India has a great opportunity to become the tech talent hub for the world. Today, every company is a tech company that needs skilled employees. India’s reputation as a source of tech innovation, with an expert workforce, means it is uniquely positioned to be a global source for workers as the world’s economy evolves.

As we enter an exciting new era powered by AI, it brings even more opportunities to accelerate India’s economy, which is now the fifth largest in the world. Yet there is a widening tech skills gap, and this has created a fight for the talent available. So does this mean there is a risk of decelerating such incredible growth? What if, instead of just hiring again and again from this limited group of skilled individuals, we trained more people?

There is a considerable amount of untapped talent in India. People just need the opportunities and programs to get trained and work in tech roles. Training more people from diverse backgrounds is not just good for business; it’s good for individuals, families and the wider community.

Skills alone aren’t enough – connecting employers to this skilled talent pool of early-in-career and ensuring they join the workforce is essential. It’s a win-win for organizations, employers and a new generation of star employees.

India ranks first in AI skills penetration and talent concentration. Augmenting India’s natural advantage by skilling more people on AI and emerging technologies is necessary to sustain the strength of the tech capability that India is known for on the world stage. By 2041, India’s working-age population is expected to peak at 59% of the overall population. These young people need the right skilling investments to help India to reap the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Last year, over 23 million people in 249 countries and territories engaged with digital skills content through our global skills initiative, bringing the total to 66.2 million learners engaged since the program launched in 2020. Through our philanthropic efforts in the country, we have trained over 700K people with in-demand digital skills and connected them to opportunities in the digital economy through internships, apprenticeships, jobs, and more. Our CyberShikshaa program has trained 1,100 women in cybersecurity; over the next three years, the program aims to skill 45,000 people and provide employment opportunities for 10,000 learners.

It’s not just about tech workers. All of us will need to commit to lifelong learning in the era of AI. According to our recent Work Trend Index, 82% of business leaders believe employees need new skills. Working alongside artificial intelligence will soon become like working with the Internet, so we all need to understand how we can use AI to augment what we do and how we do it. It’s also an opportunity to think about the ‘softer’ skills that will help us in this new working environment: from emotional intelligence to intellectual curiosity and flexibility.  

It’s clear that skilling needs to be imperative for business leaders, to deliver inclusive and equitable growth. Think of it as ABC:

• Augment with AI: The opportunity for AI-assisted learning is massive, and when a mammoth productivity enabler is layered as a copilot with skilling initiatives, the scale will be unprecedented.
• Build early: Training our focus on early career talent allows us to tap into a diverse pool that can make an impact with niche, in-demand skills.
• Capture more markets: Shifting the epicentre of talent and looking beyond the metro cities can unearth hidden pools of talent in Tier 2 and 3 cities.

I am excited to see how India seizes this moment, to become the global tech talent hub of the world. There is no time to lose.

• Photo by ZHENYU LUO on Unsplash