AI-led job loss is real, govt must intervene

 A recent survey states that AI could impact eight million UK jobs. The survey covering 22,000 job types has revealed that 11% of the tasks in these job types are already exposed to AI.

G Krishna Kumar Last Updated : 22 July 2024, 03:19 IST


The newly formed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government must prioritise youth unemployment. Sample this: The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey for January–March 2024 shows the unemployment rate in the 15–29 age group at 17%. The situation gets alarming with the potential job losses over the coming years due to the increased usage of artificial intelligence. Data shows that AI-led productivity improvements can increase the global GDP by 7%. However, there is a high possibility of job losses.

In fact, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, recently said that AI is like a tsunami hitting the labour market and would impact 60% of jobs in advanced economies and 40% of jobs around the world in the next two years.

A report from Goldman Sachs indicates that AI could replace 300 million jobs globally. AI could impact two-thirds of jobs in the US and Europe, and one-fourth of the jobs could be performed completely by AI. OpenAI and Mckinsey Global Institute estimate that AI would impact half of the job tasks for 20% of the workers.

A recent survey states that AI could impact eight million UK jobs. The survey covering 22,000 job types has revealed that 11% of the tasks in these job types are already exposed to AI. 

The impact on white-collar jobs could be severe. For example, a report from the University of Pennsylvania shows that white collar workers with earnings of $80,000 (about Rs 64 
lakh) would be affected by artificial intelligence and automation.

McKinsey Global Institute’s report states that 14% of all employees would need to change careers by 2023 due to advancements in AI. People working in customer service, accountants, sales, research and analysis, administrative, and retail roles would 
be impacted.

In India, the IT industry has been the largest employer, providing over 54 lakh jobs and crores of secondary and tertiary jobs. The industry has also been the highest job creator for fresh engineering graduates. With the advent of AI, this is likely to be impacted. 

While IT companies are trying to be “AI-ready” by reskilling their employees, well-known technologist Ray Wang, who tracks the Indian IT sector closely, has indicated that AI and automation could lead to a white-collar recession in India by 2027. 

Not just white-collar jobs; AI and automation would impact blue-collar jobs as well, although at a lower scale. India has 300 million blue-collar employees in manufacturing, construction, logistics, healthcare, and other domains. Some of the labour-intensive tasks can be automated through advanced robotics and AI, but mass job loss is unlikely as AI would co-exist to aid productivity improvement. 

We need a multi-pronged strategy to harness the benefits of AI while addressing the potential AI-led job loss. Mass unemployment can create a furor with potential social and financial instability. The “guarantee” schemes 
implemented in some of the states for unemployed youth are not sustainable.

The policymakers at the Centre must lead initiatives by collaborating with industry and industry bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), and academia, thereby creating economic benefit for the overall workforce. The job market is a function of the demand and supply of a workforce. A strong focus group under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) should aim at understanding the demand-supply dynamics and getting the workforce “battle-ready” for AI impact.

Firstly, conduct a detailed study of the industries and workforce job types that have a potential risk of job displacement due to AI and automation. The exercise must consider the overall ecosystem as well as the workforce demographics and create a short-, medium-, and long-term possibility of AI-led job losses.

Secondly, a strong reskilling and an “alternate job assistance” programme must be created by providing training to the impacted employees. The government would do well by incentivising companies to cross-skill or upskill the workforce and providing alternate job opportunities. 

Thirdly, get the next generation AI-ready. While National Education Policy 2020 suggests greater use of technologies such as AI, it must be aligned with the findings from the study mentioned above. Considering the risk of job loss across industries, the government must embark on a life-long learning platform. Initiatives such as “FutureSkills PRIME” cover emerging technologies, including AI, which must be strengthened. YUVAi (Youth for Unnati and Vikas with AI), an initiative for familiarising school students from classes 8–12 
with AI technologies, should 
be expanded.

The government needs to collaborate with businesses and academia to create a framework that will create a future-ready and resilient workforce in India.

(The writer is an ICT professional and columnist based in Bengaluru)

Road safety: Tech helps, but miles to go

 How does India fare compared to the world? According to FICCI-EY’s ‘Road Safety in India’ report, the country is ranked first and accounts for 11 per cent of the total fatalities in road accidents globally.

