India will need 1M AI professionals by 2026: Report
What's the story
India is set to witness an unprecedented demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI) professionals, with a projected need of one million skilled workers by 2026.
The prediction comes from a report titled "India's AI Revolution: A Roadmap to Viksit Bharat," released by the Union Ministry of Electronics & IT.
The surge in demand is driven by India's ambition to become a $23-$35 trillion economy by 2047.
Educational shift
Engineering education undergoes transformation
The report highlights a major transformation in higher education, especially in engineering, to meet the demands of an AI-driven job market.
The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has reported a nearly 16% increase in approved B.Tech seats for the 2024-25 academic year.
This growth is largely due to a more than 50% increase in seats for Computer Science and related fields like AI/ML, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Cloud Computing, and Blockchain.
Learning evolution
Interdisciplinary learning gaining traction in tech education
India's tech education landscape is increasingly adopting interdisciplinary and industry-integrated learning to cultivate a new generation of engineers who excel at coding, creating, collaborating, and leading innovation.
The shift from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) to STEAM (adding Arts) is gaining momentum.
This approach combines technical knowledge with design thinking, communication skills, psychology, law, and business acumen.
Recently, Symbiosis International University has launched the Symbiosis Artificial Intelligence Institute (SAII), which will integrate cutting-edge AI into academic programs and research projects.
Industry growth
India's AI industry projected to reach $28.8 billion by 2025
The India Skills Report 2024 by Wheebox predicts that India's AI industry will reach $28.8 billion by 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45%.
The report also notes that the AI-skilled workforce has grown 14 times from 2016 to 2023.
This makes India one of the top five fastest-growing hubs for AI talent, along with Singapore, Finland, Ireland, and Canada.
Curriculum changes
Institutions are embedding research-driven curricula and industry mentorship
The growing demand for AI professionals is driven by rapid technological progress.
To prepare a future-ready workforce, institutions are embedding research-driven curricula, industry mentorship, and global exposure into their programs.
New focus areas like Extended Reality (XR), data visualization, ethical AI, and digital manufacturing are becoming foundational to modern tech education.