AI is reshaping jobs, creating new opportunities; India must urgently skill up: CPRG founder
New Delhi, May 22
Amid growing concerns over job losses due to Artificial Intelligence, Ramanand, Founder-Director of the Centre of Policy Research and Governance, has underlined that while AI is replacing certain roles, it is simultaneously generating new employment opportunities across emerging sectors.
Speaking to ANI, on the publication of a joint report by CPRG and AI4India titled "Future of Jobs in the Age of AI: Emerging Roles, New Opportunities," Ramanand said the ongoing global discourse often highlights job losses due to AI-driven automation, including recent large-scale layoffs in global tech companies such as Meta.
He noted that the dominant narrative of AI "replacing humans" is only partially true, stressing that AI is also creating new categories of employment.
"The prevailing logic offered for this trend is that people are being replaced by AI. It is indeed replacing human workers and that is a factual reality; however, AI is also simultaneously creating jobs," he said.
Highlighting emerging areas of employment, Ramanand pointed to sectors such as data centres, AI deployment systems, AI governance frameworks, and training and skilling ecosystems as major future job creators.
He further said that technological shifts have historically displaced certain jobs but have always led to the creation of new economic opportunities, describing the current transition as part of a broader "natural evolution of technology."
Ramanand emphasised the need for urgent and coordinated action by policymakers, industry and bureaucracy to prepare India's workforce for these changes.
"India cannot afford delay or lag in policy preparation. This is not a time to lose speed. Bureaucracy, industry and political leadership must work together," he said, warning that delays could result in other countries capturing emerging AI-driven job markets.
He also stressed that the opportunity is global in nature and not limited to India alone, adding that countries which fail to prepare their workforce risk losing out on future employment generation to more agile economies.
According to him, the report identifies several potential high-growth sectors where job creation is expected to accelerate, particularly in AI infrastructure, governance and skill development ecosystems.
The report jointly released by CPRG and AI4India highlights both the disruption and opportunity created by AI, urging proactive workforce transformation and policy readiness to ensure inclusive growth in the evolving technological landscape.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While I appreciate the optimism, I'm concerned about the millions of people in smaller towns who don't even have basic digital literacy. AI creating jobs is great for those already in tech, but what about the shopkeeper, the factory worker, the farmer? We need a massive grassroots skilling initiative, not just reports from Delhi. The government must invest in education and infrastructure simultaneously.
Absolutely true! I'm a software engineer and I've already seen my role evolve—I now spend more time on AI model fine-tuning rather than manual coding. It's not about losing jobs; it's about adapting. The government should partner with companies like TCS, Infosys to create fast-track certification programs. Also, why isn't AI ethics and governance being taught in our IITs and IIMs already? 🤔
Interesting perspective from India. In the US, we're seeing similar debates—many tech workers are shifting to AI-related roles. But I wonder if India's massive informal economy can absorb these changes quickly. The skilling ecosystem needs to be agile and affordable. The report mentioning data centres and AI governance is spot on—those are growing fast globally.
Let's be realistic—AI is going to replace many BPO and call centre jobs that India relies on. The government keeps talking about 'skilling' but where are the training centres in rural areas? My cousin in a small UP town wants to learn AI but there's no affordable online course in Hindi. The opportunity is global, but the access is still very unequal. We need a digital divide strategy first.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.