G Krishna Kumar Last Updated 20 November 2023, 03:51 IST

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ latest report, Road accidents in 2022, shows there were 4,61,312 accidents resulting in 1,68,491 deaths. The report reveals a 9.6 per cent increase in fatal accidents compared to 2021, with 19 deaths every hour. It is shocking to note that the working age group of 18-60 accounted for 83.4 per cent of the total road accident deaths.

Almost 56 per cent of the accidents happened on highways and resulted in 60 per cent of the deaths in 2022. The road user category ‘Cars and Light Motor Vehicles (LMV)’ recorded 21,040 deaths. In addition, this category accounted for 24.5 per cent of the 32,825 pedestrians killed and 22.7 per cent of the 74,897 victims on two-wheelers.

How does India fare compared to the world? According to FICCI-EY’s ‘Road Safety in India’ report, the country is ranked first and accounts for 11 per cent of the total fatalities in road accidents globally.

Technology innovation aimed at reducing accidents in the automotive world has gained attention over the past few years. For example, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) applications are being added to cars to reduce accidents. Features like driver drowsiness detection, gaze detection, surround view system, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist are gaining popularity.

An upcoming technology called V2V (vehicle to vehicle) would allow vehicles to communicate with each other on the roads and is expected to revolutionise the automotive industry as this can greatly help in reducing accidents. Not just communication with other vehicles, the technology can be used to communicate with infrastructure, too. For instance, V2I (vehicle to infrastructure, like traffic signals), V2P (vehicle to pedestrian) and V2N (vehicle to cellular network). These technologies are generically called as V2X (vehicle to anything). The data exchanged would include critical information for avoiding accidents — speed of the vehicle, location and direction among others.  

There are several cases where the V2X, once implemented, can help curb accidents. For example, a driver on a highway can receive warnings/alerts about severe waterlogging or an accident that has occurred a few kilometres ahead. While the present ADAS features like emergency braking assist depend on sensors, the V2X system would alert drivers about impending situations several kilometres ahead. In fact, a recent report states that introducing V2X could prevent at least 6 lakh crashes a year in the USA.

A recent Reuters report states that the Indian government has plans to release a blueprint for V2X implementation in the country. This is a step in the right direction. However, in a heavily price-sensitive market, manufacturers will have the challenge of convincing customers to purchase cars equipped with advanced technologies. Here, some joint effort from the government and the automotive industry to increase awareness will be vital.

The report also indicates that the government plans to include V2X as part of NCAP (new car assessment programme) for safety ratings.

Europe, the USA and China have already recognised V2X as a key feature for crash avoidance and improving safety. In fact, the EU, the USA and China have created their own technology solution for V2X. The Indian government, too, should push for a ‘Make in India’ solution. This would mean creating a strong ecosystem with industry and academia for driving India’s own V2X systems. In fact, India could lead V2X by using satellite communication in addition to mobile networks, as satellites provide much network coverage to hard-to-reach locations.  

Implementing V2X involves multiple challenges including investment in infrastructure as well as addressing security concerns.  The benefits of V2X are too good to ignore but it will take a few years to become a reality. In the meantime, can we take a holistic and stringent driver’s licence and behaviour monitoring and enforcement system?

The Global Zutobi Index 2023 indicates the difficulty level to learn and drive globally. It considers driving age, theory and practical test requirements, and eye and medical tests, among others to compute the ‘Learn to Drive’ score. Obtaining a driving licence is the hardest in Croatia which has a score of 1.96/10. Brazil stands at number two (3.21/10). Australia mandates 125 hours of lessons before appearing for a test. Not surprisingly, India is among the easiest to get a licence.

The government must consider mandatory and periodic training for students in schools and colleges.

In addition, technology can be used to analyse driver behaviour and insurance premiums can be linked to the same. While insurance regulator IRDAI has suggested the ‘pay how you drive’ model, it has not gained popularity.

While we await V2X technology, can we take a holistic approach to improve driver behaviour and create responsible drivers in the country?

