How India can attract and retain AV talent

• Features

• 11/08/2026

There is little doubt that India’s AV industry is maturing rapidly. Infrastructure development is not slowing down, the projects keep coming, and the quality of Indian AV integration is recognised on an international level. Despite the region’s growing success, India’s AV industry does not exist in a vacuum, and the problems that plague the global industry also rear their ugly heads here.

Across the world, some of the brightest Indian programmers, R&D specialists, and technology officers are represented in global and regional roles within multinational corporations. This is both India’s blessing and curse when it comes to AV. Today, many of these companies are targeting the same recruitment sources that professional AV companies are also using to generate new talent, amplifying a shortage of talent in an industry that is already suffering from a visibility problem.

India is also affected by hundreds of industry specialists emigrating and taking their industry qualifications and experience abroad, particularly to the Middle East where some territories such as the UAE do not tax personal income or salaries. Internationally recognised certifications can make it easier for Indian professionals to pursue opportunities in these global markets, meaning the industry risks investing in the development of talent only to lose it once those individuals become more experienced and employable. That’s not to say that AV cannot compete, or that retaining people is simply a money game. However, the roadmap from education to a broader ‘career in tech’ is well trodden across India, and AV still isn’t on the map for many would-be professionals.

Much like the rest of the world, there is no formal educational pathway for prospective integrators to tread despite being a region renowned for its engineers and software specialists.

Girish Narayanan, founder, Granteq, explains: “India has a strong pipeline of graduates from computer science, electrical engineering and telecommunications, giving the AV industry access to exactly the kind of technical talent it needs. While sectors such as software development and AI have traditionally offered more visible career paths, the AV industry has an equally compelling opportunity to attract young professionals by communicating its true scope. Today’s AV careers combine engineering, software, automation, artificial intelligence, design and real-world problem-solving. By building greater awareness
of these opportunities and creating clearer professional development pathways, the industry can establish a stronger identity and position itself as an exciting long-term career choice.”

YL Pang, senior director, Asia Pacific, AVIXA, chalks the difficulties in recruitment up to a massively expanding market and an ever-expanding skill set that integrators need to master. He says: “India as a nation
has experienced massive growth, even our own market intelligence report, IOTA, shows that we are expecting approximately a 6% CAGR growth in the Pro AV market in India from 2025-2030. These
are great opportunities for the industry, but that has created the issue of finding and training new people, while also keeping people moving forward on their career path.

“Today’s AV professionals are not just purely AV engineers; they also need to make sure that they are knowledgeable in IT, cybersecurity, and AI as well. These industries are also actively headhunting prospective AV talent, so it’s no longer just about the paycheck anymore, we must invest in continuous learning to give AV engineers a clear career path.”

Unconventional approaches

As in many other regions, there is no formal educational route into the AV industry. Systems integrators must therefore find creative ways to recruit suitable talent, both through traditional channels and from adjacent industries. Kuldip Kamat, managing director, AllWave AV Systems, explains: “We look for talent in unconventional places, including trade schools and among people with IT backgrounds, rather than focusing solely on candidates with traditional electronics experience. India, as a developing country, has a large pool of young people seeking stable, long-term careers, so we often target those who might otherwise enter the IT sector but are drawn to something more hands-on and adventurous. They may enjoy working with hardware, understanding AV infrastructure, and shaping the end-user experience.”

Granteq has taken matters into its own hands to attract new talent, visiting colleges and schools and attending career fairs. However, there is still a long way to go in changing perceptions of the industry. These events reveal what young people want and need from a career. They suggest that the problem is not simply that the AV industry lacks visibility, but that it has struggled to communicate what it can offer. Girish continues: “We are actively engaging with schools, colleges and career fairs to introduce students to the opportunities within professional AV. Our priority is to present the industry in a way that reflects what it
has become today. AV is no longer simply about installing displays or pulling cables; it is about designing intelligent environments, integrating complex technologies and transforming how people communicate, collaborate and experience spaces. “For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, this creates an exciting combination of engineering, software, artificial intelligence, automation and creative design. Areas such as AI-enabled systems, immersive environments and user-centered room design allow young professionals to apply their technical knowledge while also exploring the creative side of technology. By communicating this broader vision more effectively, we can position AV alongside other innovative technology sectors and attract a new generation of talent.”

Learn by the book?

While progress is being made, it’s obvious that there is still a way to go to not just to advocate for systems integration and AV specialisations, but to stay on top of technological change. Education and recruitment will be key to keeping pace with the rapid expansion of the Indian market. For most companies, however, bringing new talent into the industry is only part of the puzzle. In such a specialist field, experience and knowledge remain crucial to the successful delivery of a project. If an integrator can overcome the lack of formal educational pathways, the next challenge comes in the form of retaining talent through a fulfilling career pathway. As technology, protocols, and standards evolve, how can AV integrators offer a cohesive and rewarding career path for new hires?

In a specialist industry, knowledge can be gained through both hands-on experience and formal training. But which route offers the greatest value? Some question whether courses and certifications offered by industry bodies can match the insight developed through practical work.

In India, AVIXA has taken a regional approach to bring international training standards across the country. YL adds: “AVIXA member companies receive access to free online training for their employees. We do a lot of
public courses at scheduled dates during the entire year in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, and other areas. We also partner with manufacturers and distributors that commission and deliver AVIXA training to their dealer networks, helping it reach the professionals who need it most.”

While training is undoubtedly valuable, thin profit margins in a highly competitive market can force companies to choose between keeping costs down and investing in formal upskilling, particularly when
employees can develop many of the same skills through practical experience.

Kuldip believes that practical experience is just as important, if not more so, than formal education. For Kuldip, hands on experimentation and imagination play a crucial part in the advancement of AV knowledge, finding solutions and use cases that may never have been considered before in formal training. “Let’s face it, a lot of companies in India end up doing extremely price-sensitive RFPs, and that doesn’t leave much meat
on the bones to do things like training, learning, and development,” says Kuldip. “I think a lot of it stems from building things, having the culture to build things, or experiment, to be more hands-on and tactile.
Formal education has its place, but it can only take you so far without practical, hands-on experience. In fact, it could be a stumbling block in an industry like ours because too much of it can make you miss the forest for the trees.

“When we are designing a bespoke space and use a product in a way that works but was never intended, the manufacturers put their hands up and say that they never considered that particular use case. In our mind, it’s an important use case and philosophy, encouraging us to think through the spec sheets a bit more. This can only happen when you’re employing critical thinking, and formal education doesn’t always necessarily improve your critical thinking skills. There’s only so far that the education route can take you before you must start getting on site, troubleshooting things, and effectively learning by doing it on the job.”

Girish believes that a hybrid model, incorporating practical learning with a strong training curriculum is the future of AV learning.

Girish adds: “Industry associations can help develop a hybrid learning model that combines global best practices with structured, on-the-job training. There is also an opportunity to create clearer AV curricula and career pathways in partnership with universities and technology providers. “Many professionals discover AV by chance. Our goal should be to turn that discovery into a purposeful, fulfilling career through training, mentorship and visible opportunities for growth.”

Main photo credit: Alexander SuperTramp/Shutterstock.com