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Seven in 10 Indians in the current workforce are willing to apply new job skills in real-world settings, underscoring the need for organisations to bridge the gap between current readiness and future demands, a report showed on Friday. 

Further, there has been a noticeable increase in willingness among both the current and future workforce to embrace the gig model, according to the report by job search platform Indeed and Nasscom.

Approximately 35 per cent of each group expressed openness to gig opportunities, a significant rise from 23 per cent for the current workforce and 28 per cent for the future workforce in the previous year.

Key skills driving demand for gig roles in the technology sector include generative AI and automation, information and cyber security, digital transformation, solution architecture and data engineering.

“Advancements in technologies, particularly AI and ML, are driving a transformation in the job market, reshaping the skills required —spanning both technical expertise and analytical or soft skills,” said Sangeeta Gupta, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Nasscom.

Technology companies must implement policies and processes that are not only aligned with the changing dynamics but also adaptable to the continuous evolution of the workforce landscape, she noted.

With the increasing adoption of AI across organisational functions, AI/ML and analytics continue to dominate as the most in-demand job family, while cybersecurity has overtaken Cloud to become the second-most sought-after domain.

The top five in-demand job roles include data scientist/analyst, AI/ML expert, cybersecurity specialist, cloud architect/engineer and DevOps engineer.

In response, HR leaders emphasise core technical skills, a strong learning mindset, and analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities as the primary selection criteria, said the report.

Meanwhile, both the current and future workforce regard AI/GenAI proficiency, creativity, communication, and leadership skills as critical to success.

The adoption of GenAI tools has seen a dramatic increase over the past year, evolving from proof-of-concept experiments to widespread commercial applications.

“By combining human creativity with AI-driven innovation, businesses can lead confidently in this new era of work,” said Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales, Indeed India.