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IBM said India will need coordinated efforts across government, industry, and academia to build AI skills and strengthen intellectual property protections if it wants to emerge as a global artificial intelligence powerhouse.
Speaking to Reuters, Sandip Patel said India’s large young workforce gives it a major opportunity in the global AI race, even as the technology threatens to disrupt traditional IT services jobs that have powered the country’s tech sector for decades.
“That demographic dividend sitting here is a phenomenal opportunity,” Patel said, adding that India could eventually build a workforce of 350 million AI-trained people capable of supporting businesses both domestically and globally.
More than half of India’s 1.4 billion population is under the age of 30, making the country one of the world’s largest sources of engineering and technology talent.
But the rapid rise of AI tools capable of automating coding, software testing, customer support, and other routine digital work has raised concerns about the future of India’s massive IT services industry, which employs millions of people.
Patel said India must move quickly to retrain and upskill workers to remain competitive as AI reshapes technology jobs globally.
IBM said it plans to train 5 million people in India in AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing by 2030. The company estimates that only around 30% of India’s available technology workforce currently has the AI skills businesses need.
The company is also working with the Indian government on AI skilling initiatives.
Beyond talent development, Patel said stronger intellectual property protections will be important if India wants to become a major creator — and not just a consumer — of AI technologies.
Companies need confidence that intellectual property developed in India can be commercially protected and monetized globally, he said.
The comments reflect a broader debate underway in India about how the country can move beyond its traditional outsourcing-led IT model toward higher-value AI innovation, product development, and research.
At the same time, IBM is expanding its operations beyond India’s established technology hubs to tap into talent in smaller cities.
Patel said IBM’s workforce in Kochi has grown to nearly 4,000 employees within two years, while the company has also expanded operations in Lucknow.
The shift toward tier-two cities reflects a broader industry trend as global technology companies look for new talent pools outside saturated metro markets such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Patel’s remarks also highlight how AI is becoming both an opportunity and a challenge for India: the country could become one of the world’s largest AI-enabled workforces, but only if it can rapidly modernize skills, policy frameworks, and innovation ecosystems fast enough to keep pace with global technological change.
Speaking to Reuters, Sandip Patel said India’s large young workforce gives it a major opportunity in the global AI race, even as the technology threatens to disrupt traditional IT services jobs that have powered the country’s tech sector for decades.
“That demographic dividend sitting here is a phenomenal opportunity,” Patel said, adding that India could eventually build a workforce of 350 million AI-trained people capable of supporting businesses both domestically and globally.
More than half of India’s 1.4 billion population is under the age of 30, making the country one of the world’s largest sources of engineering and technology talent.
But the rapid rise of AI tools capable of automating coding, software testing, customer support, and other routine digital work has raised concerns about the future of India’s massive IT services industry, which employs millions of people.
Patel said India must move quickly to retrain and upskill workers to remain competitive as AI reshapes technology jobs globally.
IBM said it plans to train 5 million people in India in AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing by 2030. The company estimates that only around 30% of India’s available technology workforce currently has the AI skills businesses need.
The company is also working with the Indian government on AI skilling initiatives.
Beyond talent development, Patel said stronger intellectual property protections will be important if India wants to become a major creator — and not just a consumer — of AI technologies.
Companies need confidence that intellectual property developed in India can be commercially protected and monetized globally, he said.
The comments reflect a broader debate underway in India about how the country can move beyond its traditional outsourcing-led IT model toward higher-value AI innovation, product development, and research.
At the same time, IBM is expanding its operations beyond India’s established technology hubs to tap into talent in smaller cities.
Patel said IBM’s workforce in Kochi has grown to nearly 4,000 employees within two years, while the company has also expanded operations in Lucknow.
The shift toward tier-two cities reflects a broader industry trend as global technology companies look for new talent pools outside saturated metro markets such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Patel’s remarks also highlight how AI is becoming both an opportunity and a challenge for India: the country could become one of the world’s largest AI-enabled workforces, but only if it can rapidly modernize skills, policy frameworks, and innovation ecosystems fast enough to keep pace with global technological change.
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