Rishad Premji, executive chairman of Wipro, said India has an opportunity to become one of the most important AI environments in the world, highlighting the decisive shift in the conversation around artificial intelligence from possibility to practicality and from isolated pilots to large-scale impact.
“This means India has the opportunity to become one of the world’s most important environments for the application of AI, not only as a builder of technology, but also as a place where AI is tested against real-world complexities and made to work at scale,” Premji added.
Speaking at the AI Impact Summit 2026, he said India’s real strength lies in testing AI against complex real-world situations to ensure it works effectively at population scale. Highlighting the growth of India’s talent base, Premji noted that India already has around 650,000 professionals working in AI-related jobs, and that number is expected to double by 2027.
“India’s advantage in AI will not only be determined by the scale of its models or the scale of its infrastructure. It will also be determined by the choices it makes about where it is applied, how it is disseminated, how responsibly it is deployed, and whether its capabilities translate into real impact for governments, people and businesses,” he added.
He pointed to government programs aimed at training millions of young people in AI, alongside industry collaboration with universities that is expanding access to practical, job-ready education. He said these efforts are laying the foundation for sustainable growth.
Importantly, Premji argued that AI fluency needs to extend far beyond engineers and technicians. Teachers, nurses, administrators, supervisors, and small business owners must also become comfortable using AI tools. The real divide of the future, he suggested, will not be between humans and machines, but between those who adapt to technological change and those who balk.
“That’s why AI fluency will need to extend beyond engineers to teachers, nurses, administrators, supervisors, small business owners, and everyone else. The line will not be human versus machine, but precisely between those who adapt and those who are reluctant to adapt.”
Premji acknowledged that technological transitions inevitably create uncertainty, but said it also opens the door for countries willing to act decisively. He added that India has successfully navigated major changes in the past and is well placed to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the AI era.
