World Youth Skills Day 2025: Spotlight on India's AI Talent Crisis As businesses evolve with robots, artificial intelligence and intelligent automation, the very nature of work is undergoing a paradigm shift. Nearly 40 % of workers' core skills are expected to change by 2030, says Satish Shukla, Co‑founder, Addverb

With the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has rapidly reshaped corporate culture. Today, not only tech firms but almost every start‑up looks for employees who are proficient in AI‑related skills.

This year's 10th anniversary of World Youth Skills Day (WYSD), themed "Empowering Youth through AI and Digital Skills," could not be more appropriate. Mercer‑Mettl's India Graduate Skill Index 2025 reveals that only 42.6 percent of Indian graduates are considered employable, down from 44.3 percent in 2023.

"As businesses evolve with robots, artificial intelligence and intelligent automation, the very nature of work is undergoing a paradigm shift. Nearly 40 per cent of workers' core skills are expected to change by 2030," said Satish Shukla, Co‑founder, Addverb

So, what skills will be in demand? According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2025 report, the sharpest net rise in demand between 2025 and 2030 will be for AI and big data skills (+87 percentage points), followed by networks and cybersecurity (+70 pp), technological literacy (+68 pp), and creative thinking (+66 pp).

However, as of now, the skill shortfall is acute in the cybersecurity industry at the larger scale. Fortinet's 2024 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report finds that 92 per cent of Indian organisations suffered breaches last year, attributing many incidents to a shortage of skilled talent. Globally, nearly 4.8 million cybersecurity roles remained unfilled in 2023–24.

"It reminds us of the urgent need to equip young people for an evolving economy. With cyber‑threats growing more sophisticated, there is a critical shortage of professionals to safeguard our digital infrastructure," stressed Sunil Sharma, Vice‑President, Sales (India & SAARC), Sophos.

"Skills in quantum communication and security have the potential to not only transform individual career paths but also open up new opportunities on a global scale," added Sudiptaa Paul Choudhury, Vice President & Head of Marketing, QNu Labs.

Inclusion and public‑private collaboration

UNESCO warns that women and marginalised groups remain significantly under‑represented in AI‑related fields. Bensely Zachariah, Global Head of HR at Fulcrum Digital, notes that despite more than 40 per cent of India's population being under 25, many young Indians, especially from Tier‑2 and Tier‑3 cities and marginalised communities are still underserved and under‑prepared for the digital economy.

He advocates stronger public–private collaboration to fill this gap.

"Integrating AI into school curricula, funding AI labs in rural institutions, and scaling initiatives such as AI Olympiads, boot camps, hackathons and digital apprenticeships will ensure every young person can thrive in a tech‑driven world."

Also, the World Economic Forum estimates that 63 per cent of India's workforce over 70 million people will require upskilling or reskilling by 2030.

So, how can we empower youth? "We can open the doors, but young people must walk in with eagerness, hunger and excitement to learn. The real skill is a mindset geared toward experimentation and upgrading from foundational principles to business applications," said Noopur Julka, Senior Director, UST

"What gives me optimism is the breadth of support from government programmes like Skill India, PMKVY 4.0 and NPAI to on‑the‑ground efforts such as Skill Olympics and AI bootcamps actively bringing AI learning to youth across urban and rural India," added Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO, TeamLease Edtech.

But Juveri Mukherjee, Global Head of HR, Aurionpro Solutions believes, "Empowering youth is a collective responsibility across industry, academia and government. This can help us unlock pathways to employment, BIZ Experiencesship and innovation," concluded Mukherjee.