Japan faces software engineer shortage, looks to India for talent

Toshihiro Mizutani, Director General of Jetro, acknowledged its lag in software capabilities compared to the U.S. and Europe

August 7, 2024

The Japan-India Innovation Pitch event in Bengaluru aimed to foster collaboration between Indian and Japanese startups and corporates, receiving 135 applications from startups, with 15 shortlisted

Corporates like Maruti Suzuki, Omron Healthcare, Toyota Tsusho, GMR Group, and Infosys participated, seeking innovative tech solutions from startups for various industry needs

Geetanjali Vikram Kirloskar emphasised the importance of respect, trust, humility, and patience in accelerating economic ties with Japan

The Japan-India Innovation Pitch has already seen success in other countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam by involving social entrepreneurs in economic growth

Japan is expected to face a significant shortage of 180,000 software engineers by 2030, and to address this gap, the country may turn to India’s robust software capabilities and tech talent pool. Toshihiro Mizutani, Director General of the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro), highlighted Japan’s strong hardware industry but admitted its software sector lags behind the U.S. and Europe.

Speaking at the Japan-India Innovation Pitch event in Bengaluru, organised by Jetro with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Mizutani emphasised the importance of collaboration between Indian and Japanese startups and corporates. The event saw an overwhelming response, with 135 startup applications, of which 15 were shortlisted.

Major corporates like Maruti Suzuki, Omron Healthcare, Toyota Tsusho, GMR Group, and Infosys participated, seeking innovative tech solutions from startups for a variety of industry applications. Geetanjali Vikram Kirloskar, addressing the gathering, highlighted four guiding principles—respect, trust, humility, and patience—essential for accelerating economic ties with Japan.

Mizutani noted that while the Japan-India Innovation Pitch is a new initiative for India, it has already been successful in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, particularly in involving social entrepreneurs in economic growth.

Source: The Hindu

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