logo
India to need 1 million AI professionals by 2026, says report amid tech education overhaul

India to need 1 million AI professionals by 2026, says report amid tech education overhaul

Time of India02-06-2025
India is poised to see a massive surge in demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI) professionals, with projections estimating the need for one million skilled individuals by 2026, according to the report India's AI Revolution: A Roadmap to Viksit Bharat, released by the Union Ministry of Electronics & IT.As the country aspires to become a USD 23-USD 35 trillion economy by 2047, higher education--particularly in engineering--is undergoing a fundamental transformation to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving job market shaped by AI, automation, and interdisciplinary innovation.
Engineering education is at the heart of this shift. According to the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the number of approved B. Tech seats for the 2024-25 academic year has risen to 14.9 lakh--a nearly 16 per cent increase over four years. This growth is largely driven by a more than 50 per cent rise in seats for Computer Science and allied streams such as AI/ML, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, and Blockchain--mirroring strong industry demand.
India's tech education landscape is increasingly embracing interdisciplinary and industry-integrated learning to nurture a new generation of engineers who can code, create, collaborate, and lead innovation. The transition from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) to STEAM, adding Arts to the mix, is gaining ground, blending technical knowledge with design thinking, communication, psychology, law, and business.
Recently, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) announced the launch of
Symbiosis Artificial Intelligence Institute
(SAII), an artificial intelligence (AI)-focused institute. According to the institute, SAII will integrate cutting-edge AI into academic programmes and research.
"By embracing AI, we are not just keeping pace with global innovation but also empowering our students to become responsible innovators and problem-solvers who will shape the future. Curriculum at Symbiosis combines strong theoretical foundations with real-world applications from day one, creating a dynamic ecosystem that fosters both technical depth and interdisciplinary breadth. And this reflects in programs offered by our Symbiosis Dubai campus. Both B. Tech and BCA integrate AI in specialisations enforcing learning and development and preparing students for the future," said Amruta Yeravdekar Ruikar, Head of International Admissions & Promotions, Symbiosis International University.
The
India Skills Report 2024
by Wheebox forecasts that India's AI industry will reach USD 28.8 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 45 per cent. The report highlights that the AI-skilled workforce has seen a 14-fold increase from 2016 to 2023, making India one of the top five fastest-growing AI talent hubs, alongside Singapore, Finland, Ireland, and Canada.
"The surge in demand for AI professionals' stems from rapid technological progress. As AI reshapes productivity, operations, and innovation, preparing a future-ready workforce is imperative. At SRM Institute of Science and Technology, we offer interdisciplinary programs in areas like Medical Engineering, ECE with Data science, Biotechnology (Food Technology) and AI-ML Embedded Systems to bridge emerging domains. Our strong academia-industry partnerships provide students with real-world exposure and global competitiveness," according to Dr. Kathiravan Kannan, Director, SRM Group of Institutions, Ramapuram, Chennai and Tiruchirappalli.
This interdisciplinary momentum is now a nationwide trend as institutions are increasingly embedding research-driven curricula, industry mentorship and global exposure into their programs. New focus areas like Extended Reality (XR), ethical AI, data visualization, and digital manufacturing are becoming foundational to modern tech education.
According to Dr Yajulu Medury, Vice Chancellor, Mahindra University, "We see a growing need to foster an innovation ecosystem driven by AI, for today's youth by providing experiential learning opportunities such as internships, global immersion programmes, and research initiatives. At Mahindra University, we believe academic excellence is achieved when rigorous foundational knowledge is seamlessly integrated with real-world applications. Our multidisciplinary approach empowers students to understand the technical concepts of AI while also cultivating critical problem-solving abilities, adaptability, ethics and emotional intelligence."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India-UK trade pact to help boost exports of labour-intensive sectors, says exporters' body FIEO
India-UK trade pact to help boost exports of labour-intensive sectors, says exporters' body FIEO

Time of India

time44 minutes ago

  • Time of India

India-UK trade pact to help boost exports of labour-intensive sectors, says exporters' body FIEO

