People involved in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)-led work now make up 20% of the workforce of telecom service providers as compared to 7% in the July-September 2022 period on the back of 5G rollout, staffing experts have said. The proportion of AI/ML-led jobs is expected to reach 23% by the end of fiscal 2024 with the telcos sustaining hiring momentum for these profiles, they said. Jobs relating to AI/ML span across profiles from network security to customer service.
“AI/ML roles in the telecom industry encompass both enterprise business-related roles and roles that focus on innovative trends and emerging technologies,” said Sekhar Garisa, chief executive at staffing firm foundit (formerly Monster). “Within the telecom industry, a significant segment of AI/ML roles is dedicated to enhancing the customer experience,” he said.
The competition for hiring AI/ML talent is also heating up due to a paucity of skilled talent, staffing experts said.
AI/ML professionals are in demand not just in telecom industry but in sectors like information technology, manufacturing, and fintech as well. Companies in all these sectors harness AI/ML for critical functions such as fraud detection, risk evaluation, algorithmic trading, and for deployment of AI-powered customer service chatbots, Garisa said.
As per data provided by foundit, roles in demand include machine learning engineer, data scientist, AI/ML infrastructure engineer, network optimisation specialist, cybersecurity expert, and AI/ML solution architect.
“From predictive analytics and maintenance to RPA, automated customer service, network optimisation and fraud detection, AI/ML professionals fulfil a host of business needs in the evolving telecommunication segment,” said Sachin Alug, chief executive of staffing firm NLB Services.
Some estimates said recruitment in AI/ML across telcos has witnessed a quarter-on-quarter growth of nearly 12-15%.
Telcos led by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have ramped up focus on AI/ML, especially with the rollout of next generation 5G services since last October.
“Roles comprising skills such as Java, cloud and security have seen an upward growth trajectory in Airtel while Jio on the other hand has more openings in data engineering and machine learning,” foundit’s Garisa said.
At this year’s annual general meeting, Jio’s parent Reliance Industries said it is augmenting its workforce in AI/ML profiles to build India-specific solutions in the area.
Jio Platforms, holding company of Jio, already has AI/ML departments across different functions like edtech, healthcare, entertainment, and internet of things (IoT).
Vodafone Idea has mapped AI/ML skills with the specific roles and is enabling employees to learn through online courses, massive open online courses certifications and immersive learning opportunities, it said in response to ET queries.
“Our hiring strategy for the Vi AI Centre of Excellence emphasizes on a mix of experienced and fresh talent pool. We hire fresh pool of resources from premier institutions and later groom them within our organization as per Global AI standards,” a Vodafone Idea spokesperson said.
Jio, and Airtel did not respond to requests for comment as of press time Tuesday.
The push for AI/ML applications in the enterprise and consumer business of telcos has also led to an increase in the pay scales for these profiles.
“We have observed that professionals specializing in niche technical domains, be it AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud computing or blockchain, command nearly 15% higher pay scales across industries,” Alug of NLB Services said.
