India’s artificial intelligence workforce, or India AI workforce, is expected to double to more than 12.5 lakh professionals by 2027, government data shows, countering fears of mass job losses as AI adoption accelerates across industries.
India’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is creating jobs rather than eliminating them, according to a year-ender note released Tuesday by the central government. The note cites industry data projecting strong growth in AI-related employment over the next two years.
The government referenced a report by NASSCOM titled Advancing India’s AI Skills, which estimates that India AI workforce will expand from about six to 6.5 lakh professionals to more than 12.5 lakh by 2027. The projected compound annual growth rate is about 15 percent.
Officials said demand is rising across roles such as data science, data curation, AI engineering and analytics. As of August 2025, about 8.65 lakh candidates had enrolled in or completed training in emerging technologies, including 3.20 lakh in AI and big data analytics, the note said.
“AI is often viewed as a job disruptor, but evidence shows it is generating new career paths and opportunities,” the note said, adding that skill development remains central to sustaining this growth of the India AI workforce.
Government Says AI Creating Jobs, Not Replacing Them
The government highlighted large-scale efforts to prepare the workforce for AI-driven change through national skilling initiatives. Chief among them is FutureSkills PRIME, launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to reskill and upskill information technology professionals.
FutureSkills PRIME focuses on 10 emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. As of August 2025, more than 18.56 lakh candidates had registered on the platform, and over 3.37 lakh had successfully completed courses, expanding the talent pool for the India AI workforce.
Beyond jobs, officials said AI is reshaping governance and public services. Technologies such as machine learning, optical character recognition and natural language processing are now used for translation, prediction, automated filing, intelligent scheduling and chatbot-based citizen communication.
AI tools are also being deployed to improve administrative efficiency and decision-making across departments, the note said.
Skilling Programs Expand as Industry Trains at Scale
Industry leaders say India has a chance to play a central role in the global AI ecosystem if talent development keeps pace with demand.
“India has a huge opportunity to be a global leader in AI, and creating AI fluency at scale is a critical step in that journey,” said the India head of a global technology company, as quoted in the report.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has also described India’s technology sector as the potential “front office of the world’s AI revolution.”
Major technology firms are already investing heavily in AI training. Tata Consultancy Services has trained about 3.5 lakh employees, Wipro about 2.2 lakh, and Microsoft aims to provide AI skilling to two million Indians by 2025, all contributing to a stronger India AI workforce. Infosys has launched customized in-house AI programs and partnered with academic institutions through its Infosys Springboard initiative.
Despite this momentum, NASSCOM warned that AI market growth of 25 to 35 percent could still create a demand-supply gap for skilled professionals.
Gujarat Plans First PPP AI Research Body in GIFT City
In a related development, Gujarat will operationalize the Indian AI Research Organisation on Jan. 1, 2026, under a public-private partnership model. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has granted in-principle approval, making Gujarat the first state to establish such an AI body through a PPP framework.
The organization will be set up as a non-profit special purpose vehicle under Section Eight of the Companies Act, 2013, and will be based in GIFT City. The state government, the central government and the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance will each contribute about Rs 300 crore.
Officials said the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to strengthen India’s capabilities in emerging technologies and accelerate AI research and innovation nationwide, further enhancing the India AI workforce.
Source – https://businessviewpointmagazine.com/india-ai-workforce/