How Our India Trailblazers Can Thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The Fourth Industrial Revolution in India is creating exponential changes in the way we live, work, and relate to one another by how we are digitally connected. Salesforce is perfectly aligned to help you take advantage of how these changes will impact India through job creation, raised income levels, and improved quality of life for you, your family, and your local community.
It’s not just going to happen, it’s already here
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a smarter, more connected world. It’s the heavy implementation of emerging technologies that have a high potential for disruption such as big data, IoT, and AI.
And we see the impact of this disruption today in all disciplines and economies. Disruption that happens in almost every industry and country, generating exponential growth at an accelerated rate.
Salesforce is uniquely positioned to help our India #SalesforceOhana thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Our Customer Success Platform includes a rich portfolio of products to create 360° customer solutions.
Trailhead — providing a one-stop gamified learning platform — combined with our amazing Trailblazer Community empowers people of any gender, background, culture, lifestyle, or ability to succeed. And, most importantly, there are the core Salesforce values with Trust at the very top.
Make your mark
The India Salesforce Developer Community has seen amazing growth in the last 10 years. From the enablement of Salesforce developers in the India community back in 2008, to the first Salesforce Developer Groups in Noida in 2012, to when we put boots on the ground with the India Salesforce Developer Relations team in 2015, right through to today as Trailhead helps open doors for the India Community to skill-up at a faster pace.
At 500,000 members, India is now the second largest developer community after America!
So, what does this mean for India and the future career paths of our India Trailblazers? It’s time to think outside the box. Take a minute to clear your thoughts and ask yourself:
- What do you want to achieve with your life and by when?
- What are your aspirations?
- What impact do you want to make for your family and your local community?
- Are you looking to switch careers?
- Are you a parent who is coming back into the workforce looking for a new opportunity?
- Are you a student who wants to be directed to the right path so that you do not end up in a field where there is no future?
The next 5 to 10 years are going to be huge for the Salesforce Community in India. It’s time to make your mark and grab this opportunity for professional and personal development.
Global exponential momentum
Salesforce growth is on an exponential upswing. And future IT with Salesforce — the #1 CRM for Sales, Customer Service, and Marketing — is brighter than that of Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, and Adobe.
According to a recent IDC study,
3.3 million new jobs and $859 billion in new business revenue will be created in the Salesforce ecosystem by 2022.
The major factor in this transformation is cloud computing, which is growing at a much faster pace than IT as a whole.
A booming economy
The Fourth Industrial Revolution will impact India in a big way. Global bank HSBC predicts,
India will become the third largest economy by 2030.
Compared to other countries, India GDP is projected to be greater than that of the UK, Brazil, Germany, and Japan combined. Out of the 30 fastest-growing cities in Asia, six will be Indian cities with New Delhi at the top.
“Disruptive technologies such as blockchain and the internet of things will have a profound impact in the way we live and work. They will require rapid adaptation in our workplaces.” — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
Technology will help shape the culture of a new India. This is especially true in a country where almost 750 million citizens are under 30 and technology is becoming part of everyday life. This culture change and new values will help determine India’s success over the next decade and beyond.
Women in tech in India
There are also important strides being made to address the equality gap for women in India. In a recent study by The Open University, it was found that:
Women only make up around 30 percent of the IT workforce in India.
But this needle will be pushed as women play a key role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, especially in India. There is talk of India seeing a silent revolution in women’s empowerment in the past few years.
Recent data shows that the number of women enrolled in educational institutions is now higher than the number of men. It’s a trend that suggests Indian women are participating more in the economy and in society than they could in the past.
The coming era of change creates opportunities for a new way of thinking. As India seeks to implement new solutions, women are especially poised to bring fresh ideas and will emerge as champions of change.
A prosperous outlook
Sunil Jose, Senior Area VP of Salesforce India, has shared that India is one of the fastest-growing regions for the company — a region that has more than doubled year-on-year. And, according to the IDC report,
Salesforce India will create more than 1.1 million direct and indirect jobs, contributing $17.2 million in new business revenues to the Indian GDP by 2022.
Many more jobs will be created in emerging markets like India where labor costs are relatively low. And India continues to be a key market for Salesforce, meaning more support and investment.
Trailhead: the key to skilling up for the future
What does this mean for you and your career? According to the World Economic Forum, 33 percent of the skills companies demand will be new. You may fall behind if you do not reinvent your CV.
To ride the Fourth Industrial Revolution wave, you need to invest time to skill-up, work hard, work smart, and — most of all — make some changes to transform yourself.
Here are six ways you can prepare yourself to thrive in this brave new world:
- Reflect on your past and write your future
Reflect on your accomplishments during the last 5 years and think about what you did to get where you are today. Now, write down what you want your future to look like for the next 5 years. Think outside the box and way beyond your job. Consider your family, local community, lifestyle, mentoring aspirations, and how you can give back to help others along the way. - Build your skills with Trailhead
Skilling up on Salesforce is easy with Trailhead — the fun way to learn. You can build all the skills you need to thrive in the tech workforce, be it Salesforce skills, business skills, tech skills, soft skills, and even partner skills. You can also earn resume-worthy credentials that businesses hire for. The magic of Trailhead is the community of one million learners, where you will find opportunities from mentorship to employment. - Choose your career path
Do you want to become a Salesforce Developer? Business owner? Consultant? Trainer? The Salesforce ecosystem has a multitude of careers for you to choose from. Check out these popular paths to get a sense of the kind of job that would be the best fit for you. - Know that soft skills matter too
Improve your written and verbal communication. Learn how to think strategically and keep the big picture in mind. Get skilled in presenting topics in one-on-one and small group settings. Focus on building your relationships, character, knowledge, and intuition and learning from past successes. Create a brand for yourself by knowing who you are and how others know you. The good news is you can learn all of these skills on Trailhead! - Plug into the Trailblazer Community
The Trailblazer Community is for everyone and is key to succeeding in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Pay-it-forward by answering questions and sharing ideas. Join virtual and in-person meetups in your local community, and connect at Salesforce events. Everyone needs a mentor no matter how young, old, or experienced you are. Share your knowledge with others. And do it with a humble heart and selfless motives. - Stay connected
Be active on social. Share your knowledge via blogs and articles. Keep your Trailhead and LinkedIn profiles up-to-date. Network with people in and outside of the Salesforce ecosystem. Keep abreast of the latest technology news.
You are in the right place at the right time to be part of a thriving Trailblazer Community, whether you’re in India or anywhere else for that matter!
The opportunity is here. There are so many Salesforce career options to choose from. Skilling up with Trailhead is free, and the Trailblazer Community is always there to support you.
Are you ready to make your mark for India, for your future, your family, and your local community? Our commitment to India continues by bringing MOAR Trailhead programs and events to support you.
The time is now. Join me and be counted as an India Trailblazer in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Whether you’re looking to get started with Trailhead (there’s a trailmix for that!) or you’re a Trailhead-fan chasing all the badges, we want you — our Trailblazers from all walks of life — to share your story with us.