(The writer is an ICT professional)

Corruption in IT sector: Time to strengthen corporate governance

 Corruption in IT sector: Time to strengthen corporate governance

Fewer organisations are pursuing criminal prosecution, but more are taking civil action against the perpetrator.

G Krishna Kumar, JUL 09 2023, 22:32 ISTUPDATED: JUL 10 2023, 02:50 IST

Recently, the news about a whistle-blower in a leading IT company helping uncover a potential Rs 100-crore ‘bribe-for-job’ scam made headlines. The management team of the IT company has taken disciplinary action against the employees involved in the bribery case while a detailed investigation is underway.

Is this a one-off incident? Certainly not. There have been several incidents in the past and almost all the cases have not become public.
For example, back in 2005, based on a tip-off, an IT company found that hundreds of software testers had been hired through illegal means. The company not only fired the perpetrator but also retrenched the hired engineers.
In another incident about 12 years ago, an investigation done by an IT company found their senior executive of outsourcing had used his family members for bribes. In a more recent incident, a senior executive was caught taking favours in ‘kind’ —
the executive received expensive gifts
and an all-expenses-paid vacation abroad for his family.    
The IT industry is perceived to be shielded from corruption/bribery when compared to other private sectors or PSUs, but the reality is different. People working in the private sector would know several such instances.

Reasons for unethical behaviour
However, the moot question remains: what is the motivation for people to be involved in bribery, especially in the private sector, when the salaries are high? 
As per the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report, such unethical behaviour can be attributed to rationalisation strategies employed by individuals to justify their actions. According to behavioural science, some people will cheat to gain an advantage if they are able to rationalise their behaviour and still feel good about themselves.  
The report states that several key factors like national context, company size, the nature of the company (domestic or foreign), workplace diversity, individuals’ gender identity, age, and length of tenure influence rationalisations of individuals in the private sector. There are three common rationalisations.
First, ‘everyone else is doing it’. According to this, individuals perceive that their competitors are engaging in corrupt practices and justify their actions with the rationale of securing the company’s well-being as well as their personal well-being while still feeling they are ‘good’. This rationalisation is popularly known as the “collective action problem”.
Secondly, ‘it’s not my responsibility’. Individuals rationalise corruption as being beyond their control. Typically, cited reasons for employees trying to deny responsibility are: “I didn’t know that was corruption”; “I didn’t do it for me; “I did it for my organisation”.
Third, ‘the end justifies the means’. Corruption can be perceived as generating positive collective effects because, however incorrect, it appears to be in the company’s best interests. Corruption can also be rationalised because it has positive effects for individuals, such as enabling them to keep their jobs.
Bribery/corruption cases have taken several years to be unearthed. For example, one of the cases involving a European technology company spanned over 17 years and across multiple countries. However, a recent global report, “Occupational Fraud 2022”, by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners shows that frauds are being caught faster. The median duration has dropped by 33%, from 18 months in 2012 to 12 months in 2022.
Fewer organisations are pursuing criminal prosecution, but more are taking civil action against the perpetrator. The report also shows that 62% of the perpetrators are in roles with a higher level of authority. The percentage of cases involving corruption is on the rise over the past decade and fraudsters are collaborating more. For example, 58% of the cases in 2022 had more than one person involved, as against 42% in 2012.
This is despite a significant increase in training provided by companies to its staff about anti-fraud policies, focused training imparted to senior executives and formal fraud risk assessment. 
Early fraud detection is critical as this would serve as a deterrent for future incidences. The report shows that tips account for 42% of the fraud cases followed by internal audits 16% and management review 12%. When we will look at the sources, 55% of all tips came from employees, while over 30% of tips came from outside parties (customers, vendors and competitors).
The above data clearly shows the need to strengthen anti-corruption education and the communication mechanism to both employees as well as external parties.  In addition, a well-written code of ethics should also give guidance to employees on how to deal with certain ethical situations.
There is an overall need to improve transparency in organisations. Maybe companies should identify divisions within their organisation with a high possibility of bribery and conduct regular forensic audits to rule out wrongdoing. Although such audits would involve cost, they
are needed for maintaining transparency and discipline.  
Considering the overall digital awareness in society, it is not surprising to see crypto currencies being used in fraud cases. This means companies need to be up-to-date on policies and procedures while conducting diligence in the value chain (employees and third parties).
People found guilty must be blacklisted. How about creating a forum for sharing incidents, learnings and best practices for detecting frauds? Technologies like Artificial Intelligence and machine learning can be an ‘assistant’ in fraud prevention, as the algorithms would be able to flag potentially fraudulent or corrupt activities.
The current ‘bribe-for-job’ scam should serve as a wake-up call for the entire private sector. Companies should strengthen training, governance, transparency and disclosures. 
(The writer is an ICT professional and a columnist based in Bengaluru

