India has the potential to excel as a global hub for AI-native technology talent, but achieving this requires a stronger emphasis on engineering basics, AI judgment, and technical expertise, as per a Nasscom report. The report, titled “The State of AI-Native Talent in India: Decoding the Readiness of India’s Early-Career Technology Workforce,” introduces the Nasscom AI-Native Talent Index, aimed at assessing AI-native capabilities among India’s early-career tech workforce. Nearly 70% of India’s early-career tech talent is proficient in AI, with approximately 23% classified as AI-native.
Young professionals are increasingly incorporating artificial intelligence into their work, learning, and decision-making processes, but there is room for improvement in engineering judgment, AI orchestration skills, and technical knowledge. Sangeeta Gupta, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Nasscom, highlighted that while India has the potential to be a global AI-native tech talent center, possessing AI skills alone does not equate to being AI-native. Gupta emphasized the importance of a robust measurement framework like the AI-Native Talent Index, followed by concrete actions, to prevent India from developing an AI-reliant rather than AI-native workforce.
The report emphasized the need for academia to bolster fundamentals and for the industry to revamp onboarding and mentorship programs to prevent a decline in deep engineering expertise due to the diminishing role of routine tasks. It pointed out that while AI enhances productivity, learning, and workplace capabilities, organizations and educational institutions must create avenues for engineers to cultivate profound technical comprehension, independent problem-solving abilities, and engineering judgment traditionally honed through hands-on experience. A collaborative effort between academia and industry is urged, with the study recommending educational institutions to move beyond traditional coding education to reinforce engineering basics, domain knowledge, and assessment techniques.
