88% of Indian enterprises expect demand for AI-focused engineers to rise by 2030: Report

The report highlights the growing demand, skills gap and salary potential of this emerging AI career. (Image for representation/Magnific)

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Artificial intelligence (AI) appears to be creating more job roles. About nine in 10 Indian enterprises foresee a demand for Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) increasing by 2030. At present, only one per cent of engineers work in such roles. The finding is part of a new report by AI-native technology education company Scaler and research firm CyberMedia Research (CMR).

The report is essentially a survey of about 1,000 software engineers and 200 enterprise technology decision-makers from eight metro cities and select Tier II cities. It underscores the widening gap between demand and the availability of skilled professionals.

What do FDEs do?

An FDE is a tech expert who works directly with clients to customise and install software so that it aligns with their business. In essence, FDEs work at the intersection of software engineering, AI, and customer engagement. This role involves understanding the business requirements and helping companies implement AI solutions in real-world settings.

The report claims that 77 per cent of multinational companies plan to hire FDEs within the next year. As many as 98 per cent of enterprises feel the role will be fundamentally more than a niche position. The findings also point to gaps in awareness and skills among engineers who are looking to enter the field. About nine in 10 engineers who were surveyed said that they were not aware of a structured pathway or specialised programme to prepare for FDE roles. However, 58 per cent expressed interest in moving into these positions, and 52 per cent said that they did not know how to become an FDE.

The study also shows an apparent mismatch between the skills employers seek and those engineers currently possess. About 77 per cent of companies are prioritising production deployment skills, and only 19 per cent of the respondents said that talent availability in this area was adequate.  At the same time, 61 per cent of enterprises consider customer engagement important for FDE roles, but 37 per cent of engineers identified it as one of their biggest career hurdles.

It shows a shift that also reflects the changes in hiring priorities among companies. This is mainly because companies are moving beyond experimenting with AI to deploying it in their operations. The findings also show that enterprises are twice as likely to evaluate candidates on their ability to apply products to their coding skills. FDEs are being increasingly evaluated by employers on skills like production deployment and troubleshooting.

Higher rewards

The rising tech role, according to the report, could also offer higher salaries. It found that 80 per cent of engineers working in dedicated FDE earn somewhere between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually. These roles are also expected to pay up to 30 per cent more when compared to other engineering positions.

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According to Amar Srivastava, CEO of Scaler’s online business and group chief product officer, engineers who connect AI technology with real-world business needs would play a key role as companies increasingly adopt AI.

Meanwhile, Prabhu Ram, vice-president of CMR’s Industry Research Group, said developing skills in applied AI, deployment and customer-facing problem-solving would be important for preparing India’s engineering workforce for these emerging roles.

The study seems to suggest that India could benefit from its large engineering talent pool, provided engineers have access to structured training and opportunities to develop skills other than coding.