Time for India to focus on becoming global electronics manufacturing powerhouse

Time for India to focus on becoming global electronics manufacturing powerhouse

Several global electronics companies (from consumer electronics to aerospace) have embarked on a China+1 and even a China replacement strategy for manufacturing.

Published: 30th March 2023 08:41 PM  |   Last Updated: 30th March 2023 08:41 PM

By G Krishna Kumar

Commerce minister Piyush Goyal recently said that Apple has a target of moving 25% of their phone manufacturing to India. Several global electronics companies (from consumer electronics to aerospace) have embarked on a China+1 and even a China replacement strategy for manufacturing. Hence, India has witnessed significant interest from global companies in electronics manufacturing. In addition, India’s domestic demand for consumer electronics/appliances is seeing significant growth and is expected to touch USD 21.18 billion by 2025 (from USD 9.8 billion in 2021).

Can we capitalise on this demand? India needs to implement a multi-pronged strategy to emerge as a global powerhouse in electronics manufacturing. Before we delve into this, a quick look at the global electronics manufacturing services (EMS) scenario. 

The industry has evolved over the past 30 years as global brands found it beneficial to outsource the manufacturing of their products to EMS companies.

A recent report indicates that the global EMS market is projected to reach USD 1145 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period 2021-2026. Although there are over 1000 EMS companies globally, over 53% of the market is held by ten companies based in China, Taiwan and the USA.

China leads the EMS market with 47% market share, while India stands at 2%. Southeast Asia accounts for about 7%, with Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia aggressively growing their market share. India is estimated to grow fourfold to USD 80 billion by 2026. China has witnessed rising labour costs and labour shortages due to increasing aspirations amongst workers to pursue high-tech jobs.

India should capitalise on the challenges faced by China and emerge as a credible alternative. The government’s “Make In India” and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives have certainly given the much-needed impetus for electronics manufacturing. The Production Linked Incentive scheme, Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors, Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters Scheme, among others, are important steps.

A recent study conducted to assess the feasibility of manufacturing an existing consumer electronics product (that is made in China) indicates that over 75% of the components are available within India. The supply-chain ecosystem of component suppliers has to be strengthened for cost efficiency, quality and scale to meet global standards. However, it is encouraging that India has achieved much localisation. We still don’t have the semiconductor chip fabrication capability for producing high-end electronic chips that perform critical functionalities. Chip manufacturing is a crucial parameter for determining the strength of a country’s manufacturing ecosystem.

The government has established several initiatives to encourage chip manufacturing. Three companies have announced plans to establish a large chip manufacturing set-up in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. It will take a few years to see “Make in India” chips. Till then, we will depend on Taiwan, China or the USA.

A recent research report comparing the total cost of production (including manufacturing and logistics) in India and China shows that India is about 7-8% costlier than China. Of this, 4% is due to the financial incentives provided by China to manufacturers. Perhaps the Indian government, too, could consider additional tax benefits to encourage indigenous manufacturing. The government would do well to extend the SPECS scheme beyond March 2023.

For electronics manufacturing to thrive, India needs a solid infrastructure for smooth logistics handling. India’s road infrastructure has significantly improved over the past decade and is comparable to China’s. India may reach 1.8 lakh km of highways by 2025. Regarding ports, China has seven of the top 10 container ports in the world. India stands 36th. India’s current capacity of 1534 million tonnes annually is a fifth of China’s port capacity. Port expansion needs considerable improvement.

