Recruitment for India’s IT sector has remained muted, while the demand for talent with functional skills such as Development, ERP (enterprise resource planning), Automotive Design, Testing, and Administration, among others, has surged in the second quarter of FY24, reports The Economic Times, citing a report by staffing firm mQuess Corp. According to the report, about 65% of the aggregate demand emerged from Development, ERP, Automotive Design, Testing, and Administration skills. In addition to these functional skill suites, incremental demand for skills related to Gen AI, Data Science, DevOps, Cloud, Automotive Engineering, Cyber Security, Networking Specialists and more were also noted in Q2.

“For the first time in recent history, large IT services companies have shown a decline in headcount and reduced guidance values, signalling a collective exercise of caution in navigating the future,” said Vijay Sivaram, CEO of Quess IT Staffing. “Opportunities abound for those who invest in upskilling, with a notable shift in the way businesses operate, as over 85% of Indian businesses plan to invest in AI within the next two years.”