Despite significant upskilling initiatives by technology product and IT services companies in India, the nation is facing a critical shortage of senior engineers capable of building core AI products and services.
According to recent reports, Tata Consultancy Services has provided AI training to 350,000 employees, while Infosys has stated that 80% of their employees are equipped with AI skills.
Additionally, Accenture is currently upskilling 250,000 employees in AI, while HCLTech has trained 50,000 employees. In the coming years, Microsoft India aims to skill 2 million individuals in AI by 2025, while IBM has made a global commitment to train 2 million people in AI by 2026.
The active pool of senior AI engineers who are actually building core AI products and services in India is less than 2,000, highlighting a stark contrast to the large-scale training efforts reported by industry giants, according to data from specialist staffing firm Xpheno.
There is a pool of approximately 21,000 potential Indian AI engineers who possess the necessary skills, experience, and exposure to core AI, According to Xpheno. This number is significantly lower than the 650,000-700,000 individuals who have been trained in AI by top-tier tech companies, as reported by tech industry body Nasscom.
Major companies like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Accenture, HCLTech, Microsoft India, and IBM have collectively trained hundreds of thousands of employees in AI skills over the past year.
However, the gap between training and actual expertise in building core AI products remains substantial, MoneyControl reported.
Experts suggest that while mass-market AI training is valuable, there is a crucial need for process-specific, application-specific, and industry-specific skilling to drive real impact.
This includes embedding AI into existing solutions and training employees across various functions, such as marketing and HR, to leverage AI tools for enhanced productivity.
The core AI engineering skills encompass data science, machine learning, natural language processing, and more, which require specialized training beyond traditional engineering roles. Engineers are also being prepared for future disruptions by acquiring skills in machine learning, computer vision, and generative AI.
Despite the demand for AI talent projected to grow significantly, there is a substantial gap in niche skills required to build core AI products. Global Captive Centres (GCCs) are actively driving demand for AI talent, offering competitive salaries to attract skilled professionals.
While India awaits the mainstream consumption of AI, there is a pressing need to bridge the gap between training and expertise to capitalize on the burgeoning opportunities in the AI domain.
As companies continue to invest in AI training, the focus must shift towards targeted skilling to meet the evolving demands of the industry.
