India faces 82% talent shortage as AI skills elude employers

India’s talent crunch has deepened sharply this year, with over eight in ten employers reporting difficulty in finding skilled workers, according to the latest Global Talent Shortage Survey by ManpowerGroup. The country’s 82% shortage rate — up from last year — is well above the global average of 72%, placing India among the world’s most talent-constrained markets.

For the first time, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-related capabilities have emerged as the hardest to find, surpassing traditional engineering and IT skills. Employers surveyed identified AI literacy and AI model development as the scarcest skills, underlining how automation and digital transformation are reshaping the labour market.