Good News for IT Employees

Indian IT might finally see a salary bump in 2025, thanks to growing investments in generative AI and its integration into hiring strategies. Pareekh Jain, CEO of Pareekh Consulting, highlighted that AI-skilled candidates, who comprised 10% of hires last year, could surge to 20-25% this year. Entry-level hiring, especially for AI-focused roles, may increase salaries for those with expertise.

However, Krishna Vij of TeamLease Digital pointed out that this shift also creates a disparity – AI-proficient talent sees higher pay, while others may face stagnant or declining wages. Freshers with AI skills could claim up to a 15% raise, as per industry predictions.

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are another driving force. Offering pay packages 12-20% higher than IT services, GCCs are aggressively recruiting AI talent. For instance, entry-level roles at GCCs average 30% higher pay than across sectors. Top firms like TCS and Infosys plan to onboard tens of thousands of freshers to meet demand, but competition from GCCs may strain talent pools.

As AI is projected to create 2.73 million tech roles by 2028, the Indian IT ecosystem must focus on upskilling to bridge the gap. The future promises higher salaries, more competitive hiring, and new opportunities, especially for those ready to embrace generative AI.

Will AI lead the charge for your next pay raise? Read on to find out.

Who Bought What??

The year 2024 witnessed a remarkable surge in AI mergers and acquisitions, with deals up by 20% from the previous year, totalling an impressive 326 deals. Tech giants like NVIDIA, AMD, Microsoft, and IBM dominated the headlines, acquiring companies to bolster their cloud, generative AI, and data infrastructure capabilities.?

Notable deals included AMD’s acquisition of Silo AI for $665 million, NVIDIA’s $700 million purchase of Run:ai, and IBM’s $6.4 billion HashiCorp takeover. Startups like Leonardo.AI, Rockset, and Materia also found new homes, reflecting the year’s focus on cross-platform AI solutions, talent acquisition, and generative AI growth. With the stakes higher than ever, 2024 cemented itself as a pivotal year for AI consolidation and innovation. Learn more here.?

Why Developers Return to JetBrains

In the heated AI coding race, JetBrains remains a formidable player despite the buzz around rivals like VS Code and Cursor. With $593 million in recurring revenue as of November 2024, surpassing GitHub Copilot’s $400 million and Cursor’s $65 million, JetBrains proves it’s no underdog. Its proprietary AI tool, Mellum, offers code suggestions integrated seamlessly into its IDEs, earning praise for speed, accuracy, and contextual awareness.

While competitors tout free tools and flashy features, JetBrains sticks to its quality-first approach, cementing its place with a loyal user base. Critics question its pace in AI adoption, but with over 3 million customers and zero external funding, JetBrains shows that no hype and a solid innovation wins the race.

Check out the full story here.?

Why Are Employees Afraid to Admit Using AI?

AI is reshaping workplaces, but a lingering stigma continues to hold employees back. Many hesitate to admit using AI tools like ChatGPT, fearing they’ll be seen as lazy or incompetent. While AI super-users celebrate improved efficiency, global adoption remains slow, with just 33% of workers embracing it.?

India, however, leads with 61% of online workers leveraging AI, driven by a progressive mindset and a tech-savvy workforce. As companies like Zomato and Salesforce establish AI usage guidelines, the key lies in fostering a culture of trust, clarity, and upskilling to help employees embrace AI confidently. Read on.?