Is India at the AI inflexion point: Artificial intelligence education in India

India is already at the inflexion point of AI, which is marked by swift policy response and an increase in industry adoption. The integration of AI in educational curricula and the Skilling for AI Readiness (SOAR) initiative of the government indicate that the country is willing to create AI literacy. Simultaneously, the proportion of AI-skilled Indian youth today is in the range of 1 in 5, and there is an AI talent shortage in India that is leading to the upskilling processes in both the public and the private sector.

As automation is already transforming routine work, industry-academia partnerships are emerging, and AI is now the central point of interest, India is now at the crossroads of strategic upskilling and inclusive growth. With the implementation of AI in the sectors of healthcare, finance, education, manufacturing, and the public services, the general and specialised talent is in high demand. Nonetheless, unless upskilling is swift and inclusive, the AI revolution may continue to reinforce current disparities, abandoning large groups of people - particularly rural and informal ones.

Artificial intelligence education in India: The education gap

The education system of India is still mostly geared towards equipping students with yesterday jobs and not futuristic jobs. Each year, millions of graduates are getting out and graduating only to discover that the safe middle-income office jobs they dreamed of are becoming extinct or becoming something unrecognisable. Most at risk are routine jobs, such as clerical jobs, assembly-line jobs, etc. but education and training have not kept up.

This has begun to be taken care of in the National Education Policy 2020, which has introduced the concept of AI in school curricula, with CBSE-affiliated schools currently, providing AI as an elective in high school. The SOAR initiative AI (SOAR) programme by the government, which was launched in July, 2025, used to promote AI literacy among students and train educators on AI concepts. Such initiatives need to be quickly scaled up and should be aimed at real-world results to make graduates fit the needs of the AI-based economy.

Policy initiatives and their impact

There are recent government programme efforts like PMKVY 4.0 and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) that are aiming at educating the young people on new technologies like AI. Since 2022, approximately 1,480 AI-related apprentices have been trained, yet a lot more is required to fulfil the estimated number of over 1 million skilled AI workers by 2026. The Press Information Bureau (PIB)press release on the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), and related skills development programmes, records a figure of 1,480 apprentices trained in AI-related positions.

The PIB also periodically releases reports on the developments of apprenticeship schemes and how they can keep up with the new types of technologies, such as AI. The estimated need of more than 1 million trained AI workers by 2026 is cited in government documents, such as PIB, which point to India having aggressive plans of developing AI workers as part of overall national skilling.These programs are essential as a step towards creating a workforce that is future-ready, however, they should be increased in scale to make them accessible to the urban and rural regions equally.

AI may serve to widen gaps without active planning. The informal workers are those delivery staff, workers at a textile factory, and workers who package, and so these workers in particular are quite vulnerable since they are required to perform repetitive manual labor. The rural communities, which have little access to digitalisation, are further disadvantaged. In order to have an inclusive AI future, the upskilling process should be segmented according to various segments such as women, informal workers, and low digital literacy individuals so that no one is left behind.

How to get started with upskilling

Upskilling does not simply involve learning technical skills. Real or practical training and awareness is important. Anyone can begin by:

• Taking micro-credential programmes and bootcamps supported by the industry.
• Being involved in apprenticeship and practical projects.
• Searching and finding state and non-governmental organisations that provide free or affordable training.
• Being members of online communities and forums in order to keep track of the current trends and opportunities.

Programmes such as the SAS Academy of Data AI Excellence are playing the role of facilitators of workforce transformation, which combines GenAI, agentic AI and applied analytics to address the changing demands of both new graduates and those in mid-career.

Building an inclusive AI future

The only way in which automation can imply an augmentation rather than obsolescence is to ensure that appropriate training is available to everybody. It is called upon the readers to understand the urgency of upskilling and the need to approach innovation in an inclusive and ethical manner so that the AI revolution does not serve only a select few members of society but the entire society.

Upskilling is not a personal responsibility, it is a communal act to create a future where AI produces inclusive growth and opportunity to all. India can use AI as an instrument of inclusive development and not a cause of discrimination by restructuring education, introducing proactive policies, and focusing on people-centric policies.