Artificial intelligence's potential to replace jobs has dominated discussions about it for the past few years. However, a recent development in India's labour market indicated that AI is also opening up profitable chances for a different group of workers: robotics experts, electricians, and HVAC technicians.
The need for electricians in India has increased by 242% over the last four years, according to a recruitment agency Randstad's research of over 50 million job posts. The need for robotics specialists has increased by over 500%, while recruiting for HVAC technicians has increased by 200%, according to the Economic Times.
The tendency draws attention to a developing reality of the AI era: each advancement in AI necessitates a sizable physical infrastructure driven by highly qualified human labour. Cooling systems must run continuously, data centers require electricity, and industries are depending more and more on automation equipment that needs to be installed and maintained.
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Viswanath P S, Managing Director and CEO of Randstad India, referred to the change as a "labour flip" in which many traditional entry-level office positions are starting to lose ground to skilled technical trades.
Change In Salaries
According to the data, entry-level white-collar salaries in India are expanding at an average annual rate of 4%, while blue-collar wages are growing at an average annual rate of 5.7%. Because of this, the pay difference between office workers and experienced tradesmen is quickly closing.
Basic desk occupations already pay much less than some specialised technical skills. The average yearly pay for mechanics working in robotics and specialised maintenance is $9,106, whilst plant and machine operators get about $7,815. Building and construction workers make around $5,420 a year, while electricians — including those who install HVAC systems and handle wiring — make about $3,296.
In contrast, entry-level white-collar jobs like data entry operators and junior accountants make about $2,711 a year. Additionally, automation and AI-driven efficiency are becoming more prevalent in many of these jobs.
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A similar picture is revealed by the hiring statistics. Between 2022 and 2026, the number of blue-collar jobs in India increased by 93%, primarily due to infrastructure developments and the quick growth of AI-related facilities. Additionally, white-collar employment has increased by almost 40%, making India one of the few large economies that are growing in both sectors.
As companies race to build AI infrastructure, the biggest beneficiaries may not be software engineers alone. Increasingly, electricians, HVAC experts and robotics technicians are becoming some of the most sought-after workers in the country's AI-powered economy.
Software engineers might not be the only ones who gain the most as businesses rush to develop AI infrastructure. In the nation's AI-driven economy, workers like electricians, HVAC specialists, and robotics technicians are increasingly in high demand.
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