AI Skills Gap Biggest Challenge in India Despite Massive Job Opportunities: Salesforce CEO

Salesforce South Asia President and CEO Arundhati Bhattacharya said that India’s artificial intelligence sector offers massive opportunities, but a severe skill gap remains the biggest challenge. She noted that while there is demand for over 6 lakh AI-related jobs, only around 4.2 lakh skilled professionals are currently available. According to global estimates, 17 crore new jobs are expected worldwide, while India alone will need 12.5 lakh AI professionals by 2027.

To bridge this gap, Salesforce has committed to training 10 lakh people in AI by 2030 in collaboration with the Government of India’s India AI Mission and the IT Ministry. The company is also working with AICTE to provide three-month internships to students in over 2,000 colleges. Bhattacharya highlighted that Hyderabad’s Centre of Excellence has grown from 500 to 4,000 employees in a decade and continues to play a key role in global operations and R&D.