India needs IT experts

India needs IT experts

NEW DELHI (AFP): India is short of some 67,000 computer specialists and programmers, according to the findings of a survey published Saturday.

Dewang Mehta, chief of India's National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) said its joint-study with US consultancy firm McKinsey and Co. showed the shortage could rise to some 2.2 million workers by 2008.

"Companies have projected a demand for 140,000 knowledge workers between 2000-2001 and only 73,000 new IT professionals are available to the industry on an annual basis," said the survey published in the Economic Times.

Mehta told AFP the job market would remain tight.

"According to the Nasscom-McKinsey survey India will require a minimum of 2.2 million workers by 2008," he said.