India’s demographic dividend should be used for creating a high-quality, trained workforce. The government must accelerate plans to implement the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) aligned to the skill requirements in electronics manufacturing. With the current turmoil in the IT sector, we must reduce dependency on it for employment. Through a strong industry-academia collaboration, students can be attracted to pursue jobs in the electronics manufacturing industry. We must have focused courses enabling industry-ready students for technology, operations and logistics.

While electronics manufacturing is labour-intensive, there is a clear trend towards automation of repetitive jobs using robots. Even complex tasks can be managed through collaborative robots (co-bots), which coexist with humans.

A recent World Robotics 2022 report shows that the annual installation of robots in manufacturing has seen a 31% increase in 2021 compared to the previous year and is expected to touch 6.9 lakh new installations by 2025. The electronics industry had the highest annual robot installations, with 26% of all robots in 2021.

India is at the cusp of a technology revolution with 5G deployment. Artificial intelligence, extended reality and robotics would help improve productivity and overall manufacturing competitiveness. Collaborative R&D efforts between the industry and premier technology institutes could help disrupt electronics manufacturing through advanced robotics and optimise the supply chain in the country through hyper-automation. India should aim to be a leader in Next-Generation Manufacturing (NGIM) through human-cyber-physical systems (HCPSs) by using artificial intelligence, machine learning (ML), big data and IoT for the co-existence of humans and machines and to achieve high productivity.

As we aim to become a leading electronics manufacturing hub, the entire manufacturing supply chain must be encouraged to adopt sustainable manufacturing practices like zero waste reuse, recycling, refurbishing and repurposing.

How about using solar power to meet 80% of factory energy requirements? Reports suggest that Samsung has already achieved 100% renewable energy in their US and China manufacturing sites.

India should research and implement the use of low-toxic components and even biodegradable materials in electronics manufacturing. Government-led efforts around green manufacturing would propel India to become a global leader in the industry.

(G Krishna Kumar is an ICT professional and columnist. Views are personal.)

Can metaverse lead the way in bringing back Ayurveda’s glory?

Wearable technologies would mean patients can experience a personalised digital assistant (or an avatar) that would help in the initial diagnosis and support the patient follow treatment plan 

G Krishna Kumar Dr Lakshmi N PrasadUpdated: Sunday, October 23, 2022, 12:26 PM IST

The formation of the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) five years ago has provided the right impetus for undertaking interdisciplinary research on the validation of the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda using modern tools and technologies. How can advanced technologies and more specifically metaverse be used in delivering high-quality Ayurvedic care? Before we delve into this, a quick look at how Ayurveda has been accepted over the years. 

Ayurveda is based on the concept that a disease is caused due to an imbalance in the Tridoshas (Life forces) – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The idea of universal interconnectedness, the body's constitution (prakriti), Tridoshas, and the concept of ‘agni’ (fire) form the basis of Ayurvedic treatment. Ayurveda’s approach is holistic by promoting lifestyle interventions and natural therapies. 

Ayurvedic medication has worked well in cases involving chronic respiratory infection, arthritis, and headache. Instead of just treating the symptoms, Ayurveda tries to address the root cause. Ayurveda leads in the treatment of jaundice, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and even auto-immune disorders. 

A new trend is emerging where people are turning towards Ayurveda for gestational health issues and neonatal care. This can be attributed to Ayurveda’s approach towards both the physical and psychological development of the newborn. 

Ayurvedic immunity boosters have helped in reducing mortality during the Covid pandemic. A recent AIIA report shows how Ayurvedic treatment can be an effective and safe solution in the case of drug addiction. The report states that the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) score decreased from 22 to three after three weeks of treatment.

Over the past 20-25 years, the awareness and acceptance of Ayurveda, as a mainstream form of medical intervention, have improved significantly in India. It is not surprising that the number of colleges offering graduate degrees - Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) has increased from 240 in 2011 to over 450 now. 

Technology adoption in Ayurveda 

With the availability of affordable phones, tablets and low-cost internet, digital awareness has been on the rise. With technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual reality(VR), Alternate Reality (AR) and metaverse, a highly dependable healthcare system can be created with Ayurveda.

