India’s contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) sector is experiencing a significant shift towards AI-enabled capabilities in hiring, with a notable 178% increase in demand for AI-related skills over the last two years, according to a report by HR solutions provider CIEL HR. Overall hiring in the sector rose by 52% from 2023 to 2025, with AI-related demand escalating from 6.2% to 17.2% in 2025.
The demand for AI skills is particularly high in technology and digital roles, accounting for nearly 38% of the total demand. This trend indicates a broadening scope of AI-led skills beyond conventional technology positions to encompass critical functions like research and development, quality control, and analytics.
The hiring landscape within the CDMO sector is evolving towards more capability-intensive roles, moving away from traditional manufacturing roles. This shift is driven by continuous capacity expansion and the increasing complexity of outsourced pharmaceutical programs. Manufacturing and operations, with 1,820 roles in 2025, remain the largest segment, albeit showing the slowest growth rate among role families at approximately 8% year-on-year.
There is a noticeable transition in hiring focus from labor-intensive tasks to automation, precision in planning, and predictability in quality. The report highlights a widening gap between the demand for high-value scientific roles and the availability of skilled talent, especially in AI-related capacities. While the demand for AI skills in research and development roles has surged to 24%, the current supply of AI-skilled professionals in these roles is less than 1%, posing a significant operational challenge.
“The CDMO sector is moving towards a phase where success will hinge on the integration of intelligence across all operational layers. AI is increasingly becoming central to expediting research, optimizing manufacturing processes, and fulfilling client commitments,” stated Aditya Narayana Mishra, MD and CEO of CIEL HR.
Out of approximately 144,000 manufacturing professionals, only about 0.8% possess AI skills, while in commercial roles involving nearly 119,000 professionals, the AI-capable workforce stands at around 0.1%. Data and analytics roles exhibit a modest AI skill penetration of roughly 15%.
