Indian-origin professionals accounts for 16% of global AI talent: Prosus-BCG study

India accounts for nearly 16% of the world’s AI talent, giving it a significant edge in building global artificial intelligence capabilities, according to a new white paper launched at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

Global technology investor Prosus, in partnership with knowledge partner Boston Consulting Group and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), unveiled the report titled “AI for All: Catalysing Jobs, Growth, and Opportunity” in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The paper highlights how India’s next growth phase will depend not just on access to AI but on disciplined execution and large-scale adoption across institutions and industries. It projects that India could contribute nearly 20% of incremental global GDP growth over the next 15 years.

From automation fears to productivity gains

The report attempts to shift the AI conversation in India away from job-loss concerns toward productivity expansion, stronger institutions and wider participation in the digital economy. Developed through multi-sector “Amrit Manthan” roundtables, it outlines how AI can be integrated into decision-making systems and workflows across agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing and financial services.

The blueprint builds on India’s digital public infrastructure, including Unified Payments Interface and Open Network for Digital Commerce, positioning the country as a potential AI adoption model for emerging economies.

AI as a job creator

The report presents AI as a net employment generator rather than a disruptor. It highlights emerging opportunities in AI monitoring, data operations, diagnostics, compliance and digital support services across sectors.

Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at MeitY and CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, said India’s next AI phase will focus on converting its digital strengths into measurable institutional outcomes aligned with the national development vision.

“India has built strong digital public infrastructure and nurtured one of the world’s largest pools of AI talent. The next phase of our journey is about translating these strengths into institutional capacity and measurable outcomes,” he said.

He added that as India advances its vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, responsible and inclusive deployment of AI will be central to driving productivity, expanding opportunity, and strengthening India’s position as a global digital leader.

Rentala Chandrashekhar, Chief Mentor, AI for All Project, Chairman, Centre for the Digital Future, and Former Secretary, Government of India (IT & Telecom), stressed that success will depend on disciplined execution and embedding AI into everyday systems—from classrooms and hospitals to factories and markets.

“India has the foundational rails - digital public infrastructure, entrepreneurial depth, and policy momentum. The challenge now is disciplined execution. AI must be institutionalised within agriculture markets, classrooms, clinics, factories, and financial systems. If deployed responsibly, AI can catalyse net employment while strengthening trust, governance, and long-term productivity,” Chandrashekhar said.

Sehraj Singh, Managing Director of Prosus India, said India has the potential to not only build AI solutions but also set global benchmarks for responsible and human-centric adoption. “Through the ‘AI for All’ initiative, we have worked alongside policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to identify high-impact, practical pathways for deployment. We believe India has the potential to not only be an AI innovator, but a global model for large-scale, human-centric AI adoption across the Global South.”

Transforming core sectors

In healthcare, where India’s doctor-to-population ratio is about 1:811 and out-of-pocket healthcare expenses account for nearly 40% of total spending, AI-powered diagnostics and predictive analytics could significantly improve medical capacity, as per the report. It also cites AI-based tuberculosis screening tools that analyse cough sounds to identify high-risk patients early.

In agriculture, which employs roughly 46% of India’s workforce and produces over 332 million tonnes of food grains annually, AI-driven crop planning and grading could help reduce post-harvest losses—currently estimated at 15–20%—while improving farmer incomes, it said.

The report also highlights that education could also see major gains. With nearly 14 lakh schools and 24 crore students, AI-led personalised learning and automated administration could help bridge foundational learning gaps and allow teachers to focus more on mentorship.

In manufacturing, which contributes about 16–17% of India’s GDP and employs over 110 million people, AI-powered predictive maintenance and quality checks could improve productivity, particularly for MSMEs that drive nearly 45% of exports.

Financial services stand to benefit as well. Despite India being the world’s third-largest fintech ecosystem and accounting for more than half of global digital transactions, credit access remains uneven. AI-driven underwriting and customer management tools could expand lending while reducing costs.