Navigating the Data Era: Career

Paths in Data Science, Analytics,

and Statistics

Lanwin Lobo
The Data-Driven World
AI Ecosystem
Data Science: Interdisciplinary field
using programming, math, and
domain knowledge to extract
insights . Often builds predictive
models and AI solutions.

Data Analytics: Focuses on analyzing

existing data sets to find trends and
answer specific questions
for business decisions .

Statistics: The foundation – methods

to collect, analyze, and interpret
data. Provides the theoretical
backbone for both science and
analytics.
The Data Revolution
 Most Values Skills today!!

Machine Learning & AI Data Visualization

Quantitative Skills
How is the Job market ?
Salary Ranges in India
• For fresh graduates in India: If you join as a data analyst or junior data scientist at a
decent company, you might expect around ₹5–8 LPA (lakhs per annum) as a starting
salary.
• This can be higher if you’re at a top company or have a master’s from a top institute
(some IIT/IIM analytics grads get ₹10–15 LPA offers even as freshers), or slightly lower in
smaller towns or non-tech industries.
• The average salary for data science professionals (across experience levels) was cited
around ₹8–10 lakh in 2020 , and more recent sources put it closer to ₹12 lakh as the field
has matured and salaries have risen.
• professionals (with ~5 years exp) often earned beyond ₹20 LPA.
• In certain sectors like tech or consulting, a mid-level data scientist can earn ₹30 LPA or
more. And if you climb to leadership (Head of Analytics, etc.), packages can go into crores
(especially with stock options in startups).
• Data Scientists in the US average about $140k (~₹1.1 crore) a year, whereas in India it’s
about ₹8.2 lakh per year
Current Market Trends and Demand
• Industry estimates project around 11 million job openings in data science
in India by 2026 – a staggering figure indicating huge opportunities for
today’s students.
• Industry Adoption: It’s not just tech companies – banks, hospitals, FMCG,
startups, government – all are hiring data experts
• in India, the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, Insurance) sector had the
highest share of analytics jobs (over one-third) , thanks to needs in risk
analysis and customer data.
• E-commerce, telecom, and healthcare are also rapidly expanding their data
teams.
• Even traditional manufacturing is using Industry 4.0 data for smart factories
How do I become a Statistician or a Data Science
Professional ?
✓Obtain your Undergraduate Degree
Major in statistics, applied mathematics, or a closely related field (i.e.
economics, computer science)
✓Gain experience through internships and data analysis competitions
test your skills with real world data, such as through Kaggle, DrivenData, and
KDnuggets.
✓Earn an Advanced degree
Master’s degrees in applied statistics or mathematics, Phd in specialized field
✓Add professional certifications to your resume
Gstat, Pstat, SAS, CFA for investment management etc
✓Specialize in a field
finance, education, psychology, biology, geography, economics, health, marketing and product
development, pharmaceutical etc
Your Pathway to Success

• Undergraduate Domestic Options:

• B.Sc. in Statistics, Data Science, Mathematics, Economics and Statistics,
Economics and Mathematics (Math:Stats, CS:Stats, Eco:Stats) - Should have
studied Maths or Stats in 12th
• Integrated programs like B.Sc. + M.Sc. Data Science
• BCom with specialization in Business Analytics or Data Analytics
• BCA (if interested in Computers) or specialization in Data Analytics
• BE or BTEch CS with Specialization in Data Science, AI and ML
• B. Stats (Bachelor’s of Statistics) – ISI Admission Test or CUET UG
• interdisciplinary programs like Economics (B.A. in Economics) – which involves
statistics and data analysis (econometrics).
Your Pathway to Success

• Undergraduate International Programs

Look for Specialization in the below areas
• Decision Analytics
• Data Science and Analytics
• Data Science and Economics
• Statistics and Applied Mathematics
• Quantitative Finance
• Financial Mathematics
Professional Certifications & Continous
Learning
• In parallel or after studies, many pursue certifications to boost skills.
• Tech giants and platforms offer credentials
• Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate,
• IBM Data Science
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist.

These courses (often online) help in learning industry tools . They do not replace a
degree but can greatly enhance your resume and practical know-how.
• Take online courses (Coursera, edX, etc.) in Python, machine learning, etc., or
attend workshops/hackathons.
• Building a portfolio (like Kaggle competitions or projects) during college can
showcase skills without formal experience.
Planning for the Long Run
1. Try Indian Statistical Institute for PG- an applicant must have a three-year
Bachelor’s degree or a BE/B Tech degree with Statistics as a subject. M.Sc.
in Quantitative Economics .Through ISI Admission Test, qualified
candidates will be offered admission to ISI @ Blore ,Kolkata, Delhi and
Mumbai .
2. You can pursue your higher education in M.Sc in Statistics. or you could
try abroad for a MS in data analytics (clear GRE)
3. Take up Data Science course after degree in Statistics/Mathematics from
a premier institute
4. Take Biostatistics to work with Pharma/Agricultural Companies –Masters
in Bio Stats
5. Course Combination of Statistics Mathematics and Computer Science
Some Specializations
1. Pursue MSc in Operations Research - National Institute of
Technology – NIT Tiruchirappalli
2. Pursue MA/MSc in Econometrics from a reputed college
3. MSc Economics is mainly focused on calculations and figures with
the help of statistics and they need to look this subject with
science view point.
4. M.Sc. Agricultural Statistics –ICAR and Indian Agricultural Statistics
Research Institute
 Data Science: Unveiling Patterns in Data

