India is poised to become a global AI talent hub, but a looming skill gap threatens to hinder its progress, with a new study by Bain & Company revealing that the country’s AI sector could face a shortfall of over a million skilled professionals by 2027.
The report highlighted the urgent need for India to reskill and upskill its workforce to meet the growing demand for AI expertise.
“India has a unique opportunity to position itself as a global AI talent hub. However, by 2027, the job openings in AI are expected to be 1.5–2x of the talent availability. The challenge -- and opportunity -- lies in reskilling and upskilling a significant portion of the existing talent base on emerging technology tools and skillsets,” said Saikat Banerjee, Partner and leader in Bain & Company’s AI, Insights, and Solutions practice in India.
India’s AI sector could surpass 2.3 million job openings by 2027 while the AI talent pool is expected to grow to around 1.2 million, presenting an opportunity to reskill more than 1 million workers, according to the report.
Since 2019, AI-related job postings have exploded, increasing by 21 per cent annually, while compensation for these roles has risen by 11 per cent each year.
Despite this surge in demand and attractive salaries, the supply of qualified AI professionals has not kept pace.
Women in AI
The underrepresentation of women in the field of AI poses a significant risk of perpetuating the prevailing societal biases into future technologies, according to a top Microsoft executive.
Himani Agrawal, chief partner officer, Microsoft India and South Asia, believes that inclusion is a shared responsibility and if AI continues to be shaped without diverse perspectives, the biases of today risk becoming hardwired into the technology of tomorrow.
