India: AI professional demand to hit 1M by 2026
Source: tribuneindia.com
AI Professionals Demand in India
India anticipates a significant increase in the demand for AI professionals, with projections indicating a need for one million skilled workers by 2026, according to a report by the Union Ministry of Electronics & IT.
As the nation aims for a USD 23-USD 35 trillion economy by 2047, higher education, especially in engineering, is changing to meet the demands of a job market influenced by AI, automation, and interdisciplinary innovation. Engineering education is central to this change.
Engineering and Tech Education Updates
The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) reports an increase in approved B. Tech seats for the 2024-25 academic year to 14.9 lakh, a 16% rise over four years. This is due to a more than 50% increase in seats for Computer Science and related fields like AI/ML, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, and Blockchain, reflecting industry demand.
India's tech education is adopting interdisciplinary and industry-integrated learning to develop engineers who can code, create, collaborate, and lead. The shift from STEM to STEAM, incorporating Arts, combines technical knowledge with design thinking, communication, psychology, law, and business.
Symbiosis International Initiatives
Symbiosis International (Deemed University) has launched the Symbiosis Artificial Intelligence Institute (SAII), an AI-focused institute that will integrate AI into academics and research.
Amruta Yeravdekar Ruikar, Head of International Admissions & Promotions, Symbiosis International University, stated that Symbiosis combines theoretical foundations with real-world applications, fostering technical depth and interdisciplinary breadth, which is reflected in programs at the Symbiosis Dubai campus.
Industry Growth and Reports
The India Skills Report 2024 by Wheebox forecasts India's AI industry to reach USD 28.8 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 45%. The report notes a 14-fold increase in the AI-skilled workforce from 2016 to 2023, ranking India among the top five fastest-growing AI talent hubs.
Dr. Kathiravan Kannan, Director, SRM Group of Institutions, stated that the demand for AI professionals results from technological progress. SRM Institute of Science and Technology offers interdisciplinary programs to bridge emerging domains and provide real-world exposure.
Dr Yajulu Medury, Vice Chancellor, Mahindra University, noted the need to foster an AI-driven innovation ecosystem by providing experiential learning opportunities. Mahindra University integrates foundational knowledge with real-world applications to cultivate problem-solving abilities, adaptability, ethics, and emotional intelligence.
Institutions are incorporating research-driven curricula, industry mentorship, and global exposure into their programs, with new focus areas like Extended Reality (XR), ethical AI, data visualization, and digital manufacturing becoming foundational to tech education.