AI Poses No Threat To Jobs In India; Country Must Follow Its Own Path: Rentala Chandrashekhar

 

 

India does not need to fear job losses seen in many Western countries caused by Artificial Intelligence (AI), according to Rentala Chandrashekhar, former Union IT Secretary and former President of NASSCOM. He said the country should instead focus on using AI to create employment opportunities at the grassroot level and improve the delivery of public services.

 

Speaking at a conference in Hyderabad on the 'AI for All: Catalysing Jobs, Growth, and Opportunity', which was jointly prepared by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Prosus Group, and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Chandrashekhar called for transformative change in the AI ecosystem, urging a shift beyond pilot projects and small-scale experiments towards large-scale impact across sectors.

He recalled India's digital success stories achieved in the past in Aadhaar, UPI, and the telecom revolution. The former NASSCOM president said the country has repeatedly shown its ability to adopt technology at scale. He noted that India currently accounts for nearly 16 per cent of the world's AI talent, placing it among the global leaders in AI skills, and projected that India's contribution to global economic growth could reach around 20 per cent over the next 15 years.

 

Chandrashekhar said India should adopt a two-pronged approach to AI development. While startups continue to build innovative solutions for specific challenges, the government must strengthen Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to ensure technology reaches people at scale. He added that better coordination between the government and private sector would help solve national challenges more effectively and accelerate AI adoption.

Chandrashekhar said Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are making significant contributions to India's AI journey. He noted that Telangana has established itself as a major hub for the IT industry and Global Capability Centres (GCCs), while Andhra Pradesh is advancing AI-driven governance and strengthening its manufacturing ecosystem through technology.

He also stressed the role of voluntary organisations in bringing advanced technologies to rural communities, helping farmers and ordinary citizens benefit from AI-based solutions.

The conference was attended by Prof. Ramesh Loganathan of IIIT Hyderabad, Santhoshi Buddhiraju, CEO of Autocracy Machinery, Sehraj Singh, Managing Director of Prosus Group India, Poorva Bhandari, Co-founder of Deccan AI, and several other industry experts and policymakers.