A study conducted by MindTree Consulting, a mid-tier IT and R&D services company, has revealed that 50 per cent of its new hires in 2007 hailed from non-metro regions debunking the theory that the IT sector is urban-centric. | |
| MindTree feels that the number could be much higher in case of larger IT firms like TCS, Infosys Technologies Wipro since they have better reach. |
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| The study, for the third successive year in association with AC Nielsen, is being conducted to understand the demographic, psychographic profiles and media habits of the fresh hires. The company hired 934 students from 47 colleges all over the country in 2007. |
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| Two thirds of the freshers in MindTree hailed from southern part (66 per cent) of India and the next highest were from the eastern part (17 per cent). North accounted for 9 per cent, West 5 per cent and Central region 1 per cent. The freshers accounted for 40 per cent of the net employee addition in 2007. The study was also aimed at understanding the employees' needs and expectations and facilitate in better management of workforce. |
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| "The study reveals several significant aspects of the typical Indian IT industry engineer. Foremost among them is the fact that 50 per cent of the respondents came from secondary cities and towns of India, vindicating the non-metro persona of the industry," MindTree Consulting COO Subroto Bagchi told Business Standard. |
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| The average age of the respondents was 22 years, more significantly 38 per cent were women. "This indicates that IT well may become the first industry that would bring gender parity in the nation for the first time. On the contrary, in the organised sector, women constitute only 18 per cent," he added. |
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| He is of the opinion that women workforce in the Rs 590 crore MindTree Consulting could reach 50 per cent in the next two-three years. The company's total staff strength at the end of third quarter was 5,419. |
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| Another interesting data revealed in the survey was the household income of the freshers. About 11 per cent of all respondents reported that the combined household income of their parents was less than Rs 10,000 per month. Another 43 per cent reported monthly combined household income between Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000. |
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| "A majority of the 934 engineers have started their life with a monthly income higher than the combined household income of their parents. It only shows that IT industry is highly inclusive in its growth. Everyone's being benefitted in the process," Bagchi said. |
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| The study is an extension of the collaborative initiative launched by Duke University (US) and MindTree Consulting in 2004 on inter-generational study of poverty in India. |
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| The model used in the Duke study, among other things, participants are asked to detail ownership of household goods to determine level of affluence. A total of 15 items of ownership, from a bicycle to shares are used to indicate economic status. |
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| The Duke research has since been followed up over the last three years by MindTree to determine the demographic profile of young engineers recruited from engineering colleges. |
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| The study will be on for the next seven years to make the results available to the industry and academia at large. |
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| The 2007 survey also revealed that 61 per cent of fathers of the young engineers were college graduates. "This is consistent with the Duke position that there is a direct relationship between parental education and a child's professional aspirations," Bagchi said. |
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| "Also, around 68 per cent of the respondents do not have any close relative who has ever worked overseas, making them potentially the first in the family to cross the national boundaries as a professional," he said. |
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| According to Bagchi, the study puts to rest several charges being levelled against the IT industry. |
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| "There is a perception that IT professionals are born with a silver spoon in the mouth. In reality, it is not so. This study has shown that people from diverse regions of the country are being absorbed into the IT industry. This trend will increase as the aspiration to join the IT industry is increasing among youngsters," he said. |
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| NEW HIRES IN 2007 |
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| 50 per cent from non-metro regions 50 per cent from secondary towns 38 per cent women; 18 per cent in organised sector 11 per cent from households with income of less than Rs 10,000 per month 43 per cent from households with income in the Rs 10,000-25,000 per month bracket Majority have a higher starting income than household income Fathers of 61 per cent are college graduates 68 per cent without a close relative who has ever worked overseas |
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