Embedded tech makers face skills shortage

The increasing demand of consumer electronics products in the Asian market in general and Indian market in particular is expected to give a boost to students in the country willing to persue a career in embedded systems.

Industry sources say the growth of internet technologies and recent advancement in embedded systems such as reliable low-cost flash memory has the potential to absorb at least 5,000-6,000 embedded technology professionals in the country every year.

Although India boasts of producing the highest number of engineers, next only to China, there is likely to be a dire shortage of skilled manpower in this area. The present curriculum in technical institutions is not sufficient to cater to the needs of the industry.

Jayaram Krishnan, CEO and Director of Chennai-based American Megatrends India which operates in the embedded technology space, told Business Standard that as the courses offered by the technical institutions are not adequate to meet the standard of the industry, "companies spend heavily on freshers by imparting them training on microprocessors and controllers, software assembly and very specific development."

He said fresh engineers take at least one year to understand the market segment and application and another three-four years to work in the core embedded technology area, though it differs from company to company.

According to the Nasscom-McKinsey report, the embedded technology market is currently valued at $25 billion. In 2004, Indian IT companies earned around $2.3 billion revenue from product engineering services that includes embedded software and offshored product development, which is expected to touch $8-11 billion by 2008.

"Looking at the huge potential in the embedded technology market worldwide, the current embedded technology market in India which is approximately $700 million now, is expected to grow at 20-30 per cent annually, keeping pace with the industry growth rate," Krishnan said.

The coming years will see more professionals getting attracted towards embedded technology applications in large devices and sub systems like mobile phones, PDA systems, automotive microprocessors, home appliances and toys.

American Megatrends, which has currently employs a 200 strong workforce, has just started marketing abroad.

Krishnan said though on an average the company recruits at least 40-50 engineers every year, this year the company was expecting to recruit more engineers to support its overseas market.