Ayurveda has lost out on the latest technological advancements witnessed in the allopathic medical field. But even now, by adopting the newest technologies, Ayurveda-based diagnosis and treatment can be improved. 

The good news is that several competing products are either in advanced research or in pilot usage. For example, the automatic classification of plants/herbs using computer vision and Machine learning (ML) algorithms can help in improving productivity. Geo-tagging (for identifying accurate location) can be used for the conservation of medicinal plants. 

Ayurveda offers a personalised treatment. Each person is different with unique physiological attributes. The ‘nadi parikshap (or pulse examination) using sensors and AI can help in identifying the patient’s Prakriti and thereby also understand the ailments. This can reduce human errors in diagnosis to a large extent. Companies are offering Ayurvedic assessment and treatment using mobile apps. The government should update the flagship Aarogya Setu app with Ayurvedic aspects. 

Importantly, the government’s initiatives to digitise Ayurvedic text are a huge contribution to supporting research on Ayurveda. For example, an easy-to-use digital version of Charaka Samhita has been created by The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH).

Metaverse

Technologies like AI, ML, and VR would become the core components of Metaverse. Today, we live a distinct physical and digital life and the metaverse will blur the two lives. Metaverse is a simulated digital environment where people can interact/collaborate in real-time and the whole experience would be natural and intuitive. In the future, the availability of wearable technologies and sensors would mean patients can experience a personalised digital assistant (or an Avatar) that would help in the initial diagnosis and support the patient follow Ayurvedic medication, diet and exercise routine suggested by the doctor. The doctor can monitor the patients remotely and suggest changes.

Student education can be transformed with an immersive learning experience with rich visual aspects and achieve precision learning. Medical schools in the US are experimenting with AR to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities. 

Reports suggest gamification to be a key differentiator in the metaverse and would provide a new way of connecting the healthcare ecosystem.

Government should embark on a long-term technology strategy for Ayurveda to create a research focussed ecosystem with AIIA, leading Ayurvedic institutions and premiere technology institutions like IISc, and IITs. 

Incentivising the start-up ecosystem to bring advanced technologies for Ayurveda can spur collaboration and innovation in precision diagnosis and treatment. How about a five-year target for a functional metaverse for Ayurvedic healthcare workers? Technology alone can lead the way in bringing back the glory of Ayurveda. 

(G Krishna Kumar is a Bengaluru-based ICT Professional and columnist, and Dr Lakshmi N Prasad is an Ayurveda practitioner based in Sringeri, Karnataka) 

Quiet quitting and moonlighting are real - workplaces need to adapt

Quiet quitting and moonlighting are real - workplaces need to adaptFor enabling a smooth transition, all stakeholders need to accept and demonstrate maturity, build a transparent, robust policy that works to everybody’s advantage 

G Krishna Kumar, SEP 27 2022, 22:57 ISTUPDATED: SEP 27 2022, 23:17 IST

IT major Wipro sacking 300 employees for moonlighting is making headlines in India. Globally, social media is abuzz with two trends in workplace: ‘Quiet quitting’ and moonlighting. ‘Quiet quitting’ is about keeping one’s job, just doing bare minimum work to be employed and meeting performance expectations. The idea is to use the after-work hours to earn money by moonlighting. Moonlighting is defined as having a second job, typically secretly, while keeping the primary job. The name moonlighting was coined in the US to depict work after regular office hours.

While the terms have gained popularity now, both moonlighting and quiet quitting have been followed as ‘side hustle’ and ‘checked out’ respectively in the past. For example, professionals like doctors, lawyers, and teachers holding primary jobs along with a personal practice has been long accepted. Corporate employees involved in multi-level marketing is also well known.
Is moonlighting or dual employment, a problem? Yes, especially if the second job is related to the primary job. Dual employment is an offence due to confidentiality breach. For example, A Bengaluru-based IT company has found that an employee was illegally employed in more than two of its competitors. Several such cases were found over the past 30 months and almost all the employees have been terminated.

