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 With over 70 per cent of Indian professionals actively seeking opportunities to upskill in emerging technologies like AI, the country is leading Global South in technological adaptation owing to various government initiatives, according to a report on Monday. 

According to the report released by the Global Labor Market Conference (GLMC), the world’s premier forum for workforce development and labour market insights, while global trust in governments to support upskilling remains low at 20 per cent, Indian respondents (31 per cent) and those in Saudi Arabia (35 per cent) demonstrated significantly higher confidence in their governments.

The urgency to reskill due to technological advancements is a shared concern among Indian workers, with 55 per cent fearing that their skills could become partially or fully obsolete within the next five years. This places India in line with the global trend.

According to the report, India’s proactive stance on upskilling (55 per cent) for the next five years contrasts sharply with trends in more developed markets like the US (51 per cent), the UK (44 per cent) and Australia (49 per cent), where fewer workers reported urgency to reskill due to technological change.

When considering the future of skills, respondents in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, including India, prioritised cognitive skills (54 per cent) and STEM capabilities (38 per cent) as essential for thriving in a technology-driven economy.

Climate change is a more significant driver of upskilling or reskilling in India, with 32 per cent of respondents identifying it as a factor influencing their reskilling decisions in the next five years.

The report underscores India’s pivotal role in the Global South’s response to AI and automation, showcasing the country’s workers as frontrunners in skill development and technological adaptation.

“The dynamic nature of India’s job market, where AI, machine learning, and automation are becoming integral, drives this proactive stance,” it added.