PMI says, Technical skills are optional for Project Manager but my experience shows, Technical skills are required for Project Manager. Lack of technical skills enforce you to over dependent on team. Project Managers should have the technical knowledge and skills needed to do their jobs. If managers lack these skills, short training is one option before project kicks-off. Senior management should ask the question, do the project managers need more technical skills than they already possess? On larger complex projects, such as systems integration projects or multiple-year projects, there are frequently too many complex technologies for the project manager to master. Technical training that provides breadth may be useful. On smaller projects, the project manager may also be a key technical contributor. In this case, technical training may enhance the abilities of project managers to contribute technically, but it is unlikely to improve their management skills.
Latest trend shows, employers are preferring technically skilled Project Managers over purely Project Managers to take the advantage of multi-skilled work force...