India needs AI talent now to boost tech & economic impact

As India aims to become a global leader in AI, a significant challenge remains – the shortage of skilled talent. According to a report called “Advancing India’s AI Skills: Interventions and programmes needed,” by Deloitte India, in collaboration with Nasscom, there is a pressing need to cultivate a highly skilled AI workforce to propel the country’s digital economy. Despite growing AI adoption across industries, the shortage of qualified professionals could slow innovation and growth.

The Indian AI talent demand is projected to grow from 600,000–650,000 to more than 1,250,000 during 2022–27. However, the AI market is expected to grow at 25–35 percent, potentially signalling a demand-supply gap in the talent pool and a need for upskilling existing talent. Over the past year, 43 percent of the Indian workforce across sectors have used AI in their organisations. About 60 percent of workers and ...