily on advanced digitally-skilled workers, digital technology, and cloud technology reap higher business growth and innovation. The study found that 21 percent of Indian organizations that run most of their business on the cloud report a doubling of annual revenue or more, compared to 9 percent of those that use the cloud for some or none of their business. Cloud-based organizations are also 15 percentage points more likely to have introduced a new or improved product within the last two years (95 percent vs 80 percent).
With many organizations now preparing for the challenges of a digital future, the Gallup study looked at 10 emerging technologies including AI, edge and quantum computing, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. Over 92 percent of employers in India say at least one of these technologies is likely to become a standard part of their future business operations, with 5G ranking the highest at 78 percent.
“The shortage of tech talent is a global phenomenon. While it is good that India has the lowest tech talent demand-supply gap among the top tech locations, it is imperative for individuals and organizations to continue to invest in digital skills training, as technology will be the key differentiator when it comes to leading the world in innovation and digital transformation. Greater recognition of certifications can ease hiring challenges and there is a growing movement to shift from a pedigree-based hiring model to a skills-first model. The AWS Gallup Report correctly highlights the need for organizations to focus on a skills-based approach and work together to empower people with digital skills,” said Kirti Seth, CEO, Sector Skills Council, NASSCOM.
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