- Electronics Industry in India is set to witness positive changes after COVID 19
- Employees should use the time to learn new skills and be ready for technological changes
- It is the best time to be in the electronics industry in India
- Professionals who can create products for the world are here in India, and these will be in huge demand
- Focus on ABC – ABC stands for artificial intelligence, big data and cloud
Jobs in the electronics industry are very diverse. These range from as basic as soldering operations to as complex as making devices edge and cloud compatible. However, the current COVID 19 situation has put up a question mark on all these equally. While some experts believe that companies moving their base and operations to India will create new job opportunities, others argue that there is a long way ahead!
Brainstorming on the way ahead, a panel during the India Technology Week, discussed what employees and employers can do in the current situation. Moderated by Suniel Kumar, founder & director, Nexiot, the panel outlined using the current time to re-skill capabilities as the most important aspect.
Here is what the panel including Wilis Langford, human resource director, Avnet, Parag Mehta, CEO & founder, Evolute, Vivek Saxena, Senior Management Advisor, and Council Member, GLG inc. USA, Vanitha Jayasuriya, Practice Head, Google and Cloud Native, Wipro and Hrishikesh Kamat, CEO of Shalaka Connected Devices discussed and advised.
Questions Raised
1. How do we sustain in the challenging times and keep moving forward?
2. How will career and employment trends be affected for the electronics industry?
3. Every electronics company is now becoming an IoT Company. What’s the way ahead?
4. How do employees face the current situation?
5. What are the opportunities in the future?
6. How professionals should be now for organisations?
7. How to do employee engagement when almost a majority is working from home?
Dealing with the current situation: What can employers do?
 – One cannot change the environment we are living in. The threat of Corona is a fact that cannot be neglected. But we can change how we react to the environment. Being positive or negative is completely a choice!
– It’s the professionals that make any company stand out. The paramount focus should be on employee safety.
– Research shows that companies focussing on people rather than profits will come out as winners in the longer run.
– Try to add virtual interactions with dealers, suppliers, and everybody else in your value-chain. This will enable your employees to work better and feel safer!
– Be careful about micro-management. Many in the current generation don’t like being micromanaged!
– Go back to basics, revisit your values. Getting into the reactive mood may not be enough, it’s time to get responsive to employees.
– Setup a COVID task force if possible. The task force should focus on business continuity and making sure every employee is safe.
– Do innovative activities to keep employees encouraged and engaged with the company’s business. The current time should be used for rejuvenating employees.
– Employees working in the medium and small-sized enterprises might need special counseling. A lot of small and medium-sized companies are unsure about the continuity of operations during the COVID Pandemic.
– For startups, the COVID 19 situation has turned into an economical worry situation. It is time to keep a tab on finances and make sure that employees feel safe at the same time.
– Focus on all the areas that do not require your employees to be physically present in the office and can be done from home.
– Employers need to teach employees to learn to work in a no-face-to-face environment.
What are the opportunities and what are the threats?
– We are on the track to a developed and self-reliant India. All the players will have to work their best to cash-in on the opportunity.
– The opportunity requires us to move above the embedded technology and go towards the cloud. More professionals will be required for the same.
– The best place to be in India right now is the electronics industry. Professionals should gear up for everything from design to manufacturing.
– Challenges would be in the demand-supply chains. Fixed cost versus revenue is one more challenge that needs to be addressed.
– Professionals who can create products for the world here in India will be in huge demand. Experts believe that a lot of companies have India on their manufacturing, R&D, and design radar.
– Companies coming to India will create new jobs. However, what’s in it for the MSMEs is something time will tell.
– Trading, assembling, and such activities can offer short-term benefits. Now is the time to go long-term and create value and jobs locally in India.
– Best time for R&D – The notion of getting white labeled products might end and create multiple job opportunities in the design of electronics in India.
– The design part might move on to the cloud creating more openings around new technology.
– A need for new tools and applications has been generated due to COVID 19. A best example is social distancing and Aarogya Setu App. There is going to be a big demand for professionals who can work around these trends and develop products.
– Iot is picking up pace once more. The number of professionals working in the same might see a boom in openings too.
Tips from leaders for professionals
– Stay calm and be confident about your capabilities. No pandemic can take away your capabilities and experience.
– On one hand the unemployment rate in India has moved up to approximately 27 per cent, while on other WFH is proving to be more productive than work from the office. The situation will improve with time. Which side of the coin you focus is entirely your responsibility.
– There was a time when a dual MBA in marketing & HR was not taken seriously. Today it has become a norm. Similarly, there will be more connections between components and software. Start preparing for the same now.
– Manufacturing in one of the areas might stop but it will open manufacturing and design opportunities in more areas. Embrace changes and learn to be creative around the same.
– Focus on ABC – ABC stands for artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud. These will help you stand out in the longer run.
– Be Ambidextrous – On one side calculate how to survive amid the current times and on the other start planning for growth.
– Be resourceful instead of being called a resource. Keep the current trends in mind and learn new skills accordingly.
– Rather than you vs me, join hands with teams across the company and work together.
– Keep an eye on the market at all times. Create opportunities for your company and yourself by being aware of everything that can be turned into an opportunity.
– WFH is helping us save time in commuting. Use this time to learn new skills and sharpen existing ones.
– Pay focus on personal as well as professional development. Both aspects are critical for your working life.