Reports suggest that only one-third of employees consider themselves ‘highly engaged’ at work. Lack of engagement among the rest may be because of job insecurity, lack of job satisfaction, lack of respect/recognition or rewards/remuneration or poor work-life balance.

Since the pandemic, both quiet quitting and moonlighting have become easy as people find themselves productive working from anywhere and saving 2-3 hours of commute time every day.
A recent news report states that a survey of 400 IT professionals in India revealed that 65% engaged in moonlighting while working from home. Another report states that 70% of those surveyed said that side-hustles are the real shot to fame and 69% shared that they would want to earn from their hobbies.

Moonlighting clauses are added to employment agreements; violation of these clauses amounts to confidentiality breach and conflict of interest. They could use the IP, tools, and processes from their primary job in the second job, which is legally, and ethically, wrong. The other ethical question is does moonlighting deny opportunity for the unemployed or underemployed?
A recent report states that 34% of the working population in the US have a ‘side hustle’. Though dual employment is not banned in the US, Australia and other countries, many workers hide their second job from the primary employer. A recent Mckinsey report in the US shows a rise in independent workers from 27% in 2016 to 36% in 2022. The key reason citied is the autonomy and flexibility of freelancing.

European Union has adopted a directive in 2019 that requires EU member states to ensure that an employer can no longer prohibit an employee from working for another employer or for themselves outside of agreed working hours. The goal is to lower the threshold for workers to engage in other work, on a payroll or as self-employed persons, in addition to their existing work. The Directive allows the member states to set conditions under which an employer can continue to place restrictions on an employee having multiple jobs.

The Netherlands has recently implemented rules that would stop employers from banning their employees from taking up a second employment or doing voluntary work, with the aim of making it easier to combine different jobs.
While Indian companies are in a dilemma over moonlighting, IT major Infosys has warned its employees that moonlighting could lead to termination. On the other hand, online food delivery company Swiggy announced a moonlighting policy allowing its employees to take up projects outside of their regular work. In general, are organisations ready to accept and respond to the shift towards side-hustling?

Firstly, companies should address quiet quitting through a positive work culture that enables right job fitment and work-life balance. Providing a career roadmap and helping individuals cross-skill or upskill will help motivate workers and improve productivity.

Conventionally, moonlighting is considered a breach of trust. Going forward, there is a need for a framework for ethical moonlighting with representation from all stakeholders including labour department, industry bodies, companies and employee representatives. Companies should consider categorising employees who will be allowed/disallowed to moonlight depending on their role and type of work. Differentiated perquisites between the two category could be used. Moonlighting policies and awareness campaigns should be created. The policy framework must allow flexibility for employees and set clear performance goals, while clarifying on the confidentiality aspects. This would foster a healthy environment and a win-win for all concerned.

The present labour laws need a relook. For example, Shops and Establishment Act (S&E) in India does not allow dual employment. It is also unclear how PF, gratuity and employee insurance would be handled in cases of dual employment. How will a ‘background check’ be conducted in case of multiple employment?

Sooner or later, moonlighting needs to be accepted as a reality. For enabling a smooth transition, all stakeholders need to accept and demonstrate maturity, build a transparent, robust policy that works to everybody’s advantage.

(The writer is an ICT Professional and columnist based in Bengaluru)

India@100: World’s innovation capital

 We need to create research mindset among students in schools & colleges. We need to create an environment that can aid in producing subject matter experts who are equipped with multidisciplinary skill

Published: 19th August 2022 07:33 AM  |   Last Updated: 19th August 2022 07:33 AM

By G Krishna Kumar

In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for India to become a leader in Innovation. His “Jai Anusandhan” (Hail Innovation) slogan is timely. 

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India significantly lags behind the world’s top economies in Innovation/Inventions and Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)—including patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights. While India’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index has improved significantly from 81 in 2015–16 to 46 in 2021, it is a long road ahead for India to dominate in innovation.

A recent report analysing data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggests that India pays a huge amount of money to foreign entities (for using the latter’s IPRs), compared to what India earns for IPRs held in India. For example: In 2021, India paid $8.6 billion and earned just $800 million. Back in 1981, the out-go was $15.1 million and earning was $0.11 million.

