Fiber layers and field engineers to researchers ⁠— telecom jobs may see a 20% spike in 2021 as India leaps into the 5G era

• Employment opportunities in the telecom sector are expected to grow by 20% in 2021.
• The growth will be fueled by telecom companies expanding capacities and rolling out 5G services, as per Gautam Vohra of TeamLease Digital.
• BSNL’s 4G upgrade will also give a big boost to telecom jobs in the country.

The Indian telecom sector is all set to leap into the 5G era in 2021. This could open up a wide range of opportunities for everyone from RF engineers, field engineers, software engineers, and developers.

The COVID-19 pandemic left its mark on every industry in 2020, but the telecom sector emerged stronger. It was a busy year as telecom companies hired new talent, leading to employment growth of 15%. This will get even better in 2021.

“We expect to see a 18-20% growth in employment opportunities in the telecom sector in 2021. This growth will be primarily driven by telecom companies expanding their capacities and the expected 5G rollout,” said Gautam Vohra, vice president and business head, Telecom & Engineering Staffing, TeamLease Digital, in an interview with Business Insider.

Vohra noted that TeamLease witnessed a 30% increase in telecom jobs in 2020, which is higher than the industry average of 15%. He expects the industry-wide average to hover around the 18-20% mark in 2021. TeamLease offers temporary staffing services and human resources to various industries.

“India will take center stage with regard to maintaining network services , optimization and development of internet along with associated networks as well as research and development of global delivery centers,” Vohra said, explaining that the vast consumer market and the talent pool in India make it ripe for making giant leaps in the global telecom space.

These will be the most sought-after jobs in the Indian telecom industry in 2021

According to Vohra, the most sought-after jobs in the Indian telecom industry in 2021 will be RF engineers, fiber laying, testers, quality check engineers, and field engineers, among others.

He said that these roles would fetch up to ₹3.75 lakh per annum, with allowances on top.

The new hiring will be used towards operating, maintaining and optimizing the existing 3G and 4G infrastructure, as well as testing and rolling out 5G services, Vohra further explained.

BSNL’s 4G upgrade to give a further boost to telecom jobs

Further elaborating, Vohra mentioned that the Indian telecom sector would see buoyant growth in both 4G and 5G arenas. The growth in 4G will be for two reasons – expanding the network capacities and the state-run telco BSNL rolling out tenders to upgrade its network to 4G finally.

Here’s how much different categories will grow in the telecom industry

According to Vohra, the telecom industry will offer jobs in a wide range of categories. Here’s how he expects these job opportunities to stack up.

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