India’s AI Push Must Be Matched By Skilling, Industry Collaboration

In the second session of “Skilling India in the Age of AI” hosted by The Secretariat, experts and industry voices examined the possibilities of nurturing an AI-ready workforce in India and how innovation can be leveraged to create more economic opportunities.

Industry's Role In Skilling

Atul Tiwari, former Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, emphasised that workforce preparedness cannot be achieved by government initiatives alone. In the rapidly changing landscape of technology, industries need to be actively involved in designing training programmes, anticipating new skill needs, and providing opportunities for lifelong learning, he said. AI is something that should become the instrument of inclusion, productivity, and employment, and drives the vision of Viksit Bharat.

“AI raises the fundamental question of human capacity,” he said.

Building AI For India's Needs

Sachin Tayal, Managing Director, Protiviti India, said that India should create solutions unique to each industry. "Where India will play a great role is in how it will build applications that are industry-specific," Tayal said.

Speaking on the significance of building SLMs (Small Language Models), he said, “India has to take a leap in building SLMs because India is very diverse when it comes to data availability, language, culture, habits, and even with the kind of tech powerhouse we have.” 

Abhilasha Gaur, CEO, SSC NASSCOM, argued that the debate on AI should now shift from the fear of job loss to preparing individuals for new skills and opportunities. She said that as more functions, from manufacturing to banking, and from customer service to cybersecurity, transition to AI, there will be a need for ongoing learning and development.

“In terms of jobs that are routine work, displacement will happen. Roles that are not the foundational level – the expert or technical roles – are where augmentation will happen,” said Gaur.

The perspectives of each speaker concluded with the primary theme of the need to cultivate talent within the human workforce, as well as to develop technology for India to fulfil its aspirations of AI. AI applications, improvements in employability, and a better understanding of how government, industry, and academia will ensure that the benefits of AI are felt across the economy.