New Research: AI Skills in India Linked to 54% Salary Increase and Career Advancement

Fresh findings from Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, reveal a promising surge in salaries for Indian workers equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) skills. As AI adoption gains momentum, these skilled professionals could witness a substantial salary boost of more than 54%, with those in IT and research and development sectors leading the pack with increases of 65% and 62%, respectively.

The research, conducted by Access Partnership on behalf of AWS, underscores the pressing demand for AI-savvy talent among employers in India. While over nine in ten companies prioritize hiring individuals proficient in AI, a staggering 79% struggle to find suitable candidates, signaling an impending AI skills deficit in the country.

The study, titled “Accelerating AI Skills: Preparing the Asia-Pacific Workforce for Jobs of the Future,” surveyed over 1,600 workers and 500 employers in India to gauge emerging trends in AI utilization and skill requirements.

Beyond the substantial salary gains, the research reveals an overwhelmingly positive outlook among Indian workers regarding the impact of AI skills on their careers. A striking 97% anticipate favorable outcomes such as enhanced job efficiency and career progression. Furthermore, 95% express eagerness to develop AI skills, spanning across different age groups, including Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and even baby boomers, with 90% of the latter cohort expressing willingness to enroll in AI upskilling programs.

Employers anticipate significant productivity enhancements, with a projected 68% increase, attributing it to AI’s capacity to automate routine tasks, facilitate skill acquisition, and streamline workflow processes. Workers, in turn, believe AI could elevate their efficiency by as much as 66%.

The study underscores the swift integration of AI into Indian workplaces, with nearly all employers envisioning their organizations to become AI-driven entities by 2028. While finance departments are expected to reap the most benefits according to 97% of employers, various other departments including IT, research and development, sales and marketing, and human resources are also poised to derive substantial value from AI implementation.

Generative AI, a technology capable of rapidly generating diverse content such as conversations, stories, images, and music, has garnered significant interest among Indian employers and workers alike. A staggering 98% anticipate integrating generative AI tools into their work environments within the next five years, foreseeing benefits such as increased innovation, improved outcomes, and automation of repetitive tasks.

Recognizing the imperative to bridge the looming AI skills gap, the study calls for concerted efforts from governments, industries, and educators to facilitate AI training programs and guide workers toward suitable career paths aligned with their AI skillsets.

In response to the burgeoning demand for AI skills, AWS has launched initiatives like the ‘AI Ready’ program, complementing its commitment to provide free cloud computing skills training to millions worldwide by 2025. Through this initiative, AWS offers a range of free AI and generative AI training courses tailored to both technical and non-technical roles, aiming to empower individuals to acquire AI proficiency and thrive in an AI-centric future. Additionally, AWS continues to innovate in the field of generative AI, introducing solutions like Amazon Q—a customizable generative AI assistant designed for businesses—at the AWS re:Invent 2023 conference.