AI and Future of Employability 

Syllabus: GS3/Artificial Intelligence

Context

• At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, a high-level discussion on “The Future of Employability in the Age of AI” brought together policymakers, industry leaders, educators and innovators.

About

• The discussion examined which skills, roles, and mindsets will remain relevant as automation accelerates and what individuals must do to stay employable. 
• Speakers emphasised the growing importance of creativity, systems thinking, adaptability, and lifelong learning over narrow task-based expertise.
• The Chief Economic Advisor underlined that aligning technological adoption with mass employability must be a clear national commitment.
  • This effort must extend beyond government to become a Team India initiative involving policymakers, industry, educators, and society at large.
• The deliberations underscored that while AI presents significant disruption, it also offers India an opportunity to build an inclusive, innovation-driven and responsible AI ecosystem aligned with national priorities and citizen welfare.

India–AI Impact Summit 2026

• Hosted by: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• The India–AI Impact Summit 2026, was announced by the PM at the France AI Action Summit and it will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
• It will strengthen existing multilateral initiatives while advancing new priorities, deliverables, and cooperative frameworks.
• The Three Sutras: Three foundational pillars, known as ‘Sutras’ i.e. People, Planet and Progress, define how AI can be harnessed through multilateral cooperation for collective benefit.

Impact of AI on Jobs in India

• Routine, repetitive tasks are most vulnerable: Roles in sectors like BPO/ customer service, basic clerical work, assembly-line tasks, and routine logistics can be significantly reduced as AI-driven automation takes over these functions.
• Traditional mid-skill jobs, which have historically provided stable employment, are being squeezed as automation substitutes many of those functions.
• IT and outsourcing: AI tools are increasingly handling tasks such as coding, testing, and support work contributing to workforce restructuring in major IT firms and outsourcing companies.

Emerging Opportunities

• Emerging technologies are creating new job categories that didn’t exist before such as: AI/ML engineers, Data scientists and analysts, Cloud architects, Cybersecurity specialists, AI product managers and prompt engineers.
  • These roles often command higher salaries and are rapidly growing in demand.
  • Forecasts suggest millions of new tech jobs could be added over the next few years, with estimates of ~4.7 million AI/tech roles emerging in India by 2027.
• Shift in Skill demands: About 38% of the Indian workforce could experience shifts in skill needs due to AI by 2030 the highest among BRICS countries.
  • Traditional academic credentials are becoming less predictive of employability; recruiters are prioritizing technology skills, analytical abilities, and adaptive learning.

Way Ahead

• Upskilling & Reskilling Imperatives: India needs large-scale reskilling to adapt to new job requirements, estimates suggest over 16 million workers will need reskilling in AI and automation technologies by 2027.
• Government & Industry Initiatives: National strategies and partnerships are focusing on equipping students and workers with AI and tech competencies.
  • Large-scale corporate skill-building initiatives are underway to boost workforce readiness.

Conclusion

• While certain traditional roles will decline or transform, a dynamic landscape of new opportunities is opening up that rewards advanced technical capabilities, continuous learning, and adaptability. 
• The transition will require coordinated efforts from government, industry, and educational systems to ensure India’s workforce is ready for the future of work.

Source: PIB