Marred by lockdowns, supply chain disruption, rising cases and at the same time supporting the community, the automotive sector in India has not just shown it is not just resilient, robust but upbeat about the future prospects as many large automakers continued their hiring process during the lockdown in May to prepare for the unlock phase and make the wheels rolling.
Experts tracking the industry indicated that many automakers have a backlog of demand, and waiting periods are from two to ten months in some cases. So there is a dire need for people in sales and marketing profiles.
Indian automotive sector employs more than 35 million people contributing nearly half of manufacturing gross domestic product (GDP).
Sudeep Sen, Business Head- Engineering Manufacturing, TeamLease Services, told Mobility Outlook, “We see an uptick in the hiring trend of the auto sector for distinctive profiles such as digital sales, product demo, dealer development and administration. Overall we can see an 8-9% rise in these kinds of jobs in FY22. While there will be a blip on manufacturing jobs.”
Ever since the pandemic has hit, the automakers have shifted their focus from traditional selling to digital ways of selling. According to reports, India’s largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki has digitised as much as 24 out of 26 steps of the sales process. Similarly, Hyundai Motor India, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra are actively working on these channels.
Sen said, “There is an urgency in automakers to get back to normal but with caution with increased digitisation. People in dealer development, product demonstration and after-sales service are in high demand.”
He pointed out that profiles that see a decline in hiring are in manufacturing, especially in the material movement that is too physical. CNC machines are now replacing people.
Industry insiders say the automotive industry is going through a transformation. Technologies such as electric and connected will disrupt the job market. More software and electronic field jobs would be evolved, and mechanical and repairs jobs would see a massive decline.
A panel of experts deliberating at the webinar - Women in Mobility, jointly organised by MG Motor India and Mobility Outlook, pointed that women will play an important role in the next phase of mobility as it will be largely driven by software.
On the hiring trend in the electric vehicles space, Sen said, “In the electric vehicles segment, there is already a lot of automation in manufacturing. So the requirement for blue-collar work will be far less than the traditional manufacturing.” At the same time, it may have more number of white-collar jobs. It is largely tech-driven, he added.
He further said, “EV segment is hiring right now, but it is very slow as it is in the initial phase. But we can see rampant hiring during July and August this year.”