Despite the alarming figures on job displacement, AI is expected to generate millions of new roles, echoing historical trends of technological transformation.
After several muted quarters, India's IT sector hiring stabilised in the first half of FY 2025-26 as hiring patterns improved, following a reasonable rise in the recruitment of freshers and mid-senior level professionals, HR solutions provider Adecco India said on Tuesday.
Here are ten human-forward skills that will quietly but decisively shape professional growth in 2026.
When Chennai-based Wedding Designer Ambika Gupta first received a brief for a destination wedding in Udaipur, she had no idea it would turn into one of the most high-profile celebrations of the season.
Understanding severance pay isn't just for those who are losing their jobs
'The scale and depth of talent here plays a central role in core software product engineering for some of the biggest brands in tech.'
'What we see now is a much stronger need for data sovereignty.'
'This is the time to be creative, use AI in real-time operations, and unlock new demand and aspirations.'
While TCS cited evolving business needs and future readiness as reasons, industry experts say the action is a cost-cutting measure aimed at improving operating margins that have remained below the firm's aspirational range despite multiple efforts.
Dr Ganesh Natarajan offers practical advice on the importance of skill development.
Workplaces of 2025 will be defined by a deep focus on people-first values, inclusivity, and sustainable growth, foresees Sonica Aron, founder of Marching Sheep.
'GenAI programmes may not be large in terms of value, but have triggered a lot of new opportunities among clients.'
Worried about how AI will impact your job? Find out from rediffGURU R P Yadav.
As Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), gets ready to lay off about 12,261 employees from its global workforce this year, here's what it means for your career.
As many as 86 per cent of senior business executives have deployed artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance revenue streams or create new ones, said a report by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Wednesday. As many as 69 per cent of businesses are more focused on using AI for innovation and increasing revenue than on improving productivity and optimising cost, said the 'TCS AI for Business Study'.
Productivity isn't always about doing more. It's about doing what matters, with enough room to breathe, says Adarsh Rai, an emotional intelligence coach and founder-CEO of HR Brain HUB.
Indian engineer Soham Parekh, who was caught juggling multiple full-time Silicon Valley jobs, sparked both a viral meme storm and a fierce debate on remote work, ethics and startup hiring processes.
Adarsh Rai, an emotional intelligence coach and the founder-CEO of HR Brain HUB, suggests simple, practical tips that will help you adapt and thrive while working with Gen Z and millennial bosses in today's evolving workplace.
'AI may perform tasks, but deep expertise and specialisation remain uniquely human.'
Did you know that CVs without a cover letter, or with irrelevant and outdated details, are often discarded within the first 10 to 20 seconds?
'For 40 years, India valued only technical skills. IITs, coding -- that became everything.' 'Soft skills were sidelined. But those are the skills that will keep you employable now, not technical skills.'
Tech is also being used to stem resignations, which have recorded a rise amid COVID-19.
As artificial intelligence (AI) threatens to replace jobs, a new report from Microsoft has suggested that Indian employees are caught between a fear of losing jobs and an opportunity to reduce workload by delegating tasks to technology. Microsoft's Work Trend Index 2023 found that while 74 per cent of Indian employees are worried about AI replacing their jobs, 83 per cent would delegate as much work to it as possible, to help lessen their workloads. More than three in four Indian workers would be comfortable using AI not just for administrative tasks (86 per cent), but also for analytical work (88 per cent), and for the creative aspects of their role (87 per cent).
India's largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services on Thursday reported a 1.68 per cent dip in its consolidated net profit to Rs 12,224 crore for the March 2025 quarter. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) - whose earnings marked the official start of IT results season - reported a total revenue of Rs 64,479 crore in Q4 FY25, up 5.3 per cent over the year-ago period.
'India has a skill shortage of 56%.' 'This is a very interesting paradox -- the unemployment rate is 6% to 7%, and at the same time 20% of those qualified are unemployed.'
68 per cent of employees have experienced undue pressure from management, often citing AI and technology as benchmarks for performance, leading to workplace tension.
'There is a need for an innovation sandbox where the PSBs can collaborate and then they can do their own innovation on top of it.'
'You think: Did I fail the people I had to let go? Did I promise something I couldn't deliver? That day (when we had to sack 70 people) will stay with me.'
'Skilled labour is different from immigration.' 'While any adverse immigration ruling will impact Indians, it may not necessarily affect the IT services industry.'
rediffGURU Major Inderpaul Singh (retd) offers career guidance and helps students and individuals handle challenges in their professional lives.
India's largest IT services company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Thursday posted an 8.7 per cent year-on-year rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 12,040 crore in the first quarter ended June 2024. The net profit for the year-ago period stood at Rs 11,074 crore.
The role of AI spans coaching, performance, learning, engagement and career growth.
IBM started using Watson last year in India in two of its key divisions, services and infrastructure, for the bulk of its 150,000 employees as part of its "predictive retention" programme.
'Today's engineering graduates have to learn the skills to solve problems which is actually a higher order skill.'
Last year, it was not just the economy that slowed hiring. Employers were also unable to complete the verification process because of the lockdowns, resulting in delays in hiring and an increase in discrepancies between an employee's professed abilities and the reality. The experience is driving many companies to automation. In a recent EY survey, 56 per cent of the companies said they'd automated their processes, while 72 per cent felt technology could be leveraged to digitise employee records.
In 2024 so far, 20 startups have already visited the campus with 80 placements.
'To those who have just finished engineering or MCA or BSc, BBA, I will say they should take up whatever internship opportunities they are getting.' 'They should look for opportunities to learn the latest tools.' 'They should think innovative and try to solve problems. Only when you sharpen your skills, you will remain relevant.'
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
After startups and Big Tech, the layoff season may have begun at the $245 billion Indian information-technology (IT) industry. Bengaluru-based IT major Wipro is looking to cut hundreds of jobs, targeting mid-level employees working onsite as the company looks to improve margins, according to a media report, citing two sources. The company has said it is aligning its business and talent to the changing market environment.
Several technology companies are seeking to step up hiring from Tier-II and Tier-III cities of India in 2024 to tap into a vast talent pool of skilled professionals churned out by educational institutions and training centres in these regions. Tier-II and Tier-III cities such as Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Mohali, Vadodara, Chandigarh, and Indore contribute around 12-15 per cent of the country's tech talent, hinting towards the strong talent availability in these regions, according to Randstad India, a talent management firm.
