AI Jobs Are Rising. India Isn’t Ready — Google.org Backs Call for Urgent Upskilling
- Chinmay
- July 9, 2025
- Artificial Intelligence, India
- AI India, AI jobs, AI upskilling, Digital Divide India, future of work India, Inclusive AI, India Automation, MSMEs and AI, Women in Workforce, Workforce Skilling
- 0 Comments
As artificial intelligence reshapes economies around the globe, a new report backed by Google.org and the Asian Development Bank sounds a clear alarm for India: we must upskill—fast. Despite having one of the world’s largest workforces and the youngest population, India is underprepared for the shift AI will bring. The report, “AI for All: Building an AI-ready Workforce in Asia-Pacific,” highlights a striking paradox. On one hand, AI could add $3 trillion to Asia-Pacific’s GDP by 2030. On the other, millions of Indian workers—especially in low-skilled, repetitive jobs—risk getting displaced by automation unless we act now.
The Risk of Being Left Behind
Jobs in data entry, admin support, scheduling, and logistics—many performed by women, informal workers, and digitally unskilled youth—are the first on AI’s chopping block. The report warns that without urgent, contextual, and inclusive skilling programs, these groups will fall further behind. Already, only 10% of India’s 1.5 million engineering graduates are expected to find jobs in 2024, according to Times of India. This isn’t a talent issue—it’s a skill mismatch.
“As labeling and training AI models become more automated, what happens to the millions who do this work today?” asks Kelly Forbes of the AI Asia Pacific Institute.
A Disconnect Between Education and Industry
Indian employers are no longer asking for degrees alone. They’re seeking critical thinking, adaptability, and AI tool fluency—skills barely touched upon in most college syllabi. Meanwhile, MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises)—which make up 90% of Indian businesses—are unable to train workers in AI due to limited resources and awareness.
And then there’s the digital divide: rural India still struggles with internet access, further excluding large swathes of the population from AI literacy.
A Gendered Impact
Women form 35% of India’s workforce, and are overrepresented in roles most at risk of automation—such as office assistants and retail staff. Many return to work after caregiving gaps, only to find the market has moved on. AI can level the playing field—but only if we design flexible, family-friendly skilling pathways.
5 Steps to an AI-Ready India
The report lays out a practical, urgent roadmap:
- Tailored Skilling for All
Design training programs specific to graduates, informal workers, low-literacy populations, and women rejoining the workforce. - More Practical Training
Forget abstract theory—40% of respondents across APAC prefer hands-on, real-world training. India must shift toward job-linked, contextual skill-building. - Massive Awareness Campaigns
Only 15% of APAC workers have participated in AI skilling programs. Awareness is the first step to change—and India must ramp it up. - Support for MSMEs
India’s 60M+ MSMEs can’t adopt AI alone. Public-private partnerships are essential to subsidize AI skilling and integration. - Bridge Gender and Digital Gaps
Invest in multilingual, gender-sensitive, and digitally accessible training to ensure no one is left behind.
The Road Ahead
Initiatives like Grow with Google (which has trained over 60 million people) and the AI Opportunity Fund 2024 (targeting 500,000 workers in APAC) show what’s possible when ecosystem players collaborate. India’s choice is stark: become a global AI powerhouse—or watch the revolution pass us by. The future of work is already here. The time to act is now.
