What is the story
India is facing a massive shortage of AI experts, a new report by staffing company Quess Corp said. A survey titled “Deciphering the Indian AI Talent Landscape” shows that despite 416,000 skilled AI workers in the country, the talent pool is only 49% of the demand. This highlights a huge gap as companies in the sector are rushing to adopt technology.
AI Talent Pool meets only 49% of demand
The Quess Corp report highlights the large gaps among qualified experts in moderate to senior level roles, particularly in emerging fields such as generator AI, natural language processing and computer vision. “Between March 2024 and March 2025, the demand for AI and data talent has increased by nearly 45%. However, in emerging sectors like Genai, there is only one qualified expert per 10 open roles.” This gap has become a strategic bottleneck, not just a job challenge.
The shortage extends to machine learning operations experts
The report also highlights the shortage of experts in machine learning (ML) operations, cloud data architects, and AI governance experts. “India has the size, capabilities and potential to lead the global AI revolution. But companies, educators and policymakers must act with urgency to truly grasp this moment,” Joshi added. Companies respond by offering 15-20% salaries for Genai roles than traditional AI/ML roles at the same experience level.
Global Ability Centers Drive Demand for AI Talents
The Global Functional Centre (GCCS) is a key driver of the demand for AI talent. These centres are no longer operational support arms, but are scaling Indian Genai platforms for global clients and building governance frameworks. Last year, GCCS, systems integrators and product companies joined together to account for more than 70% of all AI and data-related jobs, with GCCS contributing 22.5% to demand, a report from Ques Corporation said.
Tier-2 cities emerge as new talent hubs
The demand for talent has moved to Tier-2 cities where GCCS has set the foundation for analytical delivery, cloud engineering, and early stage experiments. Approximately 14-16% of India's AI/ML employment demand comes from small towns and cities now. The top tier-2 AI jobs in Kochi, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore account for nearly 70% of such recruitments, according to the report. This shows a major shift in the geography of the Indian AI talent market.
