-Saravanan Balasundaram, Founder & CEO, Han Digital Solution
From Coding to Cognitive Skills’, the New Employability Equation
“AI is fundamentally reshaping the definition of employability in the Indian IT industry today.
For years, the industry scaled on the basis of linear hiring models, where coding ability and execution capacity were primary differentiators. However, today, that model is evolving rapidly. Technology firms in India are no longer hiring for technical skills alone; they are increasingly prioritising AI readiness, learnability, prompt thinking, communication capabilities, creativity, problem-solving, and human oversight skills, commonly known as meta-skills; which are indeed becoming as important as domain expertise itself.
As AI automates coding, software testing and support functions, organisations are shifting towards leaner, productivity-led teams. This is one of the key reasons why traditional volume-based fresher hiring models are slowing down across the Indian ITBPM sector. At the same time, professionals with AI capabilities are commanding significantly higher salary premiums, reflecting how rapidly enterprise expectations are evolving. This AI transition is creating new opportunities across AI operations, governance, intelligent automation, cybersecurity, and digital engineering.
Going forward, the most valuable technology professionals will not just be those who can code, but those who can think, adapt, collaborate with AI systems, and continuously learn in an AI-native economy.”
