New Delhi, June 24 (IANS): India is uniquely positioned to lead the emerging “human skills economy” owing to its young workforce and rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, according to a report by the International Workplace Group (IWG). The report said India has the world’s highest rate of AI adoption, with around 73 per cent of workers regularly using AI tools, significantly ahead of the United States at 45 per cent and the United Kingdom at 29 per cent. Citing Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index India findings, the report noted that 93 per cent of Indian business leaders plan to deploy AI agents to extend workforce capabilities over the next 12 to 18 months. As organisations increasingly redesign work around human-AI collaboration, the report emphasised that human capabilities such as empathy, judgment, leadership and collaboration will become even more critical. It also highlighted NASSCOM’s estimate that India has the potential to reskill and develop 8 to 10 million professionals in AI-related services by 2030, reinforcing the country’s long-term workforce advantage.
The report warned that failure to prioritise human capabilities could pose a significant risk to innovation, with nearly 90 per cent of HR leaders globally expressing concern over the issue. India’s demand for AI talent is projected to grow from around 6.5 lakh professionals to more than 1.25 million between 2022 and 2027, although a shortage of qualified professionals could constrain innovation and growth. According to the report, the combination of AI proficiency and strong human skills will be central to future workforce readiness. It further noted that 55 per cent of HR leaders consider hybrid workplaces among the most effective environments for developing essential human traits such as empathy, leadership, trust, mentorship and decision-making. While 73 per cent of hybrid teams are already using AI tools such as ChatGPT and 82 per cent of organisations offer AI training, fewer than half of HR leaders said their organisations are effectively bridging the skills gap, indicating that many companies still need to accelerate workforce readiness for the AI era.