Nasscom President Rajesh Nambiar warns AI could make it harder for fresh Indian engineering graduates to find jobs, urging an immediate CS curriculum overhaul

The skills you learned in your first year of an engineering degree may not be enough to land your first tech job.

Rajesh Nambiar, president of India's National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), has warned that artificial intelligence poses a significant threat to entry-level technology jobs for recent engineering graduates. He stated that companies are increasingly automating tasks like coding and software testing using AI, which could make it harder for new graduates to find employment in the sector. Nambiar stressed the urgent need for an overhaul of India's computer science curriculum to equip students with skills relevant to an AI-driven job market. This warning highlights a potential disruption to the traditional career paths for aspiring IT professionals in India, suggesting a shift in the skills employers will prioritize.

The increasing automation of routine tasks by AI presents a direct challenge to the traditional model of IT workforce development in India, which has historically relied on a large pool of graduates for entry-level roles. This situation necessitates a proactive and rapid evolution of educational content to ensure future graduates possess advanced analytical, problem-solving, and AI-specific competencies that complement, rather than compete with, automation. The IT industry body's call for curriculum reform signals a broader industry acknowledgment of AI's transformative impact on labor demands.

This development could lead to a widening skills gap, potentially impacting the global IT services market if India cannot adapt its educational output quickly enough. Companies that fail to retrain their existing workforce or recruit talent with updated skill sets may experience reduced efficiency and innovation. Future job seekers will likely face a more competitive landscape requiring specialized knowledge beyond foundational programming.