India ranks among the top countries globally in artificial intelligence (AI) skill penetration and leads the world in AI talent acquisition, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Citing the Stanford AI Index Report 2025, the Minister said India records an annual AI hiring growth rate of around 33 per cent, the highest globally. He added that AI talent concentration in the country has grown more than threefold since 2016, reflecting India’s rapid progress in emerging technologies.
AI strategy focused on jobs and inclusion
Vaishnaw said India’s AI strategy is rooted in the vision of democratising technology while addressing India-specific challenges. “Artificial Intelligence is creating opportunities across sectors such as IT, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare and governance,” he said, adding that the government’s approach aims to generate employment while ensuring inclusive growth.
As AI adoption deepens across industries, the demand for skilled professionals is rising sharply. “The Government of India recognises this trend and has aligned its AI initiatives accordingly. This is also reflected in global assessments of India’s AI workforce,” the minister told the House.
Talent base to double by 2027
According to industry estimates shared in Parliament, India’s AI talent base is expected to more than double by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate of around 15 per cent. This growth is also visible in global developer participation.
Vaishnaw noted that India was the second-largest contributor to AI projects on GitHub worldwide in 2024, accounting for 19.9 per cent of all AI-related projects. “This underscores the depth of India’s AI developer ecosystem and validates the government’s focus on large-scale skilling, research and innovation under the IndiaAI Mission,” he said.
Labs, courses and mass AI literacy
Highlighting government initiatives, the minister said support is being extended to 500 PhD scholars, 5,000 postgraduates and 8,000 undergraduates for AI-related work. Additionally, 27 IndiaAI Data and AI Labs have been set up in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities through NIELIT, while 174 ITIs and polytechnics across 27 States and Union Territories have been approved to establish similar labs.
In collaboration with NASSCOM, the government has also launched over 500 courses and 2,000 digital fluency pathways aligned with national skill standards. So far, more than 16.29 lakh candidates have enrolled. A free foundational course, YUVA AI for All, has been introduced to promote basic AI literacy nationwide.