Troogue aims to bridge AI skill gap with vetted talent marketplace

Bengaluru: As Artificial Intelligence (AI) makes deep inroads into the technology industry, hiring the right talent has become increasingly critical. Especially as the industry shifts to flexible work models, companies are being forced to invest more carefully in talent to achieve desired outcomes. In many instances, skill mismatches have led to project losses and erosion of client goodwill.

At the same time, a growing number of technology professionals are leaving traditional employment to operate as freelancers, offering services directly to clients. This migration has accelerated in the post-COVID period.

To address the widening skill gap in the technology industry, veteran IT professional Girish Ramadurgam, along with two co-founders, launched Troogue, a talent marketplace that offers a range of IT gigs, including remote, hybrid, and in-office, to technology professionals. The platform also enables enterprises to access a diversified and vetted talent pool.

“During the COVID pandemic, companies began actively looking at workplace flexibility. That shift triggered the idea of starting Troogue. It is a marketplace that enables enterprises to find the right talent at scale,” Ramadurgam told BizzBuzz.

Ramadurgam’s deep understanding of the IT sector stems from his nearly three-decade-long career with companies such as Tata Infotech, Wipro, Tessallis, and Virtusa. Having witnessed industry pain points firsthand, he is now leveraging new-age technologies such as AI, machine learning, and data analytics to address the skill gap.

A mechanical engineer with a management degree from Bayes Business School, London, Ramadurgam said Troogue primarily focuses on enterprises seeking the right talent base to support their digital transformation journeys.

“The profiles available on our platform are highly authentic, and we vouch for the skills and expertise of professionals. We conduct interviews before onboarding any profile. We also provide detailed assessments outlining their competencies and areas of expertise,” he said.

Troogue currently has a core team of around 20 employees and over 130 technology professionals working on contract. The company is expanding its contract talent base at a rate of 5–7 per cent every month.

In the coming quarters, Troogue plans to expand its footprint across multiple countries, driven by the growing global demand for AI talent.