The proposed trade pact between India and the UK is likely to benefit sectors such as textiles, leather, gems and jewellery , pharmaceuticals, marine and engineering goods, exporters' body FIEO said on Wednesday. The agreement will be signed on July 24, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK. It is expected to help double bilateral trade by 2030 to USD 120 billion. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Project Management Public Policy Operations Management PGDM Others Design Thinking Cybersecurity Leadership Product Management MBA Technology Data Analytics Digital Marketing Management Data Science MCA CXO Data Science Degree Finance healthcare Healthcare others Artificial Intelligence Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management Project Planning & Risk Analysis Strategic Project/Portfolio Selection Adaptive & Agile Project Management Duration: 6 Months IIT Delhi Certificate Programme in Project Management Starts on May 30, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Project Planning & Governance Agile Software Development Practices Project Management Tools & Software Techniques Scrum Framework Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Certificate Programme in IT Project Management Starts on Jun 20, 2024 Get Details The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) also said that the agreement is likely to eliminate tariffs on Indian garments and textiles, enhancing their competitiveness in the UK market. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cat Keeps Hugging Friend Before Going To The Vet – The Vet Paled When He Saw Them Tips and Tricks Undo It will also strengthen exports in high-value sectors like gems and jewellery and pharmaceuticals. Improved market access and reduced tariffs will further benefit Indian leather and footwear, auto components, spices, tea, and processed foods, it said, adding the FTA is also expected to streamline regulatory approvals for Indian pharmaceutical products in the UK. Live Events Moreover, it could ease mobility and open up new opportunities for Indian IT, business services and professional services firms, FIEO President S C Ralhan said.

India-UK Free Trade Deal: Whisky, cars from Britain to get cheaper, tariff cut on cosmetics, medical devices, more
India-UK Free Trade Deal: Whisky, cars from Britain to get cheaper, tariff cut on cosmetics, medical devices, more

Mint

timean hour ago

  • Mint

India-UK Free Trade Deal: Whisky, cars from Britain to get cheaper, tariff cut on cosmetics, medical devices, more

India and the UK will sign a free trade agreement on Thursday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to London. The free trade deal, when formalised, will make it cheaper to export labour-intensive goods like leather, footwear, and clothing, while also reducing import costs for whisky and cars from Britain. The pact also helps double trade between the two economies to USD 120 billion by 2030. According to Reuters, India will be reducing tariffs on nearly 90 per cent of the UK goods. This means that whisky and gin levy will fall from 150 per cent to 75 per cent, then to 40 per cent in a decade Cars from Britain are also likely to get cheaper as automobile tariff will likely fall from 100 per cent-plus to 10 per cent under quota Cosmetics, medical devices, salmon, chocolates, and biscuits will face less tariffs. The UK to offer duty-free access to 99 per cent of Indian items, according to Indian commerce ministry, covering nearly 100 per cent of trade value. Indian exports like textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery, furniture, auto parts, chemicals, machinery, and sports goods are likely to face zero duties in the UK, down from the current 4 per cent - 16 per cent. According to Indian commerce ministry, assured access will be provided in the UK to business visitors and contractual service providers as well as to yoga instructors, chefs and musicians for temporary stay. Indian workers working temporarily in the UK and their employers will be exempted from paying social security contributions in the UK for three years, with savings estimated at about ₹ 40 billion ($463 million) annually, Reuters reported. India will allow British suppliers to bid for non-sensitive federal government procurement tenders, with a threshold set at ₹ 2 billion. The deal will give UK businesses access to India's public procurement market, comprising about 40,000 tenders with a value of about 38 billion pounds a year, according to UK government estimates. (With Reuters research and inputs)

Indias mobile phone exports rise 127 times to Rs 2 lakh cr in 10 years
Indias mobile phone exports rise 127 times to Rs 2 lakh cr in 10 years

News18

time2 hours ago

  • News18

Indias mobile phone exports rise 127 times to Rs 2 lakh cr in 10 years

New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) Export of mobile phones from India increased by 127 times to reach Rs 2 lakh crore in the last 10 financial years, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. According to data shared by Minister of state for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada in a written reply to Lok Sabha, the export of mobile phones 'increased 127 times" from India from Rs 1,500 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 2 lakh crore in 2024-25. 'The PLI Scheme for LSEM has already attracted a cumulative investment of INR 12,390 crore, led to a cumulative production of Rs 8,44,752 crore with exports of Rs 4,65,809 crore and generated additional employment of 1,30,330 (direct jobs) till Jun'25," the minister said. The production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing was mainly meant for mobile phone manufacturing. The minister said that 75 per cent of the total mobile phone demand in the country was met through imports in 2014-15, which has now dropped to 0.02 per cent in 2024-25. 'PLI Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing has significantly impacted the mobile manufacturing sector in India particularly in transforming India from a net importer to a net exporter of mobile phones. Bharat is now the second largest mobile manufacturing country in the world," the minister said. Prasada said the PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT hardware has attracted a cumulative investment of Rs 717.13 crore, led to a cumulative production of Rs 12,195.84 crore and generated additional employment of 5,056 (direct jobs) till June. 'Total FDI in the field of electronics manufacturing in the last 5 years (i.e. since FY 2020-21) is USD 4,071 million, cumulative FDI of USD 2,802 million has been contributed by MeitY PLI beneficiaries," the minister said. PTI PRS HVA view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 21:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store