India’s tech and IT sector continues to grow, expected to top $300 billion in fiscal year 2026.
However, although India produces a skilled workforce, many of these developers and engineers end up working abroad as companies in other countries look to plug their own talent gaps.
In fact, a third of top graduates from the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology are among those emigrating and it’s hitting the tech sector hard.
This is why the question of retention is now a pressing leader for the local tech sector.
Although AI-generated code and Agentic AI can fill some of the gaps, it’s still no replacement for creative tech talent. Further, without new hires entering at junior and mid-level positions, the pipeline to leadership roles will dry up.
The pressure is mounting for companies to retain their star performers that make significant contributions to the company and boast a culture that attracts new talent.
Here, digital transformation firm Ness Digital Engineering has long championed the importance of talent as a critical business resource. The company has doubled-down for years on internal training and development programs that not only nurture a pipeline of talent from within, but take steps to improve staff retention rates by celebrating excellence and supporting rising stars.
Now, this work has received global recognition.
Ness Digital Engineering (Ness) announced today that it was recognized with the 2025 BEST Award by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), a sought-after recognition that celebrates organizations and their talent development.
The company’s commitment to continuous learning and development is demonstrated in the results of the award, which noted that 94% of the organization actively participated in learning in 2024 with no signs of slowing in 2025.
Yet the most effective training programs are ones that align closely with business goals. Here, the Ness Academy connects the dots between continuous professional development and emerging industry demand to build future-ready talent and enrich company culture.
Ranjit Tinaikar, CEO of Ness Digital Engineering, said: “Talent is at the heart of everything we do, and our continued success depends on empowering our people to grow with the evolving demands of the industry. This award is a proud reflection of the strong learning culture we’ve built at Ness Digital Engineering, one that prioritizes continuous development, curiosity, and future-readiness.”
For Ness, its talent development strategy brings together five key pillars.
- The company ensures that all employees have the latest digital skills that support both career growth and client satisfaction. This includes a comprehensive certification program in Data, Cloud, UI, Agile, DevOps, and Gen AI, along with graduate and partner initiatives.
- NessNext ensures that the best talent can rise to the surface, taking active steps to improve internal mobility through upskilling and rotating associates.
- The digital enterprise leader also recognizes the importance of building a strong internal leadership pipeline that improves long-term business continuity and performance. This is achieved through programs like Ness Certified Engineering Lead, ‘Data to Story,’ Gravitas, and iLead.
- The SkillNess Repository offers real-time skill profiling and enables targeted talent deployment and development.
- Finally, a continuous culture of learning is nurtured through round tables, fireside chats and the Tech Tribe to drive high-impact results and programs that give employees the skills they need to perform to their full potential
The 2025 BEST Award is a testament to the results that Ness has already achieved with its training and development programs. Since 2003, the BEST Awards have recognized organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through talent development.
