One Thing Today in Tech
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US to change H1-B rules to curtail fraud, make the process more efficient
Big changes are coming to H1B visa rules, that could have significant impact for India's $245 billion IT services industry and possibly for startup entrepreneurs as well. The proposed changes are aimed at loopholes such as multiple registrations that improve the chances of an applicant in the lottery system for this non-immigrant visa.
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H1-B rule changes coming soon, to discourage fraud, improve flexibility, including startup founders
Big changes are coming to H1B visa rules, that could have significant impact for India's $245 billion IT services industry and for startup entrepreneurs as well. The proposed changes are expected to streamline eligibility requirements, boost program efficiency, provide more benefits and flexibility for both employers and workers, and reinforce integrity measures, the US Department of Homeland Security said in a press release Oct. 20
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Make in India: seats go abegging in traditional engineering streams as software eats the world
Next year, it's the 10th anniversary of the launch of the 'Make in India' campaign. And as this year's engineering admissions show, computer science remains the hottest area. Reports from states known for their engineering schools, such as Maharashtra and Karnataka show that traditional streams such as civil and mechanical engineering are running large vacancies. Over the next decade, will this not translate to a talent crisis in India, just when the country's manufacturing and infrastructure efforts need to shift to high gear
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Engineering admissions — is India headed for a talent crisis in core streams?
It's that time of the year when the last of the admissions in India's massive engineering education market get nailed down. And computer science remains the hottest area. Reports from states known for their engineering schools, such as Maharashtra and Karnataka show that traditional streams such as civil and mechanical engineering are running a large number of vacancies. Over the next decade, will this translate to a talent crisis in India, just when the country's infrastructure efforts need to shift to high gear
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Google proposes children, teen safety framework, opposes hard checks of age proof
There's been a surge in children's sexual abuse and exploitation online since the Covid pandemic, experts agree, and lawmakers around the world are trying to grapple with this threat with new policies and rules. Online businesses should be pushed to design their products and services to be age appropriate, Google proposes, but opposes stringent use of ID based verification on the grounds that such a practice can also deny useful access to all users in a digital world, and lead to more data collection on all users
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TCS CEO Krithivasan says fresh revenue getting 'neutralised' by cost cuts elsewhere
Tata Consultancy Services reported an order of $11.2 billion for its fiscal Q2 that ended Sep. 30, reflecting the strong demand for outsourcing. Actual spending, however, is sharply focused on cost cutting projects. Even as revenues flow in from new projects, "optimisation" in existing run-the-business work and even "downsizing" is hurting growth, CEO K Krithivasan of India's biggest IT services provider told analysts on Oct. 11
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TCS concludes jobs-for-bribes investigation, sacks 16 employees, moves three others
Tata Consultancy Services has concluded an internal investigation of two jobs-for-bribes whistle-blower complaints, the company told the stock exchanges in a statement. Based on the probe's findings, TCS has sacked 16 employees and moved three others. There was no fraud by or against the company and no financial impact, TCS said in the statement. The company is adding more governance measures to its processes in dealing with vendors of contract staff
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Why IT services companies are pairing up their software engineers with AI co-pilots
The spectacular rise of generative AI is still something that enterprises are only beginning to grapple with. However, in IT services, it could already be irrevocably changing the bread-and-butter work of the sector. Here's a quick take on why IT services companies like Infosys are pairing up their software engineers with AI co-pilots. It's early days, but the effects of this man-machine combination will be felt sooner rather than later, experts say
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IT services — how generative AI is changing applications development and maintenance
TCS kicks off Q2 results for India's IT sector today. Infosys reports its earnings tomorrow. So, instead of the usual curtain raiser on their outlook, we want to draw your attention to a trend in the industry, touched off by the rise of generative AI, that is already looking like the beginning of the end of the applications development and maintenance model — or at least ADM as we know it today, which accounts for two-thirds of the $245 billion IT sector's revenues
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_with_logo_sm.jpg "What customers want from India's SaaS companies")
What customers want from India's SaaS companies
What do customers want from their SaaS vendors? Sridhar Vembu, founder and CEO of Zoho Corp., weighs in on this question, speaking with Forbes India at the company's annual Zoholics conference on Oct. 9 in Bengaluru. Zoho remains steadfastly bootstrapped, but for the VC-funded ventures, Vembu talks about how a new funding cycle will eventually return and hopes that this time, there will be more focus on important tech R&D and not just the "crowded train" that SaaS has become
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Sridhar Vembu at Zoho on navigating the growing uncertainties ahead
Sridhar Vembu, founder and CEO of Zoho Corp, speaks about the R&D focus at his company, India's only billion-dollar-revenue software products business. Vembu was in Bengaluru on Oct. 9 for Zoho's annual conference for developers and partners. He also speaks about the challenges of navigating the growing uncertainties ahead as the crisis in the Middle East exacerbates the problems of a slowing global economy. Vembu reiterated his promise not to layoff any employees at the 15,000-strong SaaS company