AI or Bye-Bye: India’s Workforce Faces Urgent Upskilling Crossroads

India may be leading in AI adoption, but a new report warns that without rapid and inclusive upskilling, millions could be left behind in the job market. The joint study by Google.org and the Asian Development Bank, titled AI for All: Building an AI-Ready Workforce in Asia-Pacific, highlights a widening skills gap that threatens to derail India’s digital ambitions.

 

Key Highlights:

 

- High Risk, High Stakes
 

- Roles in data entry, customer service, and logistics—largely held by women and informal workers—are most vulnerable to AI-driven automation.
 

- Only 15% of workers in Asia-Pacific have participated in AI skilling programs; India’s figure is likely lower.

 

- Mismatch in Skills vs. Jobs
 

- Employers now seek critical thinking, adaptability, and AI tool proficiency—skills not emphasized in traditional education.
 

- Even top engineering graduates are struggling to find jobs, with only 10% of 1.5 million expected to be placed in 2024.

 

- Bridging the Divide
 

- The report urges tailored, practical training for diverse groups—youth, women, informal workers, and the digitally underserved.
 

- Programs like Grow with Google and the AI Opportunity Fund aim to train over 500,000 Indian workers by 2026.

 

- The Gender & Access Gap
 

- Women, who make up 35% of the workforce, are overrepresented in at-risk roles and face barriers to re-entry without targeted reskilling.
 

- Rural areas still lack basic digital infrastructure, compounding exclusion.

 

India’s demographic dividend could become a liability unless skilling becomes a national priority. The AI revolution is here—India must choose to lead it or risk being outpaced by it.

 

Source: Indian Express, Economic Times, YourStory