India’s AI Talent Gap Is Real, Growing, and a Business Crisis in the Making
In 2024, India had approximately 420,000 AI professionals. The immediate industry requirement was 600,000, representing a talent shortfall of close to 50 per cent. By 2026, a joint report by NASSCOM and McKinsey & Company projected this gap would exceed 1.4 million AI professionals if the pace of upskilling was not dramatically accelerated.
Source: India AI Landscape 2025 Index Report, AISpectrumIndia; NASSCOM-McKinsey Report, cited in AI CERTs, July 2025
