NASSCOM launches IoT skills course to chart future roadmap 

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) today kicked off the ninth edition of its marquee Design & Engineering Summit in Bangalore.

Under the metanarrative of ‘Digital Engineering: Convergence of Disruptive Technologies’, the platform brought together industry professionals and experts from across the globe, to discuss the impact that novel cloud technologies like Big Data, IoT and Industry 4.0 will have on the ER&D sector. Further, NASSCOM’S Sector Skills Council also launched the ‘Foundation Skills in IoT’ courseware at an exclusive round table, moderated by Autocar Professional's executive editor Sumantra B Barooah, in the presence of industry stalwarts who addressed the reskilling and skilling imperatives for digital relevance.

Standing on the three pillars of mobility, digital enterprises, and software defined engineering, speakers brainstormed on strategies organisations can employ to integrate disruptive technologies into business models, build experimental digital cultures, and create actionable insights and intelligence from the fourth industrial revolution. 

The event witnessed a rivetting debate on hot industry topics, from data-driven design and digital product experiences, to gender diverse innovation to the artificial intelligence revolution. R Chandrasekhar, president, NASSCOM, said, “Today’s summit has highlighted the IT industry’s leadership in the renaissance of emerging technologies. The discussions have given us an insight into the future, and how organisations can poise themselves well to stay ahead of the curve.  Platforms like the NASSCOM Design & Engineering Summit are designed to bring digital into the DNA of businesses of today and tomorrow.”

Commenting on the launch of the IoT Skills courseware,  Dr Sandhya Chintala, executive director, IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM and vice-president, NASSCOM, said: “With the IoT revolution reshaping roles and businesses across verticals, we hope to create more opportunities and re-skill the IT workforce further to catalyze the digital revolution. The launch of ‘Foundation skills in IOT’ aims to charter the future roadmap for the sustained growth of the domain by creating skilled IT professionals.”

The primary goal of the ‘Foundation Skills in IoT’ courseware is to provide an understanding of Internet of Things which will be helpful in engineering education and will also help create employment prospects. The courseware addresses introduction to IoT and its architecture, industry applications and use cases in various sectors like aerospace, agriculture, automotive, construction, energy, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, retail and transportation; course end project work is a mandatory inclusion offering  practical exposure. This courseware material has been drafted under the guidance of subject matter specialists from various fields encapsulating important fundamentals regarding this industry.

On the sidelines of the Summit, Samir Yajnik, president – Global Delivery & COO, Asia Pacific at Tata Technologies and Talent Lead – ERD Sub-sector IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM, said, “Digitisation entails effective convergence of both people and businesses on a base of connected technologies powered by the Internet of Things. In the face of an all-engulfing technology disruption, we can no longer consider IT to be a separate function. This makes it even more imperative for us to equip and upskill our workforce if we want our talent to stay pertinent. The launch of ‘Foundation Skills in IoT’ is a step towards this right direction. It is SSC NASSCOM’s latest initiative to bridge the existing skills-gap in the industry, and I am happy to be a part of this exciting program.”