Anantha Nageswaran releases ‘white paper’ on AI, automation, and India’s workforce
A new white paper authored by economists and officials analyzes the impact of AI and automation on the Indian workforce. It finds that while AI exposure is rising, particularly among younger workers, the quality of complementary work remains a challenge compared to substitution pressure.
Why it matters
Understanding AI's impact on India's massive labor market is critical for future policy-making and economic stability in the region.
Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India V. Anantha Nageswaran on Sunday released a privately authored ‘white paper’ titled AI, Automation and India’s Workforce: Who Gains, Who’s Exposed, and How Policy Can Shape the Future .
The paper was authored by Vidya Mahambare, chairperson of the Centre for Finance and Economics Research at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai; Vivek Jadhav, assistant professor of Economics at the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad; and Vishnu Venugopalan, an Indian Administrative Service officer currently serving as Additional Secretary to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
According to the paper, the share of Indian employment exposed to artificial intelligence has risen modestly since 2012, and the quality of that exposure has improved. The share of employment with a realistic chance of AI complementarity has also risen, although fewer than 8% of employed people were in these occupations in 2025.
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