India's Engineering Triumphs: Insights from 13 industry stalwarts

On Engineers' Day, we honour the legacy of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya and celebrate India’s vibrant innovation ecosystem, which produces over 1.5 million engineers each year. This talent has made India a global hub for engineering across various fields. The IT and software sector, in particular, has become a world leader, attracting global investors. Notably, 36% of its 5.4 million workforce are women, highlighting the inclusive spirit driving this remarkable journey.

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Looking ahead, India’s technology sector is projected to reach $245 billion in the coming fiscal year, according to Nasscom. Building on FY 2022’s impressive $226 billion revenue, this growth reflects the sector’s continued momentum. With 2.9 lakh new jobs added, the workforce now stands at an impressive 54 lakh. Nasscom also highlighted that sectors like banking, financial services, insurance (BFSI), manufacturing, and telecom showed the most resilience this fiscal year, while India’s robust digital infrastructure has been key in accelerating domestic tech adoption.

In this tale of engineering prowess, we turned to the technology leaders and stalwarts who highlighted purpose-driven innovation, sparked by data analytics and AI, and generative AI among others that can transform industries. Engineers -- the architects of this change -- are pushing boundaries in areas including software development, artificial intelligence, clean energy, and healthcare technology. Their contributions span from the cutting edge of computing to the boundless possibilities of blockchain.

This Engineers' Day, is a moment to revel in the invaluable contributions of the engineering talent steering growth and transforming industries.

Engineering trends shaping the industry

Amiteshwar Dayal Seth, MD, Technology (Data), Carelon Global Solutions India:

"We have observed a rise in demand for purpose-led innovation powered by data analytics and exponential technologies, such as AI... India is at the forefront of global innovation primarily due to its startup ecosystem and young and abundant technology talent pool."

Deepak Visweswaraiah, VP, platform engineering, and site managing director, Pegasystems, India:

"Today, technologies are emerging and evolving at lightning speed... Next-generation technologies including AI, machine learning, low-code and no-code platforms, SaaS are enhancing developer productivity... leading to a concept of autonomous enterprises."

Olga Lagunova, Chief Technology Officer, GoTo:

"Engineers are the architects of innovation... The digital revolution led by AI, 5G, IoT, and other emerging technologies will continue to transform every industry..."

Sekhar Garisa, CEO, foundit (previously Monster APAC and ME):

 “Over the past two years, upskilling trends have experienced remarkable growth, surging by an impressive 78%... These changes have been fueled by technological advancements, shifts in workplace dynamics, and the global impact of events like the COVID-19 pandemic."

Sustainable innovation and engineering's role

Ranga Kanapathy, Chief Transformation Officer, APAC Chief Delivery Officer, Altimetrik:

"India's engineering landscape has significantly transformed, with engineers now serving as pivotal business enablers... Engineers will be instrumental in integrating sustainable practices into digital business strategies."

Natarajan Radhakrishnan, President and CIO, HGS:

“On Engineers' Day, we honour Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya's legacy and India's rich innovation ecosystem... The Indian IT/Software sector, accounting for about 7.5% of the country's GDP in FY 2022-23, has positioned itself as a global giant..."

Vijay Sivaram, CEO, Quess IT Staffing:

“In 2023, we've observed a significant shift in India's engineering landscape... The automotive industry and the subsequent GCCs in this space are rapidly embracing electric and autonomous vehicles..."

Ramanathan Srikumar (Sri), Chief Solutions Officer, Mphasis:

“Just as engineers have continually pushed boundaries, AI innovators are propelling us forward, reshaping possibilities, and steering responsible growth.” 

Manasvi Sharma, Vice President of Omnichannel Platforms at Lowe's India: 

“The role of engineers is no longer going to be of only problem solvers, but also as strategic partners who can translate technical brilliance into tangible business value. The demand for specialised skills will only magnify from here and I am excited to delve deeper into what is just the surface of an exciting future for engineers."

Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-founder, Scaler and InterviewBit: 

"Globally, India stands tall on the shoulders of our highly talented and dedicated engineers. These men and women have demonstrated remarkable achievements in various domains, shaping our country's future and strengthening our position on the world stage..."

Empowering engineers for the future

Rahul Sharma, Slack Country Manager, India, Salesforce:

"Trends such as AI-driven decision-making, immersive collaboration with AR/VR, real-time IoT data sharing, and 5G communication are set to transform teams to unleash innovation and seamless connectivity."

Hema Sharma, Technology Director, Wells Fargo India and Philippines:

"Indian tech talent is at the forefront of building cutting-edge technologies for the world…As India evolves into a hub of engineering and technology R&D, it's imperative for talent to stay ahead of technology trends and invest in continuous learning and upskilling.”

Chander Damodaran, Chief Technology Officer, Brillio:

"We live in a world that’s heavily indexed towards digital and characterised by a constant flux of technologies that continually disrupt our ways of working... organisations need to embrace an open engineering culture that enables pragmatic innovations, value engineering, and resiliency..."

Jhilmil Kochar, Managing Director, CrowdStrike India: 

“The number of female students in STEM fields has increased over the past few years, however, their participation in the workforce remains low... International Women in Engineering Day serves as a reminder of the progress we have made in promoting diversity and inclusivity within the engineering domain."

Venkatesh Kancharla, Director of Engineering, Uber: 

"India's engineering brilliance is reshaping the way the world moves. The growing pool of skilled engineers in India perfectly complements Uber's mission to transform the world of mobility. Fields such as AI, machine learning, and data science are ripe for exploration and innovation."