Avaya to increase 20% workforce in India over the next year

Avaya intends to grow its workforce in India by 20 per cent in the coming year. The decision comes in response to the growing demand for AI-driven customer experience innovations. Currently, one-third of the company’s global engineering staff, primarily involved in core development tasks, is based in India.

Avaya is a global communications technology company, majorly focusing on enhancing solutions for contact centres, including Airtel, State Bank of India, and the Government of India, contributing significantly to the nation’s GDP and annual expenditure.

In an official media statement, Alan Masarek, CEO, Avaya, revealed that the company’s employee count in India was 1,200 in June 2023, which has increased to 1,500. Now the company is committed to further expanding by another 20 per cent in the next year, with growth across all areas.

The company is actively seeking to recruit for various roles, primarily data scientists and engineers with expertise in artificial intelligence (AI).

Masarek highlighted that the growing market momentum in India is driven by a keen interest in AI-driven advancements for customer experiences. Customers are increasingly seeking generative AI-powered solutions to lower operational costs in contact centres, with a significant portion of these costs attributed to agent salaries.

He also expressed his belief that in the short to medium term, AI will not lead to a reduction in agent employment, citing uncertainty about the long-term impact due to the rapidly-changing world.

To support this perspective, Masarek referred to the introduction of ATMs, where initial concerns about the end of teller jobs were alleviated as banks expanded services, leading to increased employment. He added that routine tasks would be managed by computer solutions, freeing people to engage in roles demanding empathy.