India tech leaders back engineers for sustainability & AI

Technology executives used National Engineers Day in India to underscore the role of engineering talent in sustainability, artificial intelligence and long-term economic growth. Leaders from Marvell Technology and Harness highlighted the need for structured investment in skills and for engineers who can strip complexity from fast-changing systems.

The comments come as India positions engineering as a core pillar of its ambitions in semiconductors, digital infrastructure and domestic technology platforms. Industry groups and companies are placing greater emphasis on early-stage training, diversity in science and engineering, and the effect of generative AI on software development and design.

At US chip designer Marvell, India has become a key engineering base for both hardware and software. The company is using scholarships, internships and intensive training to strengthen its local talent pipeline and increase the number of women in engineering roles.

"Investing in talent is investing in the future," said Navin Bishnoi, VP and India Country Manager, Marvell Technology. "Through M-STEM, we awarded 100 scholarships, including 53 to women scholars, supporting the next generation of engineering talent and creating greater opportunities for women in STEM. As we celebrate Engineering Day, we are reminded that engineering has the power to address some of the world's most pressing challenges and create solutions for a better, more sustainable future. At Marvell, our commitment extends beyond scholarships through robust training and internship programmes that equip young engineers with the skills, experience and opportunities they need to innovate, solve complex challenges and shape the technologies of tomorrow."

Engineers in India sit at the centre of multinational semiconductor design, cloud services and software delivery operations. Industry executives see the country's graduate base as a long-term advantage, but warn that formal education alone cannot keep pace with rapid change in fields such as AI, networking and data infrastructure.

For software firms, the debate now extends beyond the number of engineers on a team to how those teams design systems that can scale and support others. AI-assisted coding tools are changing how software is written, increasing the importance of architectural judgement and the ability to manage complexity.

San Francisco-based software group Harness, which focuses on software delivery automation, has outlined a view of engineering centred on leverage rather than output volume.

"Good engineering is often less about what one team can build and more about what their work enables others to achieve. The best engineering removes complexity, creates strong foundations for others to build on and ultimately delivers outcomes that matter to customers and the business. It should also stand the test of time, continuing to scale as teams and organisations grow. What truly matters is judgement, curiosity and the ability to think beyond the problem in front of you, understand the outcome you are trying to create and work backwards from it. As AI makes building faster and more accessible, that engineering judgement becomes even more important: knowing not just what to build, but why it matters and what impact it should create. On Engineers' Day, I want to celebrate the engineers whose work creates leverage for everyone around them, helping teams build better, solve harder problems and turn engineering effort into meaningful outcomes," said Arvind Aravamudhan, Senior Director of Platform Engineering, Harness.

National Engineers Day has become a focal point for corporate announcements on skills, scholarships and research partnerships. The comments from Marvell and Harness reflect a broader shift from headline hiring numbers to how engineers are trained, supported and evaluated in an era of automation and sustainability targets.