India tops economic capacity, ranks 74th in workforce readiness
India ranks highly in economic capacity for an AI-driven future but lags significantly in workforce readiness and human capital. The report suggests that India's ability to capitalize on a $500-billion AI opportunity depends on bridging the gap between economic momentum and skilled labor.
Why it matters
It underscores the critical challenge of human capital development in emerging economies attempting to lead in the global AI sector.
NEW DELHI: India has the world’s strongest economic capacity for an AI-driven future and ranks second in digital-skills penetration. Yet, it stands 74th in workforce readiness and 73rd in human capital, exposing a gap between economic momentum and job-ready talent, according to the QS World Future Skills Index 2027 released Wednesday. India ranks 13th among 89 economies with a score of 89.4. It leads all lower-middle-income economies and South Asia. But capturing the estimated $500-billion opportunity from AI by 2030 will depend on whether its education and skilling systems can match labourmarket transformation. The report says the balance between AI-augmented and AI-automated jobs will be crucial to India’s long-term competitiveness. It notes that leading economies have a larger share of workers in occupations where AI enhances productivity rather than replaces people.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.
The report relies on index data and provides a factual assessment of both strengths and weaknesses in the Indian economy.
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