AI talent gap widens as OpenAI enters the Indian market

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has opened its first office in India, establishing a new unit in New Delhi. The move follows a period of rapid growth for the company in the country, which is now ChatGPT’s second-largest user base after the United States. OpenAI has also started local hiring, signalling its plans to strengthen its relationships with the government, businesses, and the developer community.

India has emerged as a key market for OpenAI. The company has seen a fourfold increase in weekly active users in the past year. India also has the largest population of students using ChatGPT worldwide and ranks among the top five developer markets on the OpenAI platform.

Although India’s technology sector is facing a growing challenge, a gap between the demand for AI professionals and the available supply. The arrival of OpenAI and its new India unit is set to increase this demand, and that country needs to build a sustainable talent pipeline to keep its competitive edge in the global digital economy.

The entry of OpenAI creates new jobs and opportunities. However, it also highlights the critical issue. The demand for AI, machine learning, and data science professionals is growing faster than the supply.

Education as a solution

In terms of solving this problem, India needs a new approach to education and training. Traditional academic programs often fall short of preparing students for real-world applications. The solution lies in programs that combine classroom learning with practical, on-the-job experience.

"India’s technology ecosystem is facing a rapidly widening demand-supply gap in AI, machine learning, and data science talent—one of the most urgent challenges for both industry and policymakers," says Dr. Nipun Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship. "The entry of global players like OpenAI will unlock exciting opportunities, but it also amplifies the need for a scalable and sustainable talent pipeline. Addressing this requires deep collaboration between industry, academia, and government to design industry-integrated programs that go beyond theory, providing hands-on exposure in application development, testing, and deployment."

The government, industry, and educational institutions must work together to create effective apprenticeship programs. These partnerships can design curricula that meet current industry needs. They can also provide students with direct exposure to the latest technologies and tools. This collaborative effort will help India build a strong, skilled workforce capable of leading the next wave of technological progress.