Time to go digital

Gauri Chhabra
The Digital India programme will open new career avenues with 1.7 crore jobs in the
next four years. Here are some profiles that you should be equipped for if you want a
bigger slice of this pie.

Over the past few days, all Indians have been living a dream a dream of Digital
India brought to the fore by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
Even though some claim it as old wine in new bottle, the IT fraternity, the
corporates, and the rural India have hailed it.
It is intended to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge
economy.
The project, slated for completion by 2019, is a vision based on three key areas.
The first is to make various utilities available to the citizens through cutting-edge
digital infrastructure. It will enable delivery of services like banking and access to
service centers at the doorstep of citizens with the assistance of high speed internet.
The second area will be the focus on governance and services. This digital movement
will bring everything in the palms of people across departments and places. It will
enable providing services to people in real time, cutting across hindrances. It will also
enhance the usage of cloud services and enable citizens to receive their due just from
these services.

The third would be to empower citizens digitally. Digital resources like documents
etc. will be easily available on the cloud, making access to information easier and
faster.
Impact on the job market
The programme aims to impact the employment scenario immensely by increasing
skills and job prospects. It is estimated that by 2019 about 1.7 crore young Indians
will have proper training in IT, Telecom and electronics. This directly leads to 1.7
crore jobs in about four years from now. If you are keen about pursuing a career in
the IT sector, then the technologies and skills that ensured a job a decade ago do not
matter anymore.
You will have to look at a whole new gamut of technical skill sets and job
opportunities. Those already in the IT field will also need to upgrade their skills by
going in for certifications by Microsoft, Cisco or IBM to be able to gravitate towards
newer platforms. Here is a look for the sub sectors that would catapult to success as a
result of the Digital India initiative:

Cloud Computing
Digital India programme would provide
cradle-to-grave digital identity. It will also
enable participation in digital and financial
space and provide easy access to common
service centre besides providing a
shareable private space on a public cloud
and provide computing as a service at
every doorstep.

While this has the potential of leapfrogging

Indian economy, the adoption and
deployment poses a unique set of
technological, business, and regulatory
challenges.
This
necessitates
the
need
professionals in the field like:

for

Cloud architect: As a cloud architect you would require a degree in Cloud Computing,
expertise in Shell, VBScript, Perl or Python and experience in designing, installing and
administering virtualised environments. You would ensure that systems are scalable,
reliable, secure, supportable, and achieve business and IT performance and budgetary
objectives.
Cloud software engineer: You would be responsible for design and development of
distributed software modules that integrate with cloud service providers, for
deploying software to cloud computing infrastructure, have hands-on programming
experience on a Linux/Unix operating system, excellent understanding of at least one
compiled-code language,and experience with PHP, Python, Java, or C++ with software
development methodologies like Agile.
Cloud sales consultant: You can team up your IT background with a bachelors degree
in business administration to develop and grow outsourced cloud business with C-level
professionals in midsize and enterprise-level customers and demonstrate consistent
quota attainment in selling infrastructure, IT, cloud and security services.
Cloud systems administrator: You should be able to configure and maintain the
systems that comprise the underlying cloud platform. You would perform the
implementation, operational support, maintenance and optimization of network
hardware, software and communication links of the cloud infrastructure and have
strong knowledge of Layer 3 IP routing; proven scripting abilities in one or more
languages Perl, Shell or Python.

Big Data and Analytics

The 100 smart cities project calls for a robust cloud computing backend coupled with
real-time surveillance and big data analytics. Big data demand will achieve 4.4 million
jobs globally.
You can get into the following roles:
Data warehouse manager: It requires a range of technical and managerial skills,
including in-depth background in database theory and practice; hands-on experience
in data warehousing tools and architecture; strong analytic abilities; project
management experience; and technical proficiency in database languages and
applications such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server and IBM DB2.
Data architect: This requires strong analytic and creative skills plus knowledge of
data systems and database methodology, design and modeling. You would be
responsible for planning and coordinating data resources. Working knowledge of
network management, application architecture, and performance management is
highly
valued.
Employers expect experience with Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2 or other
databases in operating system environments including Unix, Linux, Solaris and
Windows.
Business intelligence analyst: As a Business intelligence analyst, you need a strong
background in all aspects of database technology, and in particular, analytical and
reporting tools. Experience with database queries, stored procedure writing, Online
Analytical Processing (OLAP), and data cube technology is also important.
Database developer: A solid understanding of relational database theory and practice
is key to the role of database developer. Experience with Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle
or IBM DB2 is essential, and professional certification (Microsoft Certified Database
Administrator or Oracle Database Administrator Certified Professional) is a plus.
User Interface Platforms
The Smart Cities project is based on Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics.
Such data driven projects would not only drive demand for not only data scientists
who can write intelligent algorithms but also create a demand for User Interface (UI)
professionals who can represent this data in a consumable format.You need to move
towards client side scripting like Java Script and J Query so that you write leaner
code that is more efficient and less time consuming.

Mobility Platforms
With a large chunk of capital being set aside for tech led initiatives such as good
governance, smart cities, e-Visa, there is going to be a spike in demand of tech
professionals possessing skills in mobility platforms. You need to gain experience in
developing native applications for iOS, Android and Windows as well as hybrid
applications using web technologies.
Cyber Security With the digital revolution in the country, the need for security will
also increase. As per Nasscom report, there are only 22,000 experts in India while the
need is for over 4 lakh professionals. Most of the cyber security jobs within
government fall in the category of computer specialist, information technology
officer, information technology specialist, assistant chief security officer etc. These
jobs are available with various government agencies and departments including
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Department of Transportation, aviation and
defence forces.
Cyber security careers will also be available in the corporate world with almost
any kind of business you can think of. Medical records, e-commerce data, banking
information and even small mom and pop businesses will all need cyber security
workers.
Some of these positions will only require a minimal amount of training such as a
certification or an associate degree. Others will require a bachelors, masters or
doctorate.