With half of its population under 25 and the unemployment rate at four-decade high, India faces an uncertain future. The question on young people’s minds: what kinds of jobs will we have? Quartz asked leaders across India’s biggest industries about that one job in their company or field that will be the most crucial in the coming decades.
Between April and September last year, India’s logistics sector added nearly 150,000 jobs on the back of higher e-commerce proliferation. By 2020, the industry is set to employ 40 million professionals. Yet, the industry has not been unscathed by India’s economic slowdown. In a bid to reduce costs, logistics startup Rivigo, for instance, laid off 70-100 people last year. It also rolled back around 50 placement offers from 10 premier campuses, including IITs, and IIMs.
Vikash Mohan, the chief executive officer of DHL SmarTrucking, told Quartz:
The most vital role for us is that of the regional lead. This role reports directly to the CEO and is responsible for many things: the bottom line of his/her region, how best to divide our business for administrative purposes, the success of our sales and operations teams, employee motivation, and customer experience. Because it has a significant impact on the business, the regional director role requires a high degree of technical competence and business acumen. With today’s rapidly evolving logistics landscape, this role will be central to our organization-wide digitization program.
Finding the right candidate for this position can often be a challenge, given the unique skill set it demands: extensive experience and a thorough understanding of the Indian line-haul industry. The person must also be able to contribute to the strategic direction of the company, manage operations across the entire region, maintain client relationships, and implement new systems and processes. Continuity in this role is vital—we ensure succession plans are in place for such roles. We keep track of potential future candidates through searches and market intelligence.