• Avg Salary for 1-2 years Experienced Data Analyst :4 - 5 Lakhs

• Avg Salary for 5 -8years Experience Data Scientist : 15-19 Lakhs ,Vast
Onsite Opportunities
• How to Get there : Pursue Degree in Statistics/Maths/CSc from a reputed
college and Masters in Data science or Statistics
 Statistical Modeller
WHAT WILL YOU DO? WHAT DO YOU NEED ?
• Research & leverage state of art modeling techniques, participates in modeling • Master’s degree or Ph.D. in
innovation. Mathematics, Statistics, Analytics,
• Identify best analytical techniques that can be effectively applied to achieve Computer Science and/or Physics,
business objectives and interpret next best action through data driven insights
• Building end to end automated analytic solutions that are intuitive, simple to
preferably in banking & financial
maintain, and drive real business outcomes services industry
• Data gathering and cleansing, statistical transformation, feature engineering &
selection
• experience in credit risk, fraud risk,
• Build & deploy response models leveraging analytical techniques such as
linear/logistic regression models, Gradient Boosting, Random Forest, Attribution to marketing analytics, optimization,
determine Product Propensity as well as Customer Contact Channel Preference operation analytics, Modeling/Data
• Conduct Model Validation & documentation including KS, Gini Coefficient, ROC Science
Curve, PSI
• Knowledge of Python, R, SAS or SQL
• Build Strategies & Design Experiment & conduct A/B testing to prove or disprove
hypothesis will be preferred
• Evaluate & deploy new tools, techniques & technologies to advance analytical
capabilities
• Operates as a subject matter expert on statistical analysis, test & design of
experiment analysis methodology & financial impact analysis. Base pay range
$78,000/yr - $113,000/yr
Actuary An actuary works in the following fields:
• General insurance
• Investment
• Pensions and employee benefits
• Reinsurance companies
• Life insurance and Health insurance

How to become one ?

✓ Pursue your graduation in Maths, Statistics, B.Com or Actuarial
Science.
✓ Take the Actuarial Common Entrance Test (ACET).
✓ One has to become a student member of an actuarial body
before starting the exams
✓ Clear Actuarial Science Stages (15 in total) – after 12th or grad
✓ Courses available include Post graduate diploma in Actuarial
Science, MSc. in Actuarial science (Christ college Bangalore)
✓ Salary: 20 to 25 lacs PA
✓ Takes min of 5-8 years to be an Actuary
 Indian Statistical Service /Indian Economic
Service

• For IES, The candidates must have obtained a Post

Graduate Degree in Economics/Applied
• Appear for the Indian Statistical Services Exam or Indian Economic Services
Economics/Business Economics/Econometrics Exam conducted by UPSC Annually (Written + Interview)
• For ISS, The candidates must have obtained a Bachelor's • Age Limit :21-30
Degree with Statistics/Mathematical Statistics/Applied
Statistics as one of the subject or a Master’s Degree in
• There will six papers including General Studies and General English, Statistics-I,
Statistics/Mathematical Statistics/Applied Statistics
II, III and IV.
 Staff Selection Commission
https://ssc.nic.in/

SSC (Staff Selection Commission) conducts departmental exams for existing government
employees seeking promotions or transfers within their respective departments.
Take Quantitative Aptitude (Paper 1) , English Comprehension(Paper 2) and Statistics(Paper 3)
Academics
• Teach at various colleges and Private and Govt Institutes after Masters Degree.
• Could pursue Ph.D. from Foreign or Indian Universities. Foreign Univ provide
scholarships and stipends
• One can join Research as Junior Research Fellow provided you clear NET or
SLET
• One can also become Assistant Professor or Associate Professor by qualifying
NET or KSET exam.
• Staff Selection Commission recruits M.Sc. graduates in Statistics for Scientific
Assistant position with a Pay grade starting from 30-50k thousand per month
 Biostatistician
• Using the tools of statistics, biostatisticians
help answer pressing research questions in
medicine, biology and public health, such as
whether a new drug works, what causes
cancer and other diseases, and how long a
person with a certain illness is likely to
survive.
• Tools Used: SAS and other clinical related
tools
• Pay Grade: For 1 -3 years Exp - 4-5 lakhs
• A bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Statistics,
Mathematics or Biostatistics
 "The future belongs to those
who can decode the language of
data."

Lanwin Lobo
Senior Director, Data Science and AI
MResult Technologies Ltd, Mangalore
+91-9886810841
Top Global Universities:
• Degrees from renowned institutions can open global opportunities.
• MIT
• Stanford
• Harvard
• UC Berkley
• University of Oxford in the UK ;
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Imperial College
• Cambridge

• Admission requires GRE (mostly) and TOEFL/IELTS, plus a solid academic background The US has the advantage of OPT (Optional
Practical Training) – after completing a STEM degree, you can work in the US for up to 3 years without a work visa, which often is a
pathway to an H-1B visa if the employer sponsors you.
• Programs like Master’s in Data Science or Business Analytics are popular among Indian students aspiring abroad.
• Scholarships and assistantships can help with funding if you have a strong profile.
Visa-Friendly Countries
• United States – world leader in tech (Silicon Valley) though work visas (H-1B) can
be competitive.
• Canada – booming tech hubs (Toronto, Vancouver) and easier immigration
(Global Talent Stream visa fast-tracks work permits for skilled tech workers )
• United Kingdom – London’s a global data hub, and the UK has a Global Talent
Visa for AI and data professionals plus 2-year post-study work visas for graduates.
• Germany, Netherlands – needs tech talent, offers EU Blue Card visa and
free/low-cost education; Berlin and Munich have many startups
• Australia – growing analytics market, high quality of life, and skilled visa
pathways
• Singapore – an Asian tech hub with government-backed AI programs, relatively
accessible Employment Pass visas