PREPARING INDIA FOR AN AI ECONOMY

While millions of job losses are expected, the new tech can enable the creation of many more high-impact jobs

- BY B.V.R. SUBRAHMANYAM and DEBJANI GHOSH

AI is already reshaping jobscoding, testing, customer support and data operations are among the first to feel the shift.

Every technological revolution, from the printing press to computerisation, began with fear and ended with greater opportunity. AI will be no different. The real question is not if change will come, but how fast we can prepare for it.

Across India's $245 billion tech and customer experience (CX) sectors, automation is driving 15–20 per cent of productivity gains today, likely to rise to 50 per cent by 2030. Roles such as Level-1 support staff and junior developers will shrink. If we remain on a business-as-usual path, up to 2 million jobs may be displaced by 2031.