Expert Talk

A recent NASSCOM – McKinsey study showed that only 1 out of 10 Indian students with degrees in humanities and only 1 out of 4 engineering graduates are employable. While there are several factors contributing to these statistics, it is widely accepted that poor language and communication skills is a major contributing factor.

More and more companies in India, especially those that are client facing and/or have a global component of their business strategy are insisting that their employees come equipped not only with technical skills but also with well developed communication skills, the ability to write, and the ability to work well in teams. This new trend can be seen in salary differentials in new recruits based on their overall skills. Technical skills and domain expertise being constant, a candidate with better-developed language and communication skills always starts at a higher salary than does a candidate with mediocre or poor language skills. Based on competitive salary information from a cross section of companies across different industries, on average this salary differential in the first year can be as great as Rs.75,000 to Rs.150,000 per annum. Most often this gap tends to widen over time with more well rounded individual who has had a holistic education rising in the management track more quickly.


What the experts are saying (as told to us at crimson)
 

"The ability to communicate one’s ideas thoughts, arguments and vision is one of the keys to getting ahead in life."

Nandan Nilekani, Co- Founder and former CEO, Infosys and Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)

“Along with computer literacy, fluency in English is the essential passport for success in the knowledge economy.”

Ravi Venkatesan- Chairman Microsoft India

“In terms of English language skills, India has had a head start with respect to other BRIC economies. Currently, we lead the way in English communication. But if we don’t take urgent steps to move ahead in this area we will lose out to the other BRIC economies that are investing heavily in the space.”

Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Chairman and Managing Director, Biocon Limited

“Today, to be globally competitive, proficiency in English communication is a big differentiator. There is a huge need to support technical knowledge with English language skills in order to be benchmarked globally.”

Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Chairman and Managing Director, Biocon Limited

“Its important for students to invest time in improving their English language skills early on, because there will come a time in their career when their technical skills become redundant and to rise the managerial track they will need to rely on their communication and leadership skills.”

Dr. K. C. Sabitha Ramamurthy, President CMR Jnanadhara Trust

“A large majority of engineering colleges in India produce graduates with sound technical skills. The primary differentiator in the success of these students is their communication skills. In general, a person’s success in climbing the corporate ladders is directly proportional to their communication skills.”

Professor Bopaya Bidanda, Department Chair, Ernest E. Roth Professor of Industrial Engineering and Professor of Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh