This refers to ‘AI won’t take India’s tech jobs away’ (March 4). Despite its many advantages, artificial intelligence is better viewed as a support and productivity tool rather than a full replacement for technology jobs. AI systems are largely algorithm-driven and depend heavily on historical data for training. At the same time, the rapid expansion of data centres, an area where India is emerging as a major hub, requires significant skilled manpower for infrastructure management, cybersecurity, and system operations.

Further, developing and deploying algorithms effectively requires strong domain knowledge and human judgment. Tasks involving research, innovation, and complex decision-making continue to rely heavily on human expertise. It is more likely that AI will reshape and augment the tech workforce rather than eliminate it.

Srinivasan Velamur

Chennai

Pruning the workforce

It is an undeniable fact that the Indian IT services industry maintained resilience and withstood the insurmountable pressure from the dot-com crash and other disruptions in the past.

However, in anticipation of large scale takeover by disruptive technologies, some companies have already started pruning their workforce, on the grounds that the skills of the identified personnel are AI non-compatible.

Considering the benefits of AI, there is a need for continuous review of the issues cropping up for a sustainable employment growth in the IT services sector.

Sitaram Popuri

Bengaluru

Spectrum reserve price

Apropos ‘Optimal bandwidth’ (March 4). TRAI’s decision to slash spectrum reserve prices is overdue, but acknowledgement alone does not fix a broken system. For years, artificially high reserve prices kept large chunks of spectrum unsold while operators deferred network investment and consumers paid more. The 2024 auction, where barely 12 per cent of the revenue target was met, made the problem impossible to ignore any longer. Cutting prices is necessary, but the deeper reform required is moving away from fixed annual auctions towards a flexible, demand-driven model. Operators should be able to acquire spectrum when needed. Idle airwaves serve no one — neither the exchequer, nor subscribers. A dynamic marketplac would serve India’s connectivity goals better than calendar-driven auctions calibrated to outdated revenue assumptions.

A Myilsami

Coimbatore

Published on March 4, 2026