As India aims to be one of the top three economies in the world, we must have a multi-pronged approach to strengthen our position in Innovation and IPRs. Let us look at how India can improve its innovation and invention capabilities through patents. 

For the uninitiated, a patent is defined by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) as an exclusive right granted for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides, in general, a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. Patents are territorial rights—this means that the patents are to be filed in each country where the inventor seeks patent protection. World bodies (like the Paris Convention and Patent Cooperation Treaty, etc.) assist inventors in filing patents in other countries. 

The Indian patent system dates way back to the 1856 Act on the protection of inventions. It has undergone several modifications and enhancements post-independence and more so since 1999.

Over the past decade, the government’s ‘Make in India’, ‘Start-up India’, ‘Digital India’, ‘Atal Innovation Mission’, ‘Skill India’ and the ‘NIPAM’ (National IP Awareness Mission) have certainly helped in spurring innovation in the country. To encourage startups to file more patents, the government provides incentives—startups recognised under the Startup India programme get up to 80% rebate on patent filings.

There are several examples of Indians driving innovation. For example, a Maharashtra-based company has a patented tamper-proof painting technology that can be applied on uneven and rough surfaces. This technology would have global demand. 

Patent filing has significantly increased over the past decade. For example, 58,502 patents were filed in 2020–21, compared to 39,400 patents filed in 2010–11. Nearly 28,391 patents were granted in India in 2020–21 compared to 7,509 in 2010–11. 

However, when we look at the global scenario, 5.3 lakh patents were granted in China, while 3.52 lakh were granted in the USA, 1.7 lakh were granted in Japan, and South Korea granted 1.35 lakh patents. We are significantly lagging behind these leading economies. The main issue is India’s low Research and Development spending of 0.7% of GDP. In comparison, the USA spends 3%, Israel spends 4.5% and even China spends 2.6% of GDP. 

It is heartening to see the share of Indian residents in total applications has increased to 40% in 2020–21 from 20% in 2010–11. It is encouraging to see academic institutions filing over 2,500 patents during the last year, spread across Information Technology, Biotechnology, Ayurveda and Basic Sciences. 

India fares poorly on time taken for patent granting. The time taken in India is about 42 months. This has dropped significantly from 64 months in 2017. However, this is way below the global benchmark. USA, China, South Korea and Japan take about 15–20 months to grant patents. 

The delays can be attributed to the number of patent examiners in India. India has 615 examiners compared to 8,132 in the USA and 13,704 in China. The whole process of patenting involves three critical aspects—the inventors, the patent agents and the examiners granting the patents. 

Firstly, we need to create a research mindset among the students in schools and colleges. We need to create an environment that can aid in producing subject matter experts who are equipped with multidisciplinary skills. 

The NEP 2020’s vision for encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation can help if implemented effectively through strong feedback and a continuous improvement mechanism. Much more awareness must be created among the students and the youth in the country. The NEP’s focus on building multidisciplinary skills can encourage students to think about research and innovation instead of just focusing on standard jobs. 

The inventors approach patent agents for filing. The patent agents need to pass the patent agent examination conducted by the Indian government to qualify for patent filing. 

Reports suggest that India has about 4,000 registered patent agents. In contrast, the USA has about 50,000 agents. The number of patent filings per agent is about 14 in India compared to about 7 in the USA. We need to increase the number of patent agents significantly. This can be done by increasing awareness about the role of patent agents. These patent agents must hold a degree in Science and Technology to appear for the patent agent exam. Here again, multi skilled personnel will have a great opportunity to excel. 

Finally, India is lagging significantly behind its global peers with regard to the ratio of patent examiners to the patents filed. Government initiatives to increase the intake will certainly help in reducing the gap. Regular awareness campaigns and celebration of success stories will motivate professionals to become patent agents or patent examiners. India should learn from the European Patent Office’s (EPO) strategy to attract talent as patent examiners. 

Overall, we have an excellent opportunity for the innovation-led ecosystem to work together and enable an efficient patent management system in the country. Such actions would ensure India can produce some of the best-patented inventions in the world before we celebrate India@100. 

Bengaluru-based ICT professional and columnist