SRINAGAR: The government has said it has not conducted a dedicated study on potential job losses due to artificial intelligence, even as it cited industry estimates projecting a sharp expansion of India’s AI workforce and outlined a series of national re-skilling and employability programmes to prepare workers for AI-driven changes in the labour market.
In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on December 18, 2025, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje referred to a NASSCOM report published in August 2024 which projects that India’s AI talent pool will grow from about 6–6.5 lakh professionals to more than 12.5 lakh professionals by 2027, at a compound annual growth rate of 15 per cent.
The government said artificial intelligence is expected to generate new employment opportunities across areas such as data science, data curation and advanced analytics. It informed Parliament that so far 8.65 lakh candidates have enrolled or been trained in various technology courses, including 3.20 lakh candidates in AI and Big Data Analytics.
The reply said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has launched FutureSkills PRIME, a national re-skilling and up-skilling programme focused on ten emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. More than 18.56 lakh candidates have signed up on the FutureSkills PRIME portal, of whom over 3.37 lakh have completed their courses.
In parallel, the government said it is supporting AI-driven innovation and job creation through Centres of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, implemented by MeitY in partnership with NASSCOM. These centres support start-ups in developing AI-based tools and applications for manufacturing, with several solutions already deployed across the sector.
The minister also highlighted YUVAi, a national programme for school students implemented by the National e-Governance Division in collaboration with partners. The programme aims to equip students from classes 8 to 12 with AI and social skills, allowing them to apply technology across eight thematic areas, including agriculture, health, education, environment, transport, rural development, smart cities and justice.
On employment facilitation, the government said the Ministry of Labour and Employment operates the National Career Service portal as a one-stop digital platform for job search and matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, information on job fairs and access to skill development and training programmes across the public and private sectors.
While acknowledging concerns about displacement risks linked to automation, the government’s reply places emphasis on talent expansion, re-skilling and AI-resilient job creation within existing national skilling and employment frameworks rather than on estimating potential job losses.
