Indian software product development companies are currently witnessing a dearth of product managers and technical architects, according to a study.
India currently has around 800 product managers and 2,500 technical architects though the demand for the same was three times more, according to Pari Natarajan, CEO of Zinnov, a consulting firm which recently released the results of its annual survey on 'Compensation and Benefits 2008.'
The average salary for technical architects rose from Rs 17.3 lakh (Rs 1.73 million) in 2005 to Rs 18.85 lakh (Rs 1.88 million) in 2006 and Rs 22.17 lakh (Rs 2.21 million) last year due to the wide gap between demand and supply, the survey, which covered 40 software product development companies in Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, NCR region of the country, said.
The average salaries of product managers rose by 25 to 30 per cent, said Shammi from Zinnov. The typical job profile of a product manager was to interact with clients, understand their needs and translate it into a product while the profile of a technical architect was to conceptualise the product and ensure solutions that would reach the masses.
"He is a man with domain expertise and among those with rare skill sets," she said. To fill the dearth, companies are now trying to hire Indian expatriates who have expertise in these fields.
These persons were also being used to groom others in this field here, said Shammi. "The demand for these two categories have gone up, with a lot of product development happening in India," she added.
