Since the days of the 1990s, India has seen a shift in education and employment in a magnanimous manner. Until this time, citizens of India were happy doing a 9 to 5 job in the government run organisations, even though these were in the technical fields. But when the private companies were allowed to start their operations in the country, they not only showed enthusiasm but started recruiting the best brains in the country with lure of good pay packets and positioning them in the higher posts in their offices or industries.
Although the trend in jobs in the country is still having strong signals from the private organisation, the government sector is sending strong feelers. But still, the private companies have adopted themselves to the situation and have spread their reach so as to become the major driver of employment in the country. There have been ups and downs, no doubt, because of recession and negative vibrations due to the currency values, especially the dollar and Euro. But in the long run, when India went into the 21st century, it has been able to showcase tenacity in keeping itself afloat even in the most adverse economical crisis.
Be it for the strong economical principles or the strong enterprising base of the country, the benefits have been accrued by the companies in the country. A situation has reached where Indian companies like Tata, Infosys, Reliance, Hero Motocorps, Bajaj, Videocon, Future Group, Sahara, etc have stood their ground. Not that the foreign companies with strong presence in India have withered, but the commendable thing is that more and more private companies are coming up strongly. Also, people are showing their preference for such brands and reposing their faith on such companies. Every sector of business is having some strong Indian companies that are almost equal, if not better than their foreign contemporaries.
Changing waves
Changing trends in Indian job scenario can be attributed to two different alterations, one at the supply side and the other at the demand side. The supply side of the job arena lies in the manner in which people are educating themselves. Gone are the days when parents were keen on keeping a tab and restriction on their children to follow the treaded path of doctors, engineers, civil services, chartered accountants, MBA, lawyers, etc. There is a gradual but sure and steady shift from such conventional streams to more off-beat subjects where the students are seeking creativity in their work, change of schedule from the typical 9 to 5 jobs, ability to work part time, and diversifying their talents as means of livelihood.
For this reason, students are getting into such educational streams which are more specific and job oriented, rather than going for the typical educational degrees. Universities and colleges are introducing such subjects which make the students industry ready, which are being run by private organization. Even in the run-of-the-mill subjects, people are going for a short course or certificate program, which will give them an extra mileage while being in the jobs.
The demand side is being affected by the presence of people who are already in such jobs and have made a name for themselves. Looking at all the sportsmen and women from India, who mass made a mark in their respective sporting events, parents are encouraging their kids to go for such games, from a very early period. Media has also brought in front of people, a wide array of options which is increasing their awareness, about things, which they were not in knowledge of, a few years back. This makes people realise the importance of subjects beyond medical and engineering and the huge prospects that these off-beat subjects can present in the future.
Affordable workforce
It is a known fact in all parts of the world that Indian labour force is not only cheaper but also intelligent. People with skills par excellence are available for recruitment in companies, both domestic and multinational, at costs which are perhaps lower than any of the developed countries in the world. A top CEO of a company in US if shifted to the same company in India usually gets about 80% of the salary which he or she was getting in US. This shows the extent to which the Indian set up is favouring a lower cost to the company, if Indian people are hired. Due to this reason, private sector companies will not restrain from opening up their branches in the country or these do not stop the Indian companies to go for recruiting the qualified Indians. KPO, BPO, LPO, law firms, educational institutions, hospitality industry, and the IT and ITES companies have been hiring people in large numbers. Students from a variety of educational backgrounds are being sought by the private companies to work in fields which are commensurate with their educational qualifications.
Shift in focus to Tier II cities
Till some years back, private companies in the country as well as from outside considered Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi & NCR, Kolkata, etc were considered as the first choice for setting up their offices. These cities were obvious choices for companies because of the efficient ground and air communications with places all around the world. With active support of the state governments and improvement of the infrastructure by public private partnership, the smaller cities in the country are nowadays being sought by the companies.
Some of these companies are trying to expand further into the country after a successful stint in the metro cities while a few of them are initiating their presence in the country from the tier II cities such as Ahmedabad, Mysore, Trivandrum, cochin, Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Lucknow, and many more. What changes the perspective with such a presence is that of the opportunity that the people from such areas get an opportunity to find jobs in and around their native cities. Due to this reason, more and more people are trying to grab the opportunities in these companies in the tier II cities, where they get to enjoy the benefits of the private sector jobs.
Trend to go for part time and flexible jobs
It will take some time for the government sector to come to terms with changes because of the system requiring legislations and regulations. But, changes are better adopted in the private sectors where there is perhaps very little or no red-tapism. Due to this adaptability, private sectors are able to bring on a variety of changes in their work system, so that the employees are benefited in terms of flexible working hours, relaxation, holidays, vacationing, casual dress codes, and such other job based benefits. In order to improve the efficiency of people, many companies are allowing their employees to work from home or carry their laptops around so that work can be done even if one is on the move.
Influence of Office Automation:
If a major amount of the office work is possible to be done through computers and telephone, then there is probably no need to be confined to the office space and this the reason that people are sticking to the private company jobs. Part time jobs and home based work is unheard of in the government sector. But many companies and types of work are there which can be done either as a part time job or extra work, which is financially benefiting, creatively satisfying and also keeps people engaged. With companies agreeing to such work hours and people getting benefits, private jobs are the way to go for many people in the country, who would have earlier thought for a moment before answering in the affirmative for such jobs.
Tempt of Private Sector in Indian Job Scenario:
Private sector jobs in the country of India have successfully changed the face of Indian jobs scenario. This is not only speaking the truth, but is quoting the way of life in India. To a very big extent, private jobs and its perspective from Indian point has undergone a sea change in the late 20st and early 21st century. People are not running after the lucrative pay packets or are saying yes to an offer from private organisation by looking at the glitz. A lot of thought and prudence is going into the making of the decision. Jobs are in plenty in the country from the private sector. But unless these are taken up by people and the common man is happy with these jobs, there is no point in discussing about the job trends.
Employment opportunities and the eligibility is as good as the people who are joining in these jobs. If people are happy while being in the private sector, then only the presence of such jobs is justified. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since the time private companies were allowed to carry out their processes in India. In recent years, the point of discussion no longer about the presence of absence of private jobs and the streams in which these jobs are available. Rather, the discussion is required to be focussed on how India perceives these jobs and why it does so.