TCS doubles salary for freshers with new-age digital skills

While the entry-level salary of engineers in the Indian IT industry is about Rs3.5 lakh per annum, TCS is offering those with digital skills a starting annual salary of about Rs6.5 lakh.

The selection of these candidates, however, is based on their clearing a test focused on new digital skills. TCS is reported to have selected 1,000 freshers with new-age digital skills this time around.

Candidates who perform exceedingly well in the company’s online National Qualifier Test (NQT) will also get an opportunity to partake in the digital skills-based examination in future, say reports.

TCS, one of the biggest recruiters from Indian engineering institutes, is planning to use the NQT for its annual recruitment from accredited colleges, reports quoting Ajoy Mukherjee, executive VP and head of global human resources of TCS, said.

Candidates for the digital talent pool test will be selected from those who have done well in the NQT, and if they clear the test and go through the interview, they will be absorbed in the digital pool with a higher compensation.

The digital talent test is a lengthy one requiring better coding skills.

Besides TCS, other IT companies are also looking out for better talent and are ready to hire those with skills in the fields of machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis.

TCS’s NQT, launched this year, has enabled it to reach out to a far larger student talent base, as also complete the recruitment process in three-four weeks compared to the three-four months it took under the traditional process.