“AI/ML roles in the telecom industry include both enterprise business-related roles and roles focused on innovative trends and emerging technologies,” says Sekhar Garisa, CEO of staffing firm foundit (formerly Monster). “A significant portion of AI/ML roles in the telecom industry are dedicated to improving customer experience,” he says.
The shortage of skilled talent is also increasing competition to hire AI/ML talent, staffing experts say.
AI/ML professionals are in demand not only in the telecom industry but also in information technology, manufacturing, fintech, etc. Garisa said companies in all these sectors are leveraging AI/ML for critical functions such as fraud detection, risk assessment, algorithmic trading, and deploying AI-powered customer service chatbots.
According to data provided by foundit, in-demand roles include machine learning engineer, data scientist, AI/ML infrastructure engineer, network optimization specialist, cybersecurity expert, and AI/ML solutions architect.
“From predictive analytics and maintenance to RPA, automated customer service, network optimization and fraud detection, AI/ML experts are filling many business needs in the evolving telecom sector,” said Sachin Arugu, CEO of staffing firm NLB Services.
By some estimates, adoption in the AI/ML space across telcos is growing at around 12-15% per quarter.
Telecom operators led by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have been increasing their focus on AI/ML, especially with the rollout of next-generation 5G services since October last year.
“Job roles involving skills such as Java, cloud and security are on the rise at Airtel, while data engineering and machine learning are more prevalent at Jio,” said Foundit's Garisa.
At its annual general meeting this year, Jio's parent company Reliance Industries said it was ramping up its AI/ML workforce to build India-specific solutions in the space.
Jio's holding company, Jio Platforms, already has an AI/ML division across various functions including EdTech, healthcare, entertainment and Internet of Things (IoT).
In response to ET's query, Vodafone Idea said it is mapping AI/ML skills to specific roles and enabling employees to learn through online courses, massive open online course certifications and immersive learning opportunities.
“Vi AI Centre of Excellence's recruitment strategy focuses on a mix of experienced and fresher talent. We onboard freshers from top institutes and then nurture them in-house as per global AI standards,” a Vodafone Idea spokesperson said.
Jio and Airtel did not respond to requests for comment as of press time on Tuesday.
The push towards AI/ML applications in telcos’ enterprise and consumer businesses has also seen an increase in the salary scale for these profiles.
“We find that professionals specializing in niche technology areas, such as AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud computing and blockchain, are commanding nearly 15% higher salary levels across the industry,” NLB Services' Argue said.
