Bengaluru, 15 July: Upskilling in key technology domains can increase possibilities of salary hikes by 20-30 per cent in metro cities and 15-20 per cent in tier-II & III cities.

According to HR consultancy firm- NLB Services, engineers recognize the necessity of acquiring new, specialized skills to meet employer expectations in an evolving job market as job insecurity rises among professionals.

“A recent report indicates that only 29 per cent of Indian fresh graduates in white-collar jobs feel secure about retaining their positions in FY25. Professionals in the IT, telecom, and tech sectors, especially those with engineering degrees, consider upskilling important for their careers. The study shows that the highest intention to upskill in FY25 is among professionals in manufacturing, engineering, capital goods, and BFSI sectors,” Sachin Alug, CEO of NLB Services said.

The HR consultancy firm said that Bengaluru and Chennai lead in upskilling initiatives in terms of cities in India, followed by Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad. Similarly, fresh talent from tier 2 and 3 cities is increasingly enrolling in upskilling courses as the availability of various online programmes increase.

Popular upskilling areas include data analytics, machine learning, cybersecurity, banking and wealth management, digital marketing, robotics, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, the report said.

“These programmes can lead to a salary increase of 20-30 per cent in metro cities and 15-20 per cent in tier 2 and 3 cities. Gender diversity in upskilling shows that 20-25 per cent of women in IT are actively involved in these upskilling programmes, though 30-35 per cent feel under confident due to a lack of training in advanced technologies like generative AI, robotics, and cloud computing,” the report noted.

By 2025, AI is expected to contribute up to $500 billion to India’s GDP, potentially reaching $967 billion by 2035.

“In order to succeed in the AI-driven future, a proactive strategy for continuous learning and upskilling is required; otherwise, India may experience instability owing to insufficient upskilling in the IT sector, particularly in AI,” NLB Services said.